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Bill Slider #15
Blood Never Dies
Bill Slider and his team face a mystery when an unidentifiable man appears to have committed suicide but all signs point to murder
A boiling-hot August day and a handsome young man is found dead in his bath, exsanguinated. Bill Slider’s colleague takes one look at the body and is convinced something isn’t quite right. As Bill investigates, he reluctantly has to agree. But as Slider and his team try to identify the man – whose personal papers are missing, along with his wallet and keys – it seems that the more they find out about him, the less they really know . . .
256 pages, Hardcover
First published December 1, 2012
About the author
Cynthia Harrod-Eagles
144 books513 followersCynthia Harrod-Eagles (aka Emma Woodhouse, Elizabeth Bennett)
Cynthia Harrod-Eagles was born on 13 August 1948 in Shepherd's Bush, London, England, where was educated at Burlington School, a girls' charity school founded in 1699, and at the University of Edinburgh and University College London, where she studied English, history and philosophy.
She had a variety of jobs in the commercial world, starting as a junior cashier at Woolworth's and working her way down to Pensions Officer at the BBC.
She wrote her first novel while at university and in 1972 won the Young Writers' Award with The Waiting Game. The birth of the MORLAND DYNASTY series enabled Cynthia Harrod-Eagles to become a full-time writer in 1979. The series was originally intended to comprise twelve volumes, but it has proved so popular that it has now been extended to thirty-four.
In 1993 she won the Romantic Novelists' Association Romantic Novel of the Year Award with Emily, the third volume of her Kirov Saga, a trilogy set in nineteenth century Russia.
Cynthia Harrod-Eagles was born on 13 August 1948 in Shepherd's Bush, London, England, where was educated at Burlington School, a girls' charity school founded in 1699, and at the University of Edinburgh and University College London, where she studied English, history and philosophy.
She had a variety of jobs in the commercial world, starting as a junior cashier at Woolworth's and working her way down to Pensions Officer at the BBC.
She wrote her first novel while at university and in 1972 won the Young Writers' Award with The Waiting Game. The birth of the MORLAND DYNASTY series enabled Cynthia Harrod-Eagles to become a full-time writer in 1979. The series was originally intended to comprise twelve volumes, but it has proved so popular that it has now been extended to thirty-four.
In 1993 she won the Romantic Novelists' Association Romantic Novel of the Year Award with Emily, the third volume of her Kirov Saga, a trilogy set in nineteenth century Russia.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 78 reviews
February 10, 2013
I do wish I could use 3 1/2 stars. First let's be clear-I'm a huge Bill Slider fan. I've been reading this series since Ms. Harrod-Eagles began it, and have always eagerly awaited the next new book. This book though (the 15 in the series) just disappointed me. I didn't hate it, and I still love Bill and his cronies and enjoy seeing them work together to solve their cases. Also, the books are always funny, from the pun chapter names, to the jokes, and to the understated and hilarious similes and of course Porson's malapropisms. These alone make each book a delight. But I also always enjoyed the mysteries. They have always been a bit tricky and not easily determined. That is where this book fell short in my view. The mystery seemed to start out well-a corpse found that could so easily have been a suicide, but Bill and his crew dig enough to determine it was, in fact, a murder. There were lots of lucious suspects and a pretty good side story line as Shepherd's Bush CID do backgrounds on everyone that may be involved. But Ms. Harrod-Eagles pulled a fast one on one or two key suspects and all of a sudden, with no lead-up, we have new and unvetted suspects at the very end of the book. I don't like when mystery writers do this, so that is why my rating for this book is 3 1/2. I still enjoy Bill Slider and his quick wit so much that this will not turn me off the series.
February 17, 2013
Why do I love this series so? I think it's because I feel about Slider & company the way fans of series like "Friends" and Seinfeld feel about the ensemble of characters involved. They are old friends, whose doings are always of interest. However grisly the murder in question (and the author does nothing to disguise the horrors of violent death), Slider and his crew are fundamentally decent, good-humored, resourceful people. The dialog is way above average: thoughtful and witty, but never ponderous.
Here's how she explains the way Atherton, an elegant, fastidious person, somehow fits into the police force as Slider's right-hand man:
"One of the early reasons for Atherton's devotion to Slider had been that Slider had never, from the first meeting, looked at him askance. Slider had his countryman father's view that God had made all creatures different for His own purposes. A horse was not a cat and a cat was not a dog, and only a fool would want them to be."
