Cynthia Harrod-Eagles
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THE BILL SLIDER MYSTERIES
in order:
“When a beautiful young woman is found naked and dead in a
deserted London flat, Detective Inspector Bill Slider finds himself unable to
keep an objective distance. His investigation
reveals the lonely existence of this sad woman and gives us an inside
look at life in a metropolitan orchestra. Intertwined with the investigation is
an unusually well done love story which complements rather than distracts. The
characters are diverse and believable… the story is well-paced and the last
fifty pages virtually force you to read them.” “Masterful
debut…Although Harrod-Eagles unabashedly hints at a clue that might settle
everything, no one bit of information answers every question. A sophisticated
ending whets readers’ interest in the further adventures of these strong
players.” “The British author
handles district police procedures with the same easy authority she brings to
the busy backstage life of a large symphony orchestra. Her ear is especially
attuned, though, to character nuance…” “A plethora of suspects,
a reserved, mild-mannered hero, and the understatement so typical of the
traditional British procedural.”
“With unerring
characterization, droll copper dialogue and a gritty London setting,
Harrod-Eagles mines fresh pleasures from standard procedural resources.
Bill Slider and his urbane subordinate Atherton identify the corpse found
charred in a motel fire as that of Richard Neal, a man involved with many
women. As Slider and Atherton follow up leads… several earlier deaths
connect to suggest a strange pattern…Harrod-Eagles slyly sifts various
strata of society in this admirable second novel.” “We expect sensitive
coppers in British police procedurals to empathize with murder victims…but
Bill Slider finds himself at something of an emotional loss when the victim is
Dick Neal, a loudmouthed travelling salesman who leaves a bitter wife and a slew
of mistresses behind when he dies in a suspicious motel room fire. In his
painstaking efforts to learn what kind of person Dick Neal really was and what
he did to get himself murdered, Slider discovers some unsettling truths about
himself… A lively and witty writer… Integrating romance and suspense with
the same artful grace she achieved in her first mystery, the author is well on
her way to an outstanding series.” “The mystery is a good
one, its investigation is workmanlike, and the writing is assured and even
elegant.” “There is a briskness and
unpretentiousness to Harrod-Eagles’s writing… (she) keeps the plot moving
with verve and wit and the whole thing is suitably entertaining.”
“This witty, intricate puzzle begins as a supposed crime passionelle. But each new kernel of evidence reveals an increasingly complex web of criminal intrigue. Slider is called on when a teenager finds a human finger among the fried potatoes at a London fish-and-chip shop. Body parts continue to surface as events expand to include a sinister tycoon, a prostitutes’ rooming house, three mysterious Asians and five murders...Surprises abound.” Publishers Weekly “Being able to write with
pacy humour is rare. Constructing good
thrillers with realistic characters is also rare. Being able to combine the two,
and to do it successfully, is nearly unique.” “Harrod-Eagles and her
detective hero form a class act. The style is fast, funny and furious, the
plotting crisply devious, and the denouement perversely wayward. And even then,
the final line in the novel contains an extra little gasp-inducing twist. Lovely
stuff.”
“Inspector Bill Slider
confirms his place among those intelligent fictional British coppers whose
presence guarantees a satisfying read. After Sir Stefan Radek, conductor of the
Royal London Philharmonic, is fatally shot during a rehearsal, Slider suspects
the case will be a ‘domestic’… After nabbing the shooter, Slider senses
that something about catching the right man is itself wrong, as wrong as his
estrangement from Joanna. To the remaining question – can the fallible man put
things, personal and professional, right – Harrod-Eagles offers an intricate,
credible reply.” “Skilful plotting and
vivid characterization make Grave Music
a compelling mystery… A generous and confident writer…Grave Music rates a standing ovation. “Her books are witty,
entertaining, and ingenious.”
“Harrod-Eagles unleashes an effective, dark-edged tale and serves up a truly nasty villain into the bargain. The fifth Inspector Bill Slider mystery revolves around the death of a promiscuous and pompous music critic who’s found with his throat slit in the gents at a TV studio where he was about to appear on a talk show… Harrod-Eagles gracefully builds upon her habitually elegant procedural stylings to deliver taut psychological suspense.” Publishers Weekly “Briskly sketched
characters on both sides of the law, tossed together in situations that crackle
with gentlemanly tension.’ Kirkus Reviews “There are plenty of
suspects for old Bill Slider and his team, and a whole fishmonger’s full of
red herrings…Harrod-Eagles is a wonderfully assured, compelling plotter, and
her hero is as appealing as ever.’ Yorkshire Post “Each plot twist,
including one devious turn that throws suspicion on a former member of
Slider’s murder squad, hangs on the testimony of complicated characters who
are among the author’s finest stock. Nobody is exactly what he or she seems:
not the victim, not even Slider, who has reason to examine his own
conscience.” New York Times Book Review “Harrod-Eagles delivers
snappy prose and a ripping tour through the British music world.”
