A Late Phoenix

Inspector Sloan #4

by Catherine Aird

Inspector C.D. "Seedy" Sloan takes on the case when an excavation reveals the bullet-ridden skeleton of pregnant girl. Read by Robin Bailey.

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

Audio Cassette

First published January 1, 1971

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

[Julie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I truly enjoy this mystery series which doesn't take itself too seriously. I especially enjoy the banter between the main characters and the sly, clever humor.

[Carolien · Rating 3 out of 5]

.5 stars. A new development is planned for a piece of land where bombs destroyed four houses in WWII. On the first morning, the construction workers find a skeleton buried in the cellar of one and Inspector Sloan and Constable Sloan must try to identify a body buried 25 years ago. I love Sloan's humour and the pace of these mysteries.

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Published in 1970, this is the fourth in the Inspector Sloan series, which I am enjoying immensely. Dr William Latimer is a young doctor, who has just taken over a practice from Dr Henry Tarde, who recently died. Opposite the doctor's practice is a bomb site, which is about to be redeveloped and, during the building work a skeleton is found - that of a woman who was pregnant.

Inspector Sloan is again, unwillingly, given Detective Constable Crosby to assist him, as he delves into the past to try to find out who the young woman was and how she was killed. I was a young child in 1970, but I do remember bomb sites still in London and that strange period when the country was still marked by war and it was within the memory of adults who lived there. As such I enjoyed the musings of Sloan's boss, Superintendent Leeyes, mesmerised by the cafe across the road, full of long-haired young men, vehicles painted with flowers and a world, which to him, seems topsy-turvy. Meanwhile, there are musings on what another war would mean and Aird enjoys sly humour as Sloan visits Leeyes office and hears his thoughts on the case and the state of the world.

This is such an enjoyable series and I am so glad that I have found it. It is less about the plots, although of course they are important, and more about the characters. I enjoy the rose-growing, stolid and sensible Sloan and think he should be more patient with Crosby, who at least ensures that tea arrives at his superiors desk...

[Susan in NC · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another very enjoyable outing with Inspector Sloan and Sgt Crosby. This time it’s a very cold case - a WWII bomb site has been sitting empty for 25 years, but work on redevelopment is finally beginning- until the workers uncover the bones of a dead woman. But how old are the remains? The pathologist discovers the woman was pregnant, and a bullet is lodged against the spine, so it’s murder, not a victim of the bombing.

This was a very interesting case, following Sloan, who would’ve been a schoolboy during the war, and Crosby, who hadn’t even been born, trying to gather witness accounts of the horrific bombing air raids that took out four houses. Who was the woman? Why was she not reported missing? Who was the father of her child? As Sloan and Crosby cast about for answers, one of the possible suspects in the cold case turns up dead on the same site.

There is a new young doctor, Latimer, who has taken over the practice across the street from the bomb site. He plays an interesting role as a newcomer to the area - the author uses him to introduce the idea that his predecessor, an old doctor who had been there forever, knew everyone and their secrets, suddenly and unexpectedly committed suicide a couple months previous to the opening of the story. The very intelligent, organized and serious “spinster” who runs the practice - much dated and cruel comment is made of her plain face and no-nonsense demeanor, although Sloan appreciates her quick mind and prodigious memory (she’s the one solid source of information he finds!), and she’s a great character.

Very enjoyable and entertaining mystery in what has become a favorite traditional police procedural series. Written in the 1960s-70s, but with dry British humor and a Golden Age feel. I look forward to the next in the series. Reading with the Reading the Detectives Group.

[Mike Finn · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is my fourth Catherine Aird mystery featuring DI Sloan and set in the fictional English county town of Berebury and I'm hooked.

Why?

Well, first and foremost is the dry humour that gives the storytelling its distinctive voice. This isn't slapstick, zany cue-the-canned-laughter kind of humour. It is subtle and sardonic and it always makes me smile.

All of the above is amplified by Robin Bailey's perfectly-pitched narration. He delivers what amounts to a one-man show that picks up every nuance in the text while still giving a mostly low-key delivery.

Then there's the period flavour of the book. Published in 1971, the plot of this book goes back to when the town of Berebury was being bombed thirty years earlier in World War II. I found it fascinating to watch detectives for whom the war was a best a childhood memory interview people who lived through the bombing and struggling to come to terms with how the world worked thirty years earlier. I found myself comparing it to listening to people under thirty talking about the 1990s as if they were ancient history and exceedingly strange whereas, for me, they feel like a recent memory. The plot brought back memories of when the town I lived in still had 'bombies' - old bomb sites, which hadn't yet been built on and where you could often see the ghost of a destroyed building manifesting as fireplaces and floor joists on the side of the only slightly damaged buildings that they used to be connected to.

