Some Die Eloquent

Inspector Sloan #8

by Catherine Aird

As the doctor said, it's not so important what Miss Wansdyke died from as to whom she left a quarter of a million in pounds. Inspector Sloan agrees.

Genres: Mystery, Fiction, Audiobook, Crime, British Literature, Mystery Thriller, Cozy

159 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1979

About the author

Kinn Hamilton McIntosh, known professionally as Catherine Aird, was an English novelist. She was the author of more than twenty crime fiction novels and several collections of short stories. Her witty, literate, and deftly plotted novels straddle the "cozy" and "police procedural" genres and are somewhat similar in flavour to those of Martha Grimes, Caroline Graham, M.C. Beaton, Margaret Yorke, and Pauline Bell. Aird was inducted into the prestigious Detection Club in 1981, and is a recipient of the 2015 Cartier Diamond Dagger award.

Reviews

[John · Rating 2 out of 5]

A very lightweight piece that I felt I ought to be enjoying far more than I was.

A middle-aged schoolteacher dies of, it's assumed, her diabetes, but then suspicions rise when it's discovered her dog has been killed and buried in the garden, her body has been deprived of insulin, and a quarter of a million pounds has recently been deposited in her bank account without, it seems, her knowledge. Sure enough, it emerges that she's been murdered, and Inspector Sloan must potter about among the heirs until he finds out who did it.

And that, I think, is part of the trouble: he doesn't really investigate, just sort of flails around, and then makes some off-the-wall guesses that miraculously prove to be correct. All this amid tracts of supposedly witty badinage that read to me like rather tedious filler -- not least Sloan's frequent briefings of his knuckleheaded superior, the sole purpose of which seemed to be to remind us that the superior really was, y'know, knuckleheaded, in case we'd forgotten it since last time. These sessions reminded me of Purbright's briefings of his Chief Constable in Colin Watson's Flaxborough novels; however, while I found the Flaxborough equivalents generally quite amusing, I grew to dread these.

All of this said, Aird's Calleshire novels have a huge and loyal following, so I'm sure there's entertainment here that simply isn't for me. A pity.

[Cindy · Rating 5 out of 5]

It wasn't so much how Beatrice Wansdyke died that was the trouble - it was what she had when she died. £250,000 - which I calculated to be worth $1.2 million today. So what was a quiet, elderly schoolteacher doing with that kind of money? Her lifestyle didn't reflect a taste for the good life. She lived in a modest home in a quiet suburb that the police describe in the most glowing terms - "no trouble, even on Saturday nights!"

So when the medical examiner finds a few suspicious indications, he informs Inspector C D Sloan. Sloan is plenty busy on his own. His wife is 9 months pregnant with their first baby, and growing more irritable and uncomfortable by the minute. (Hm, wonder what that's like.) But Superintendent Leeyes is just as determined that Sloan figure out how the woman died, where the money came from, and whether there was any foul play involved.

I really enjoy this series. I love the dry, English humor that runs through the books. The exchange between Inspectors Sloan and Harpe has all the humor of Abbott and Costello, but with a British flavor. My only complaint is that sometimes the books leave a lot of loose ends. But this one is one of the best and I recommend it to anyone who enjoys the genre.

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

When a quiet schoolteacher dies, it seems obvious that it was from natural causes. But how does she come to have such a large bank account?

[Penelope · Rating 4 out of 5]

MY RATING GUIDE: 4.5 Stars. SOME DIE ELOQUENT - a satisfying Police Procedural which accompanies Inspector Sloan’s impending fatherhood. I enjoyed piecing the clues of the case together and was invested til the end. This title included tongue-in-cheek humor which I appreciated.

1= dnf/What was that?; 2= Nope, not for me; 3= This was okay/cute; 3.5= I enjoyed it; 4= I liked it a lot; 5= I Loved it, it was great! (I seldom give 5 Stars).

Beatrice Wansdyke, a 59yr old single chemistry teacher and long-time diabetic, dies suddenly just before her retirement. When it is discovered that she has a 1/4 million pounds in her banking account, the police work to be certain that her death was natural and not murder.