While this may not be the best book in the series, I wouldn't have missed it for the world!
Here's how she explains the way Atherton, an elegant, fastidious person, somehow fits into the police force as Slider's right-hand man:
"One of the early reasons for Atherton's devotion to Slider had been that Slider had never, from the first meeting, looked at him askance. Slider had his countryman father's view that God had made all creatures different for His own purposes. A horse was not a cat and a cat was not a dog, and only a fool would want them to be."
While this may not be the best book in the series, I wouldn't have missed it for the world!
May 7, 2021
The Bill Slider series is storytelling with a steady-as-she-goes reliability. Character-driven police procedurals/mysteries that are easy reading and enjoyable. Harrod-Eagles brings her characters along through the series; they are not stagnant, but change with the times, life experiences and more.
I've read this series from the beginning and have enjoyed each story along the way. The series could be read as standalones, but I think the most enjoyment comes from reading them in order.
I've read this series from the beginning and have enjoyed each story along the way. The series could be read as standalones, but I think the most enjoyment comes from reading them in order.
June 26, 2021
I agree with Shirley it that I wish I could give it 3½ stars. I don’t like the 5 star system as it’s too inflexible. Should be able to judge out of 10.
January 1, 2013
I thought this was a weak Slider book. A tale made too complex with too many characters not fleshed out enough to tell them apart. When an author need 10 straight pages at the end of a book to explain the story you know they know the book didn't work well. I also missed more of Slider and Atherton's home life. Usually that is woven throughout the stories but not this time.
May 26, 2022
As I work my way through the many (hallelujah!) books in this series...this one was humming along towards four stars when it hit the unbelievable incident that allowed the resolution to this case. That ending had "desperation of author" written all over it.
February 21, 2018
Another thoroughly engaging entry into this police procedural series. The murderer pretty much had to be a woman; and even though there were very few women even remotely possible as suspects, I didn't guess the solution.
June 2, 2022
One more of the Bill Slider books and it was as entertaining as the others I have read. The characters continue to develop and the plot of this one kept me guessing to almost the end.
December 13, 2016
By now it's hard to rate these books as we are all rating them not just against other series but against the earlier books in the series. While life progresses for the London cops at Shepherd's Bush police station, the author has to think up fresh scenes, victims and villains. This story is somewhat confused with a man who was a cult rock star and jobbing film actor turning up dead, having used various names during his career and seemingly having gone undercover without telling anyone. His death looks like a suicide but DI Bill Slider and the pathologist decide it's staged. More deaths occur which turn out to be related.
I found a few unlikely points, principally the actor not having told anyone at all that he was undercover - he'd recently been a magazine journalist and should have told his editor. That would have made it work. He'd also have uploaded his information to a dropbox or cloud storage on the net, not just left it on a flashdrive and laptop to get stolen. The ending is hugely unlikely though well written, with Atherton, Slider's sidekick, in danger. And the story has to be rehashed for several pages to wrap it up, for the readers.
Overall this is an interesting look at some people and places which never get viewed in more touristy books, the ordinary folks and ordinary cops. As a police procedural it feels more like a chatty Ruth Rendell than a high tech or intense procedural.
I found a few unlikely points, principally the actor not having told anyone at all that he was undercover - he'd recently been a magazine journalist and should have told his editor. That would have made it work. He'd also have uploaded his information to a dropbox or cloud storage on the net, not just left it on a flashdrive and laptop to get stolen. The ending is hugely unlikely though well written, with Atherton, Slider's sidekick, in danger. And the story has to be rehashed for several pages to wrap it up, for the readers.
Overall this is an interesting look at some people and places which never get viewed in more touristy books, the ordinary folks and ordinary cops. As a police procedural it feels more like a chatty Ruth Rendell than a high tech or intense procedural.
December 4, 2014
A young man is found dead in his bath with his throat cut. At first glance it could be suicide but something isn't right and Bill Slider and his team believe it is murder. But they can't identify the body as all of his personal papers have disappeared and he appears to have been using a false name. As they gradually uncover information about the victim and his contacts and associates things seem to be getting more complex rather than clearer.
As people they interview are found dead they fear they may have found a serial killer but there are also indications their first victim may be linked to some rather sinister activities. This is an exciting well written crime novel and I found it an excellent read. There is plenty of humour, some marvellous one liners and some amusing chapter headings.