Then there is the plot itself - a nice little mystery that took a bit of working through and which was populated with ordinary but interesting people.

Finally, I liked that book was short enough (just under five hours) for me to listen to on a single car journey.

Although there is an ensemble cast of detectives, each of these books can be read as a standalone. So far, I've read 'The Religious Body', 'Henrietta Who?' and 'The Complete Steel' and they were all entertaining self-contained tales.

[Sid Nuncius · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am thoroughly enjoying this series. This time, Sloan and Crosby are called to the discovery of a skeleton unearthed on a building site which becomes an investigation involving both past and present skulduggery, with a good deal of Wartime background.

It’s a very decent plot, but it is Catherine Aird’s writing which makes these books so enjoyable. There is a sly twinkle of wit running throughout, which she somehow manages to maintain even in a post mortem scene containing a lot of very well researched forensic detail, and without ever losing respect for the situation or the victim. Sloan and Crosby’s relationship is a constant source of amusement, as is Sloan’s relationship with Superintendent Leyes, and characters are skilfully and beautifully drawn.

I will, of course, be reading on in this series and I can recommend A Late Phoenix very warmly.

[Anne Patkau · Rating 4 out of 5]

The title may refer to evidence rising from the rubble and ashes. Set only a few decades after WW2, memories are the best way to reveal who shot and buried a pregnant young woman beneath a bombed-out building site under new construction. When one suspect is murdered, the perpetrator pool shrinks.

English D.I. Sloane finds the answer fast, in 155 pages of enquiries. The style is mostly conversations, clean, wry, affectionately tolerant of eccentricity, slight reverie, and extensive vocabulary. I would like to read more Aird, and related authors suggested by the 1971 edition.

For atmosphere, lyrics for instrumentals you can click and play
http://www.raymondscountydownwebsite....
Quartermaster's Store was where assisting sergeant 'Lightning' thought rations were freely distributed. Generations later, I learned a playground, campfire, or school-bus rhyme: "My eyes are dim, I cannot see. I have not brought my specs with me ... at the corner master store". Like the cop, I was born after WW2, yet the tunes evoke cheer and tears.

Would be 5*, but after finding first of series, put just one on my Favorites shelf, so not overloaded with this talented writer.

[Kathy · Rating 2 out of 5]

I have been out of town but wanted to at least make a note to self to avoid these Inspector Sloan books in future. Just clunky.

I think it was Kindle Unlimited

[Anna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another delightfully intricate mystery from Aird. This one has a slightly disappointing dénouement, but was still full of the clever little jokes and expert red herrings that characterize these mysteries.

[Maura Heaphy Dutton · Rating 2 out of 5]

Very old fashioned murder mystery, which I enjoy more for a glimpse into British life in the 60s and (this one) early 70s than for the writing style or the challenge of the mystery. While we might think that the Swinging 60s wrought an instant transformation on the British Isles, Aird makes it clear from the setting and context of her murders, and the attitudes of her characters, that change took time to percolate through to places like the little market towns of the fictional "Calleshire" (her version of Midsomer, for cozy mystery fans).

This is the fourth Aird novel I've read, and the context of the mystery (skeleton remains discovered in the ruins of homes bombed, 30 years before, during WWII) is interesting, and probably reflects genuine attitudes to the war, as time passed and memories faded. However, the revelation of the murderer is pretty uninspired: like mystery sodduku, rather than anything emerging from character development, or sharp insights into the human condition ...

[Barbara ★ · Rating 2 out of 5]

BORING!!!!!! A decent mystery but the British police have no sense of humor whatsoever and what they do have isn't funny but annoying as hell. I liked detective Sloan but his partner was a rather dim bulb. The detectives boss was the most annoying person who kept complaining about the youths attending a cafe outside his office and he couldn't tell if they were male or female. They had this conversation at least 5 times and it had absolutely nothing to do with the mystery so who cares. A few of the people questioned in the investigation had major health issues and weazed, coughed, snorted repeatedly. It made hearing their comments aggravating and like pulling teeth. All in all, if you're interested in this book, don't get the audio version as it will drive you absolutely nuts. If you can get past all of this, the mystery itself was engaging and had a surprise ending.