“In…the sixth in this highly literate series, Inspector Bill Slider is approached by Jay Paloma, a gay erotic dancer, who has received letters threatening his life. A few days later Paloma’s battered body is found in the apartment he shared with barmaid and prostitute Busty Parnell…Slider is teamed with young black female detective Tony Hart. Their investigation delves into the seedy underside of London’s nightlife…Harrod-Eagles affectionately portrays a colourful London…The witty wordplay between Atherton and Joanna, Slider’s complicated relationships with Joanna and (estranged wife) Irene and the spice added by detective Hart combine to produce another solid addition to an outstanding series.” Publishers Weekly “The books work so well
because the author manages to infuse them with a warmth and wit that lingers on
after the last page is turned.” Yorkshire Post “This is an excellent,
solidly professional police story: well-written, with well-drawn characters and
a neatly dovetailed plot.” “…the charm oozed by
Bill, who is a normal person with personal problems struggling to survive in a
cruel world through humour and wit...a unique novel that gives readers a glimpse
of an England rarely seen in this sub-genre.” “Confident and lucid” Seattle Times
“When the wife of a local
builder is found murdered, her husband is the natural suspect. After all, her
body is found in the bottom of a hole dug at his latest job site. But why…do
local people differ so sharply in their opinions of her? Most say she’s a
promiscuous man-eater who deserved what she got; others paint her as a
long-suffering abused wife. Slider and Atherton must first discover the truth
about the victim before they can uncover the truth about her death. Their search
is an engrossing trip through the psyches of a small community…Rapid pacing,
sharp dialogue, strong storyline and confident writing style should delight
lovers of British procedurals on both sides of the Atlantic.” “Although the milieu
seems light years away from the edgy chaos of the city, the quiet-desperation
crowd proves itself capable of its own brand of nasty behaviour…Harrod-Eagles’s
ability to plumb the pathos from the depths of daily life remains razor
sharp.” “Complex and
sophisticated. The puzzle and the people are intriguing, and the denouement
compelling, making another winner for this outstanding writer.” “Yet again Ms Harrod-Eagles
hits the bullseye with her concoction of mystery and humour. Highly
recommended.’ “Time spent in the company of this literate crew… is always worthwhile.” Publishers Weekly
“Phoebe Agnew, hack journalist and no great fan of the police, is found dead. The army of suspects includes a plethora of police and politicians. Just what was Phoebe researching when she died and why were there no notes left in her pigsty of a flat? The writing is often atmospheric… entertaining us with keen character studies.“ Shots on the Page BLOOD SINISTER is stuffed with
clues…into the psychology of characters who think they are being oh-so-clever
about guarding their secrets. Even so, the events leadings up to the murder of
Phoebe Agnew, a “beautiful, wild and untidy” left-wing journalist with
friends and lovers in London’s highest political places, are a true puzzlement
right to the end. New York Times Book Review Her characters are deliciously
droll, and she writes with all her customary biting wit and a complexity all too
rare in mystery fiction. “The ebullient Detective
Inspector Bill Slider is in good form in Cynthia Harrod-Eagles’s new
mystery… It’s a good puzzle, with well-rounded characters and, fans will be
happy to hear, plenty of the usual dreadful puns.’ “Harrod-Eagles is a
master of the telling phrase or the catchy put-down. Reading her is a joy.” Irish Times “Sharp, witty and
well-plotted.”