I like Bill Slider as a character and he has to be one of the most likeable detectives in crime fiction. The series can be read in any order as there is enough background information about the series characters private lives to keep the reader informed.
As people they interview are found dead they fear they may have found a serial killer but there are also indications their first victim may be linked to some rather sinister activities. This is an exciting well written crime novel and I found it an excellent read. There is plenty of humour, some marvellous one liners and some amusing chapter headings.
I like Bill Slider as a character and he has to be one of the most likeable detectives in crime fiction. The series can be read in any order as there is enough background information about the series characters private lives to keep the reader informed.
October 24, 2023
I reviewed #24 (I think) in this series recently and wanted to read another one. There is not much difference except that Slider is still a DI in this one. Det. Supt. Fred "The Syrup" Porson is no different. I don't know why he has that nickname, certainly no character ever refers to him that way. He is just one of the humorous threads in this series with his mangled English expressions. The amusing chapter headings are there, and of course Slider demonstrates his own humour from time to time. There are a few cosy interludes at home with Slider and occasionally other characters - it doesn't enhance tension but it certainly adds a touch of realism, as cops have home lives too. I applaud this approach. Running out at 250 pages I feel the book could have been more tightly edited.
I can safely say that I won't be actively searching for more of this series (they will probably be difficult to find) which come under the heading of NDJ at the library. However, if I really need a decent relaxing read, I can keep C. H-E and her Slider series in mind.
Rating 3.3.
I can safely say that I won't be actively searching for more of this series (they will probably be difficult to find) which come under the heading of NDJ at the library. However, if I really need a decent relaxing read, I can keep C. H-E and her Slider series in mind.
Rating 3.3.
March 16, 2018
Another fine Slider mystery. Coincidentally, I've read several mysteries lately in which the detectives have to find out who the victim was. In this case, the confusion stems from the fact that the first known victim had several identities. Interesting detective work trying to find out.
This one also had lots of red herrings, appropriately, and the fun is in watching them fall away. Sometimes this happens rather dramatically. Usually, though, the most likely suspects aren't the really bad guys. And sometimes the good guys aren't really good, too, which keeps things interesting. I can't say any more without giving anything away--I'll leave that for you to discover.
As always Harrod-Eagles seems to have such fun writing these mysteries. The dialogue is terrific, very snappy and read-out-loud funny. And the regular characters are consistently interesting and growing.
This one also had lots of red herrings, appropriately, and the fun is in watching them fall away. Sometimes this happens rather dramatically. Usually, though, the most likely suspects aren't the really bad guys. And sometimes the good guys aren't really good, too, which keeps things interesting. I can't say any more without giving anything away--I'll leave that for you to discover.
As always Harrod-Eagles seems to have such fun writing these mysteries. The dialogue is terrific, very snappy and read-out-loud funny. And the regular characters are consistently interesting and growing.
June 25, 2023
A friend recommended that I try Cynthia Harrod-Eagles so I grabbed this title as a vacation read. And, even though police procedurals aren't really my area, I have to say I am impressed. Harrod-Eagles has a great way with words and the characters she's invented are terrifically well observed. In this book (#15 in the series), a handsome young man dies of apparent suicide, but something is just not right about the scene and Detective Inspector Slider is called in. But who is the victim? Where is his ID and other papers? As the case is slowly built another death occurs, and then another. Political pressure from within the force also builds as Slider starts to gain insight into possible motives, adding to the tension. This is just a great read, and I am looking forward to reading more from this writer.
January 8, 2024
When Bill Slider and his team found the body, it had exsanguinated. There wasn’t a drop of blood anywhere. It sure looked like a suicide, but the more they dug, the more they realize the young man in the bathtub died at the hand of a killer.
He told his landlord that his name was Robin Williams—no joke. Of course, it wasn’t. This is great British police procedural stuff. It’s a bit methodical in places, but it has to be. Answers don’t fall from the sky.
They finally learn the dead guy is a musician who had been working as a music journalist until recently. But the reasons for his death will surprise you, and you won’t pick the suspect early at all. It came as a great surprise, but not an unbelievable one. And if you need more than one murder to make your mystery reading fulfilling, you’ll get that here.
He told his landlord that his name was Robin Williams—no joke. Of course, it wasn’t. This is great British police procedural stuff. It’s a bit methodical in places, but it has to be. Answers don’t fall from the sky.