[Elisabeth · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars. I liked this mystery but for a couple of things: I thought it ended a bit abruptly, and none of the suspects were very well developed as characters. I'm beginning to see that that's what you sign up for with a Catherine Aird mystery, though—the focus is not so much on the suspects and the "psychology of the individual," as Hercule Poirot liked to put it; but rather on the process of Inspector Sloan sifting through the evidence while grappling with his pompous superintendent, wisecracking pathologist, and none-too-bright constable sidekick. Which is just fine if that's what you're in the mood for.

[Emily Kestrel · Rating 2 out of 5]

A traditional British mystery, A Late Phoenix is staid to the point of inducing narcolepsy. Not my cup of tea.

[Vida · Rating 4 out of 5]

Actually a 3.5. Written a few decades ago, about a time period decades before that, this reminded me of Agatha Christi stories. Short and to the point, and more than one mystery to solve. Solving a current murder is hard enough, throw in one that is really a cold case and you have a twist. Add WWII and British history of the time, and it makes a story.

[Michelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

This isn't actually that far from a 5* for me, but it has the unfortunate fate of coming directly after A Stately Home Murder, which was fantastic, so this one felt a bit of a comedown. It's something of a cold case in that Inspector Sloan and his unwilling choice of sidekick DC Crosby are investigating a skeleton that's been recently unearthed in the grounds of a bombed-out house, and so there was a lot of discussion of the Blitz, which is a favourite historical topic of mine. But somehow some stuff didn't quite land for me, in particular Sloan's constant ruminations. I highlighted a lot fewer funny bits. But still worth the read.

[Watchdogg · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Late Phoenix (Inspector Sloan #4) by Catherine Aird
Blurb -
Detective Inspector C. D. Sloan is called on to solve the coldest of cases in this thriller from CWA Diamond Dagger winner Catherine Aird.

Berebury, England, did not have an easy go of it during the Second World War. This quaint Victorian town was destroyed when the Nazis dropped bomb after bomb on its perfect gardens and neat hedges. After three decades of disarray, the town council has finally begun reconstructing what’s left. All throughout Berebury, the sounds of hammers and saws drone on. But on this particular day, the noise stops.

In the crater of a bomb site, a skeleton has been found. While its presence there isn’t unusual—hundreds died in bombing raids throughout England—the manner in which the pregnant girl met her end is sinister enough that Detective Inspector C. D. Sloan and his assistant, Detective Constable Crosby, are called to the scene. The cause of death, it seems, was not the blast, but a bullet to the spine.

Inspector Sloan is the best there is when it comes to cracking the most complex cases. But can he piece together a murder that’s been buried for more than a quarter century?

My thoughts -
I have to give this lite mystery 5 glowing stars if for no other reason than the superb narration by Robin Bailey (God rest his soul). It's not the trickiest, twistiest, or most captivating of British mysteries, but I think it is still just fantastic. I just love the characters, especially the banter between DI Sloan and DC Crosby and the ever-present misfocus of somewhat bumbling Superintendent Leeyes. I have read and listened to this mystery a number of times and always return to listen to it when I have experienced a listening letdown. Do yourself a favor and seek out the Robin Bailey narrated edition of this book and soak it all in.

[William Bibliomane · Rating 3 out of 5]

The town of Berebury suffered from German raids during the war, one of which knocked flat a row of houses. Nearly thirty years later, as the site is being developed, a halt is called to the new excavation on the discovery of a human skeleton. Is it just an unfortunate victim of the Second World War, entombed beneath the debris? Inspector C.D. Sloan isn't immediately certain, and he will find that a hesitation to jump to conclusions is sometimes rewarded... with more murder.

This is the first of Aird's novels that I have read (the fourth of the Sloan mysteries), but I'm afraid that I wasn't terribly impressed. The pacing is odd (a lengthy discourse on a new doctor in town, a minor character, begins the book, yet much of the later action is almost cursory in nature), with the last chapter seeming to run headlong to tie up the loose ends and reveal the murderer. Some scenes even have characters appear midway through without any previous evidence of their presence. Sloan himself is at best two-dimensional, as is his DC, Crosby, and the best-drawn figure seems to be Superintendent Leeyes, who primarily serves as an irritant to Sloan, with his magpie mind full of random facts combined with his obsessive concern for the doings of the hippie patrons of "Dick's Dive" (which very firmly sets this story in its late-60s early-70s context). But the lack of a coherent or compelling narrative, the seeming randomness of the clues, and the rushed conclusion make this a story that is by no means up to the high standards of the first-rank writers of the genre. Two-and-a-half stars.