Meanwhile, Sloan’s wife is pregnant with their first child and quickly approaching her due date. Working the new case and finding no easy answers, Sloan hopes he can find time to attend his child’s birth.

Quote ~
> “It is a truth universally acknowledged,” said the doctor drily, “that a middle aged woman in possession of a fortune will attract people anxious to part her from it.” Police Pathologist, Dr Dabbe

Comments ~
1) SOME DIE ELOQUENT is bk8 in Catherine Aird’s Sloan and Crosby 28 book Mysteries series. It can be read as a Standalone title but I have enjoyed each book preceding this. The Calleshire Chronicles novels are Character-Driven Police Procedural Mysteries with continuing character development and relationships which unfold over time.
2) I need to like the MCs in the books I read and I find Inspector Sloan quite likable. His interactions with Constable Crosby and his boss, Superintendent Leyes, and his colleagues tend to be entertaining. It’s a bonus that Sloan enjoys an amicable relationship with his wife, Margaret, and that she seems to understand the demands of his career with humor - rather rare irl or fiction.
3) SOME DIE ELOQUENT was published in 1979 and set in “present day” (1979). The story itself, has held up very well over time with just slight technology differences. I both read and listened to the audiobook nicely performed by Derek Perkins.
4) recommend this series to readers who enjoy:
> British Mysteries.
> Classic Mysteries (Sayers, Allingham, Marsh, Sally Wright).
> Certain Cozy Mysteries.
> Clean fiction.
> Police Procedural series.
> Character Driven series.

READER CAUTION ~
No intimacy scenes, strong language usage or graphic descriptions of murder.

[Jill · Rating 4 out of 5]

Easily another 4 star rating for this book. I enjoyed the somewhat complicated plot, and can't help being amused by the humour of these books.
In this the police have their attention alerted by a bank. An account with them has recently received a large amount of money being deposited into the account of a lady who has now been found dead. The woman had a history of being a diabetic, but she was closely monitored by her doctor and given the appropriate amount of medicine to combat her illness. The police thought this should be looked into and so a autopsy was arranged, leading to questions of foul play.
Sloan, with Crosby's help, are given the investigation. The relations of the deceased woman are investigated, and it looks as though everything is going one way. Sloan has his mind on the imminent birth of his child, and although his wife is tolerant of his situation, he often neglects her, but her input into the investigation is helpful. Surprisingly, Crosby plays a bigger role in this book and uses his entitative, although not as successfully as maybe others may have been in his place.

[Katie Oliver · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great Twist, Fun Read

After a somewhat slow start, Some Die Eloquent is an enjoyable puzzle of a read.

Detectives Sloan and Crosby are back, along with pathologist Dr. Dabbe, with a case involving the death of a diabetic woman that at first seems aboveboard, but isn’t. When avarice leads to murder, Sloan and Crosby must follow the money to find the killer.

If you love a good English murder mystery with quirky characters and a dash of wit, you’ll enjoy Catherine Aird’s books.

[Stacy · Rating 3 out of 5]

It wasn't too surprising when Beatrice dies, it was surprising that her bank account all of a sudden had a quarter of a million pounds in it. How did it get there and was there more to her death? Those are the questions for Inspector Sloan to work through while attempting to support his wife through the last days of her pregnancy. Nice classic mystery.

[Dave · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good one. Sometimes the comic byplay gets a little overdone, and the mystery goes a little slowly. On the plus side, we have Sloan's wife Margaret and a solution that would still be welcome today. Still a good one.

[Ram Kaushik · Rating 3 out of 5]

Witty and readable without ever rising to compelling status.

[Clare Anderson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting plot but hard to follow dialogue

I was halfway through the book before I started to follow the dialogue. There were a lot of phrases used in this novel that I did not recognize. Some I could look up and find the meaning but others were not so significant. They were probably common to those that come from the UK , especially in the 1960s to 1980s. By halfway into the book, l had enough of the plot to know what was going on, but then I still had a hard time following some of the logic on how certain clues led to specific conclusions, although I had a correct suspicion of who was the murderer in the end. Perhaps if I had read the other books in this series instead of this one first, I might have been more familiar with phrases and actions of the characters.

