Body Line

February 7, 2011
When someone kills Dr. David Rogers with a single shot to the back of the head in his posh London home, Det. Insp. Bill Slider and his team investigate in Harrod-Eagles's solid 13th Bill Slider mystery (after 2010's Fell Purpose). The divorced, womanizing doctor, whose promising career was derailed by a scandal some 10 years earlier, left few clues to his employment and confusing ones about his rich lifestyle. Superintendent Porson offers support and endless malapropisms (e.g., "Talk about a needle in a woodpile!") in a case that Porson opines will come down to "sex or money." Slider and his key players, including Det. Constable Norma Swilley, whose macho image has been undercut since her return from maternity leave, are usually competent, sometimes inspired, sometimes lucky. This fine ensemble procedural produces a surprising picture once all the pieces of the puzzle fall into place.

Starred review from February 15, 2011

Who killed the ladykiller?

David Rogers never met a gal he didn't want to chat up. He was a consultant, he told them, but was vague about which hospital he was affiliated with. He bought them fabulous trinkets, always paid for in cash, and assured each of them that marriage was a certainty. After all, he loved them, didn't he? Well, not really. The lothario kept a string of lovelies hoping, so it's unlikely that one of them shot him dead. It's up to Bill Slider, of Shepherd's Bush CID, to discover Rogers' nemesis and in the process learn about an ex-wife and former best friend, both of whom lie about their recent contact with Rogers and decline to gossip about a long-ago accusation of patient diddling that forced Rogers from a lucrative practice. More enquiries turn up a current wife sworn to secrecy about their relationship as well as Rogers' passion for weekly night-fishing in a power boat worthy of a billionaire. In order to keep secret what elapsed during those excursions, more must die before medical malfeasance reaching as far as Holland and China is brought to a stop.

Nobody cozies up to domesticity better than Harrod-Eagles (Fell Purpose, 2010, etc.). Only a die-hard misanthrope would disdain a chance to spend time with Slider and his wife and son.

(COPYRIGHT (2011) KIRKUS REVIEWS/NIELSEN BUSINESS MEDIA, INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.)

March 1, 2011

When a doctor is fatally shot in his home, Bill Slider (Fell Purpose; Game Over) and his team have precious little to investigate. There are no clues at the scene, and the victim's life is clutter free--they cannot even find out where he worked. Then there is a second murder. VERDICT Although the carefully detailed plot effectively creates an oppressive atmosphere, the motive behind the crime is a trifle obvious. Still, that should not stop fans of complex British procedurals from enjoying this title.

Copyright 2011 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Starred review from February 1, 2011
Existing Harrod-Eagles fans will delight in her new Bill Slider novel, while readers unfamiliar with one of the stalwarts of the modern British police procedural are in for a real treat. Sliders latest case focuses on the murder of Dr. David Rogers, who is killed at home with an execution-style shot to the head. The more Slider and his team investigate, the more puzzling the case gets. Rogers appears to have no next of kin except his ex-wife, who claims she hasnt spoken to him in years. He lived a luxurious lifestyle on a modest income from a company that doesnt exist. He was a womanizer whose numerous girlfriends claim he was a respected doctor, but no hospital has him on their books. Leads are thin on the ground, and motive, means, and opportunity are impossible to substantiate. But eventually the case breaks wide open, and Slider and his team win kudos for solving a crime with international implications. The multitalented Harrod-Eagles has the modern police procedural down pat and perfectly captures the quirks and foibles of the British copper. With its original plot twists, charismatic cast, and the intriguingly multifaceted Slider, this one is a top pick for all collections.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2011, American Library Association.)