The body of a well-dressed man is found slumped on a swing in a children’s playground in the heart of Shepherd’s Bush – Detective Inspector Bill Slider’s patch. The investigation unearths the victim’s sordid lifestyle of debts, drugs and dodgy deals, the trail leading from the seedy pubs of Shepherd’s Bush through the brothels of Notting Hill and the mansions of Holland Park to a tattoo parlour in Hong Kong. As they probe deeper and the body count rises, Slider and Atherton suspect the machinations of a crime baron who will stop at nothing to keep his identity hidden... Good plots and graceful writing count for a lot in the traditional English police procedural, but so do those idiosyncratic touches that keep us coming back to Cynthia Harrod-Eagles's series. Harrod-Eagles has a discerning eye and sympathetic ear for the petty thieves, dope dealers and other bad apples who collectively foul the social barrel but don't deserve killing. New York Times Book Review Detective Inspector Bill Slider's ninth outing takes him through London's most posh and pathetic neighbourhoods. The antics of this fascinating supporting cast add humour and spice to another winner in a consistently superb series. Booklist The author writes complex puzzles that are lightened with pungent wit, setting the scenes and bringing her characters to life with vivid descriptions. Publishers Weekly
ALSO:
“When I originally embarked on ORCHESTRATED DEATH, the first of the Bill Slider books, I was just doing it for fun, as a relaxation between other books. I had no thought then of having it published. With no preconceived notions of how to write a detective novel, I started with a corpse; and, in order not to make it too easy, I made it a totally naked corpse in a completely empty flat – a clue-free zone! I didn’t have to invent a detective - Bill Slider walked into my head the first day, complete in every respect. Don’t ask me where he came from: he’s not like anyone I know, at least not consciously; but from the first moment I knew everything about him – how he looked, where he lived, where he’d been to school, what he liked and disliked. So Bill and I started investigating our first case. I had no more idea than he did who the corpse was, let alone who had murdered her or why, so we had to work it out as we went along – not the recommended method for writing a mystery! After a few weeks I had to put it aside and get on with other work; but I kept coming back to it, and when at last it was finished I decided to show it to my publishers. They liked it so much they took it, but with the proviso that if it was a success I would write a series. The rest, as they say, is history. Bill has flourished, winning friends all over the world, through ten volumes of his harrowed life. But this story of how I first came to write him will at least explain why ORCHESTRATED DEATH is a little different from the following books: it was written as a one-off. That enigmatic ending was never meant to be – er – de-enigmatised!”
SHEPHERD’S BUSH – A POTTED HISTORY At the heart of Shepherd’s Bush is the Green, a triangle of common land, where drovers used to rest and graze sheep on the way to the market at Smithfield. This is probably how the place got its name. The name has been known since 1635, but until the nineteenth century it was a completely rural place, just a few houses and farms clustered around a junction in the old Roman road where the track turned off towards the river spa of Hammersmith. In the eighteen-forties London started to expand westwards, gradually engulfing the villages on its borders - Kensington, Bayswater, Brompton etc – until by the eighteen-eighties the built-up area was unbroken all the way to Shepherd’s Bush, which marked the western edge of the Metropolis. In 1864 the Metropolitan Railway – the world’s first underground railway – reached Shepherd’s Bush. It ran from Hammersmith all the way to Liverpool Street. Until 1905 the trains were pulled by steam engines. In 1908 a Great Exhibition was held on a specially-built site to the north side of Shepherd’s Bush. It had 120 exhibition halls, 20 palaces and half a mile of waterways, including a magic lagoon. The buildings were finished in white stucco which gave rise to the nickname of The White City. A new undergound station was built to serve it, and a sports stadium was also erected there for the 1908 Olympic Games. After the first World War the exhibition site was used for social housing and a vast estate of council flats was erected – the White City Estate. Shepherd’s Bush has had its fair share of celebrities. Oliver Cromwell was almost assassinated there in 1657. Charles Dickens helped found a home for reforming prostitutes in Lime Grove. Gustav Holst lived in Shepherd’s Bush in a two-room flat above a shop in the 1890s. John F Kennedy attended an athletics meeting in White City Stadium in 1939. And of course present day Shepherd’s Bush is home to the BBC, Queen’s Park Rangers football team – and Inspector Bill Slider!
I am often asked, especially by American readers, to explain Cockney rhyming slang. Nobody really knows its origin. It was said to be the London criminals’ way of conversing without the police knowing what they were saying; but since the prime users of it, other than criminals, are the police, it doesn’t seem to have worked! The idea is to rhyme the word you want with a phrase, and then say only the non-rhyming part of the phrase. So for instance ‘teeth’ become ‘Hampsteads’ via ‘Hampstead Heath’. Here is a selection:
PRESS COMMENTS ABOUT THE SERIES
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© Cynthia Harrod-Eagles, 2005. All Rights Reserved. |
ISBN 978-0-7278-6615-8 