[Damaskcat · Rating 5 out of 5]

Someone thinks Beatrice Wansdyke's death is suspicious and contacts the police. Sloan and Crosby are sent to investigate. Her GP had given a death certificate as he was satisfied she died from natural causes, and the post mortem confirms that she did but precisely why did she have a quarter of a million pounds in her bank account?

As Sloan and Crosby dig a but further it seems there is something suspicious about the death after all and her relatives come under suspicion with several of them having means, motive and opportunity. I enjoyed this well written cosy mystery with its touches of dry humour and its likeable characters. This is an entertaining light read if you don't want to grapple with anything too difficult or harrowing.

[Andréa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Trigger (and slight spoiler) warning: There's a dead dog in this one.

[Susan · Rating 5 out of 5]

First published in 1979 this is the eighth book in the D I Sloan series. I have to say that this series is rapidly becoming a favourite and I am so pleased that I discovered it.

D I Sloan's wife, Margaret, is heavily pregnant and there is a lot of humour as much of this book is set around the hospital, where Sloan invariably runs into those that he has arrested and poor Margaret is constantly abandoned by him as he rushes off trying to solve his latest crime.

This crime involves chemistry mistress, Beatrice Gwendoline Wansdyke, a perfectly respectable matronly lady of fifty nine. Suffering from diabetes, her death initially seems fairly natural, except she has a quarter of a million pounds in the bank, when neither her job or her circumstances seem to make that likely. Sloan and Crosby set off to discover who will profit from her death and the suspects include her niece, Nurse Briony Petforth, who wanted to marry before completing her training to her aunt's objections, her ne'er do well brother, Nicholas, a drunken doctor, and her cousin, George, and his business partner, who run a plastics company.

I like Sloan and the long-suffering Crosby. The crimes are well plotted, the characters interesting and I am delighted to see the latest in the series was only published last year. The books, so far, have only improved as I work through the series and it is a joy to see she is still writing, although in her nineties. I look forward to reading on.

[Michelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

After a couple of duds (relatively speaking), I really enjoyed this one - between 4 and 5 stars for me. The mystery is initially sparked by a conversation overheard in a supermarket: the humble teacher who was thought to have died quietly, leaving very little, actually had three quarters of a million pounds in her bank account. This prickles at the police's thumbs, but a post-mortem turns up nothing...at first. And then more mysteries surface.

At the same time, Inspector Sloan's wife, who is delightful, and frankly, the best character in the series, is very close to delivering their (first) child. Constable Crosby and Superintendent Leeyes put in their usual appearances, though Crosby actually appears to be improving, even as everyone else complains about him.

The mysteries eventually resolve themselves quite nicely and in an interesting way, though I thought there was still at least one thing the murderer couldn't control: I don't see how they could have prevented the victim from calling a doctor when she started feeling very poorly? Maybe disconnected her phone and reconnected it again? Is it possible?

[Susan in NC · Rating 4 out of 5]

I always enjoy a visit with Inspector Sloan, the hapless Crosby (I swear he’s taking initiative and improving at his job, despite the jokes about him!), and the know-it-all, sarcastic Superintendent Leeyes.

This is an interesting case, as police wives help start the case and move it along. A high school chemistry teacher has apparently died from complications of her diabetes, but a former policewoman, now wife of a current officer, overhears a conversation that raises doubts whether the death was innocent. Later, Margaret Sloan overhears helpful information at her obstetrics checkup.

Sloan discovers a quarter of a million pounds in the dead woman’s bank account, but neither her executor or other beneficiaries appear aware that they might inherit a chunk of money. Where did the money come from, and who wanted the victim dead? Where did her dog go? Who fiddled with her insulin?

An enjoyable, interesting investigation with plenty of the dry humor Aird invests in every mystery.