They finally learn the dead guy is a musician who had been working as a music journalist until recently. But the reasons for his death will surprise you, and you won’t pick the suspect early at all. It came as a great surprise, but not an unbelievable one. And if you need more than one murder to make your mystery reading fulfilling, you’ll get that here.
May 8, 2021
The tale begins with an apparent suicide of a handsome young man, but when it came time to identify the young man’s body, there was absolutely nothing left in the flat to give him a name. In addition, the body was found floating in tepid bath water, very red, from the blood which dripped from a vein in the left side of his neck (that is an important point as the man was left handed). In pursuing the meager clue—two tattoos—to learn who the young man was, Slider and team learned he was a man of many talents: a rock star, a porn actor, a dancer, and a scion of a well-known, posh family. Three more murders added to the confusion of facts, but careful, diligent police work eventually paid off and the resulting arrests were very satisfying.
July 9, 2021
Blood Never Dies is a DI Slider mystery, so a police procedural. I picked this up completely on impulse. There was a whole shelf of these at the library. I'd never heard of them. Turns out this is book 15 in the series. The mystery involves a suicide that isn't. A victim with no form of ID. The investigation takes them from a flat in a rather seedy neighborhood, to a porn studio, to a landed gentry's home. Slider and his team painstakingly work to identify the victim and reconstruct the crime and motive. This felt a little dated to me and I was surprised when I flipped to the beginning of the book and checked the front cover and it was only published in 2012. I am not sure if I would read another or not.
October 16, 2023
1 star for what I managed to listen to, which was only a few hours. I gave up because it's very hard top drum up enthusiasm for a book where no one knows anything about the dead body, not the other tenants in his building, not the police and the start of the book was bogged down with the same old, same old question met with the same old, same old replies that yielded no clues.
I prefer it when I get to know the victim before he becomes one as it gives me the opportunity to be involved in trying to figure out who, in his circle of friends, family and acquaintances offed him and why. Sadly, with this book it was turning out to be one of there you give up several hours of your time then carry on until the author decides to tell you everything at the end.
Very disappointing.
I prefer it when I get to know the victim before he becomes one as it gives me the opportunity to be involved in trying to figure out who, in his circle of friends, family and acquaintances offed him and why. Sadly, with this book it was turning out to be one of there you give up several hours of your time then carry on until the author decides to tell you everything at the end.
Very disappointing.
May 16, 2017
This was my first Slider mystery after discovering Harrod-Eagles at my branch library this weekend.
I love the author's way with words and literary references. I wish I had made note of some of her wittier turn-of-phrases. Bam!
But, I felt the story dragged...it seemed about 50 pages too long, hence my 3-star rating. With that being said, I will assume this is an anomaly. I am already checking out the rest of the series as well as the Moreland Dynasty
I love the author's way with words and literary references. I wish I had made note of some of her wittier turn-of-phrases. Bam!
But, I felt the story dragged...it seemed about 50 pages too long, hence my 3-star rating. With that being said, I will assume this is an anomaly. I am already checking out the rest of the series as well as the Moreland Dynasty
September 7, 2019
This instalment was intriguing at the beginning and quite exciting for a bit towards the end, but the rest of it was dull. The plot was so convoluted and involved so many people that a diagram would have come in handy.
February 22, 2020
I enjoy the characters so much & in this book really felt for the first victim. I was disappointed by the way the book sputtered to a close. It answered all the questions but had no emotional pay-off.
March 4, 2017
3.5 stars. Cynthia Harrod-Eagles is a good and clever writer and I enjoy this series. However, it isn't her best plot and there isn't any orchestra details which I always enjoy.
July 29, 2017
Another well-written, amusing, and well-structured Bill Slider mystery.
February 26, 2018
Like visiting old friends, this solid crime series never disappoints. Entertaining, well plotted and written.
May 19, 2018
I'm plowing through this series and have grown so attached to the characters. Just a comfortable, fun police procedural. I hope she's busy writing more.
September 19, 2020
Engaging plot & satisfying finish...
May 12, 2021
Loved some of the language and quips. Storyline was interesting but the ending was somewhat abrupt.
April 9, 2022
Really love these books
August 27, 2022
Bill Slider books are always a good read!
November 19, 2022
Very good
September 15, 2023
I enjoy the series as it follows several different characters in the story. I did find it hard to keep track of some of the minor characters though.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 78 reviews