Hard Going

December 9, 2013
Det. Insp. Bill Slider of Shepherd’s Bush, London, investigates a retiree’s murder in Harrod-Eagles’s cleverly constructed 16th series entry (after 2012’s Blood Never Dies). The victim, Lionel Bygod, despite a wide circle of acquaintances and a reputation for philanthropy, proves to have had few friends who knew anything about his pre-retirement life as a solicitor, much less what would lead to him being bludgeoned to death in his own study. Through routine police work, Bill and his crew locate Lionel’s ex-wife, June Bromwich, and determine that his housekeeper, Angela Kroll, has shady family members. The key to the case, though, seems to be Bygod’s successful defense of one Noel Roxwell against child molestation charges, which engendered dire threats from the victim’s father, Derek Crondace. Slider is assisted in his investigation by a strong supporting cast, including malapropism-prone Det. Supt. Fred Porson and attractive Det. Constable Kathleen Swilley. Harrod-Eagles continues to entertain with this well-plotted, gracefully written procedural series.

January 15, 2014
London detectives search for the murderer of a neighborhood philanthropist. Retired solicitor Lionel Bygod had just begun to write out a check in the elegant reception room of his Shepherd's Bush flat when someone bashed in the back of his head with a bronze statuette. DI Bill Slider and his subordinates interview Bygod's acquaintances, who assure them that the victim was a quiet, well-mannered man who loved the theater, was active in volunteer work and helped people in the area, especially those down on their luck. Bygod was a moderately wealthy man with no known next of kin and no will. What could have driven someone to kill him? Maybe the unpopular defense case that brought him nothing but harassment and drove him into retirement. Besides searching for the most vocal of Bygod's persecutors as a possible suspect, Slider also grills Angela Kroll, Bygod's housekeeper, who has a key to the flat and a husband deeply in debt. A mystery woman from Bygod's Oxford days and a missing photograph make Slider question whether the victim was really the honest and generous man he seemed. And who was the intended payee of the check that Bygod never finished writing? Levelheaded DI Slider (Blood Never Dies, 2012, etc.) returns in a satisfying balance of bullpen banter, lively characterization and thorough detection. Although Harrod-Eagles (Kate's Progress, 2013, etc.) tips her hand earlier than she might have, a poignant ending more than makes up for this minor lapse.

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Starred review from February 1, 2014

A nice man, by all accounts, Lionel Bygod has shockingly been bludgeoned to death in his study. DI Bill Slider and his team must tease apart the victim's life both for motive and next of kin notification. They subsequently investigate the housekeeper's shady family, the law practice Bygod abandoned abruptly several years earlier, and, most surprisingly, his connection with one of England's most popular stage actresses. Good old-fashioned detective work eliminates the wide pool and finally exposes the killer. VERDICT Harrod-Eagles has neatly updated a typical British procedural and given it 21st-century flair with believable protagonists, a diverse ensemble cast, and contemporary issues. Her knack for making the supporting characters stand out is particularly notable. Additionally, her excellent dialog peppered with sly humor (cleverly titled chapters, e.g., "Driving Miss Crazy") gives it an episodic tone. Readers new to the series can enjoy this 16th entry (after Blood Never Dies) without having to turn to the earlier titles.

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