[Robert Palmer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beatrice Wansdyke was a quiet elderly schoolteacher she lived in a very modest home,when she died it turned out that she had E250.000 pounds ,that’s British money in the year 1985 and no one knows where it came from. After the medical examiner finds suspicious problems in her death and soon Inspector C.D. Sloan is on the case.
It is universally acknowledged that a middle aged woman in possession of a fortune
Will attract people anxious to part her from it.
I have previously read 5 or 6 of the C.D.Sloan series and I have enjoyed them all and it would appear that they just keep getting better. I like the dry English witt ,the give and take between Inspector C.D. Sloan and Constabale W.E Crosby and Superintendent Leeyes.
4 stars for a fun mystery

[Jessi · Rating 3 out of 5]

When a rich old lady dies in a mystery, there is often a rush to figure out how she was murdered and by whom. In the case of Miss Beatrice Wansdyke, it comes as surprise that the woman was actually rich. I mean, she was a chemistry teacher in a girls' school, where did the money come from? She had managed her diabetes for years but her autopsy shows that she is distinctly lacking insulin. Plus there's the weird thing that her dog has disappeared as well.
Inspector Sloan is sort of distracted as his wife is about to give birth and we get a lot of details related to that miraculous happening. But that also takes up a lot of the book leaving less room for Aird to show on page how the mystery actually gets solved.
An interesting story but maybe a little too short.

[Lisa Kucharski · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fun mystery, not counting the murder, where Inspector Sloan is called to mind a curious death by Dr. Habbe - he suspects fowl play mostly due to the staggering amount of money in the victim's bank account. And from there Insp. Sloan follows and finds what caused her death then follow the trail of those who benefit. (All the while, he and his wife are expecting soon!)

Must say I had the right person picked but couldn't figure out why, but then Sloan figured that out before I did. ;) Quick read, and the humorous observations throughout make you smile. If you come upon this book and have not read these in any order, it wouldn't be a problem to start with this book.

[Pamela · Rating 4 out of 5]

Superbly readable and entertaining as always, but I have to say I was jolted by the cavalier way the baby (who spent the whole book being imminent) is suddenly (from a distance) declared to be crowning, then declared to be a son, and then--dropped from the narrative completely as his parents went on bending heads together over the loose ends of the crime, but not the baby! No description, no babe in arms moment, no more focus on just-delivered Margaret than her two-cents worth about the crime. LOL Attention all who have NOT given birth: um, no. PS: Sloan very much needed a daughter to unbend at least a few of his traits, IMHO. Just sayin

[Marsha Valance · Rating 4 out of 5]

While DI C.D. Sloan is in the waiting room of the local hospital with his very pregnant wife, the body of a middle-aged high school science teacher is brought thru to the morgue, accompanied by DC Crosby. Crosby recognizes the body, who had come to the police station the previous Saturday, looking for help finding her missing dog. When the pathologist cannot find a cause of death, apart from the woman's diabetes, Sloan & Crosby investigate. This is a perfect British country mystery--fans of the genre will appreciate the cleverly delineated characters & the witty dialog. (Spoiler alert: the dog's murder is an important plot point.) A Detective Book Club selection (1980).

[Vic Lauterbach · Rating 4 out of 5]

In his eighth case, DI Sloan is treated to one of Ms. Aird's specialties, a seemingly ordinary event that slowly begins to take on sinister aspects. This is a 'mystery of absences,' one where the elements you're expecting are missing. At first, even the crime is missing. Gradually, DI Sloan figures it out with DC Crosby's help and against the backdrop of his wife Margaret's pregnancy coming to term. Ms. Aird's short, Calleshire Chronicles are like murder mystery snack food, and her writing style is always entertaining, so if you're not looking for a long, complicated mystery, you'll like this short clever quasi-cozy police procedural. Recommended to fans of the genre.

[Deb Jones · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Inspector Sloan series is very much on the classic style of police procedurals/mysteries. These can be read alone, but reading them in order allows the reader to enjoy the main characters' progression.

Sloan is a quiet man who goes about his job methodically but with insight and determination. He is often partnered with Detective Constable Crosby, though not by choice but because Crosby's usually left to the last of the line.

Our victim is a 60-something-year-old teacher and scientist who initially is thought to have died from complications of her diabetes. Sloan suspects otherwise and, as is often true, is found to be correct. But who would want the woman dead -- and why?

