Blood Sinister

October 1, 2001
This remarkable British police procedural series continues as Detective Inspector Bill Slider investigates the murder of a female journalist famous for criticizing the police. Apparently the woman uncovered one secret too many. Good work from a well-practiced hand.

Copyright 2001 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Starred review from September 15, 2001
It's hard to know which Harrod-Eagles does best: crafting compelling stories or developing fascinating characters. Her latest Bill Slider mystery wins in both categories. The intrepid, unflappable Slider, along with his motley and always amusing cop-shop crew, must discover who raped and murdered notorious journalist Phoebe Agnew. From her outspoken opposition to abortion to her hippie lifestyle and series of vicious political exposes, Phoebe had always courted controversy. But could she have stirred up enough hatred to provoke murder? Or is her killer the most obvious suspect, politician Josh Prentiss, whose fingerprints were found at the scene and who is reputed to be Phoebe's lover? The plot becomes a gripping guessing game as new clues and suspects pop up on nearly every page. With the support of the metaphor-murdering Detective Superintendent Fred Porson and his colleagues, quip-quick Jim Atherton and smart, sassy Norma Swilley, Slider looks past the obvious clues and finds a vicious killer. Five stars and two thumbs up for another superb procedural from Harrod-Eagles, whose Slider series belongs right up there with the work of John Harvey and Ian Rankin.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2001, American Library Association.)