[Robyn · Rating 3 out of 5]

Early Bird Book Deal | Who were these people? | I thought at first that this wasn't grabbing my interest just because I was anxious, but then I realized that none of the characters had really been formed. The reader gets less than a bare sketch of everybody, victim and suspect alike, and the motive is basically an afterthought. Sloan's impending baby kind of gets more attention, but when I really think about it, that also doesn't get a lot of page space. Basically she tried too much and shortchanged everything.

[Melissa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Delightful. Sloan is called away from attending a doctor's visit with his very pregnant wife to oversee a postmortem on a woman who died of diabetes: and the postmortem confirms she died of diabetes. Natural causes? Not so fast. Not with a sudden influx of a quarter of a million pounds in her bank account, and a missing dog ... Sloan has a struggle to maintain work/life balance as his wife nears her due date and he's got a case to work on.

Clever and interesting, light but well written.

[Orinoco Womble (tidy bag and all) · Rating 3 out of 5]

It took me a while to get into this one, but at least there weren't quite so many, quite so obscure literary references. Slow start, and I was afraid I was going to DNF. It picked up after the opening chapters and at least Crosby is no longer quite such a whipping boy. Pity about poor Isolde, though. I did enjoy it, but I have remarkably little to say about it, curiously enough. I guess you could say I liked it better than just "it was okay" but not really "wow."

[Nd · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a thoroughly enjoyable mystery with Detective Inspector Sloan navigating the paths between various departments within the Calleshire police force, the local hospital (which included both the police morgue and the doctor who was set deliver Sloan and Margaret's baby), and the death of a local school teacher/chemistry researcher who died without her heirs knowing that she had half a million pounds in her bank account.

[Robin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beatrice Wansdyke, chemistry mistress at an all girl’s school in Berebury, England, is found dead in her home due to complications from diabetes, from which she had suffered for many years. Her only living relatives were two nephews, one the co-owner of a plastics company and the other a ne’er do well, and a niece who is a nurse. Her death appeared to be from natural causes until the police find that her bank account contained a quarter of a million pounds, recently deposited into her account. Inspector CD Sloan has been called upon to investigate, but he has other challenges as well – his wife is expecting their first child at any moment.

Some Die Eloquent is the 8th book in the Inspector CD Sloan series by Catherine Aird. This series is a delightful example of a Britsh police procedural. Sloan is a modest, but effective, police inspector who is hampered in his investigations by his boss, Superintendent Leeyes, and his subordinate, Detective-Constable Crosby. He is a very likable character and both Leeyes and Crosby provide comic relief. The much-maligned Crosby usually unknowingly provides an insight that aids Sloan in finding the culprit, thereby making himself somewhat valuable to the team. Superintendent Leeyes spends his personal time taking classes at the local college and wants to share his knowledge with his subordinates, who usually find ways to avoid him.

I found this book well-plotted and the storyline very interesting. I don’t think it’s spoiling anything to say that there was a murder committed, but Sloan first had to prove that it was murder before he could narrow down the murderer from several plausible suspects. Sloan is not afraid to use his intuition and follow hunches, which typically turn out to be correct.

Although this is considered a police procedural and was written in 1979, it has many of the elements found in Golden Age mysteries, and I think fans of the genre would enjoy this book. Some of the book – the portion taking place in the hospital – is a little dated, but not enough to hamper one’s enjoyment.

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

More humor, more personal details on sidekick Crosby as well as on Sloan and his wife Margaret, who become parents in this book, which provides a little depth to their characters. The resolution of this mystery did not seem as weirdly concocted as Parting Breath, which was the title before this in the series.

[Eric · Rating 3 out of 5]

As with many in this series, I found the characterisation and premise excellent but the denouement rather weak. Often the reader does not have information vital to the solution.
Here a feisty science teacher is found dead and the police suspect, but find it difficult to prove, foul play. There is also the question of the large sum of money in her bank account...

3.5 stars.

[Anna · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked the interplay between the mystery and Sloan's private life in this one. This also went in some exciting directions at the end that I was not expecting. Also I am glad that Sloan made it to his key moment in time I'm not sure I could have forgiven Aird and continued reading the series if he had not.