[Damaskcat · Rating 5 out of 5]

A long derelict World War II bomb site is about to be re-developed in Berebury. The workmen digging foundations uncover a skeleton which necessitates the involvement of Inspector Sloan and DC Crosby. It may or may not be a victim of the bombing but when the post mortem uncovers a bullet they realise they have a murder case on their hands.

At first it seems that their best efforts are not going to be rewarded with any degree of success but then the local doctor is attacked returning from a night call and then one of the people interviewed by Sloan and Crosby is found dead in the same place as the skeleton.

This is an interesting story in which events from the past are reflected in the present. The story is well plotted with believable characters and some entertaining dialogue. The relationship between Sloan and Crosby is as ever uneasy but Crosby occasionally comes up with some good ideas which cause his superior to stop and think.

[Nancy Oakes · Rating 3 out of 5]

In this, the 4th installment in Aird's series featuring CD Sloan, the main character is summoned to the scene of an archaeological dig that is taking place prior to the development of new construction. It seems that a body has been found, and the local doctor decides that it's not the remains of a Saxon (as hoped for by the archaeologists) but rather a young woman dead 30 years or so. The developers are hoping they can get back to their project, but it is not to be -- the autopsy on the body shows that it was murder. But whose murder was it? And did it or did it not have anything to do with another murder that occurs shortly after the body is found?

Good, not as good as #2 but still okay in the police procedural realm. Light reading; recommended for those who like British series mysteries.

[Paperbackreader · Rating 2 out of 5]

I have been reading the Inspector Sloan books by Catherine Aird. I cannot say I dislike them. However, there are certain portions in all of these books that seem superfluous. At times, characters talk on and on about things that have nothing to do with anything. I guess, there was a word limit that Aird had to reach in order for the book to be publishable. This is more apparent in 'A Late Phoenix' than the previous books. The plot began promisingly. I love books dealing with cold cases. However, the frequency with which the narrative went off the rails put me off. Promising premise, wish it had been better written.

[Lisa Kucharski · Rating 4 out of 5]

Impressed on how compact the story is told, and how rich the story is told. A sad story, an old murder but one whose discovery resurrects a murderer.

Can’t give too much away, but in this one, Crosby (while still clumsy) isn’t as pertinent in this one, which is good due to the gravitas of the situation. Plus it also deals with old memories of “the war” (WW2) in Insp. Sloan as well as others. In this case, understanding the past is crucial to solving the murder.

[Colin Mitchell · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a reasonable series if you like straightforward police procedural stories in that Inspector Sloan of the Berebury, a fictitious town in the south of England, C.I.D. works steadily through evidence as it uncovers and develops his theory until the perpetrator of murder is uncovered. Sloan is an unassuming character who would rather be at home tending his rose trees than chasing criminals. His assistant the not too bright Constable Crosby is annoyingly frustrating. All adds up to an interesting read but it will not go down as a classic. 3 stars.

[Maria · Rating 4 out of 5]

A somewhat confusing mystery starting with a skeleton in a basement that was bombed in 1941 by the Germans during the war. As the clues mount up, more bodies appear. By the end, I was so confused I figured just about anybody of the four possibilities could have done it. This book had an interesting take on the war and those who were born later and have no memory of it. Even the children during the war have mixed memories. It was quite enlightening.

[Jazz · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 STARS | Another outing for the mis-matched team of Sloan and Crosby, A Late Phoenix refers to a skeleton, found in the rubble of a bombed-out section of houses, that dates back to WWII. I admire Aird for her ability to tell a good story in a minimum of pages, but this time I felt the story could have been expanded just a little in the interest of fair play. Nevertheless, an enjoyable read unless you're a reader who is determined to solve the mystery before the detective does. I'm the type of reader who can simply enjoy the ride.

[Viana · Rating 3 out of 5]

A quick read with interesting observations about the UK post World War II, hippies and human nature.

[Bettie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Description: Decades ago, Germans bombed the village at Lamb Lane. But now redevelopment is under way. During the excavation, a workman finds the skeleton of a pregnant girl with a bullet lodged in her spine. The trail is definitely stone cold when C. D. Sloan takes on the case.

[Betsy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Rather interesting book with many references to WWII. C.D. Sloan isn't as arrogant as many of the detectves, which is welcome. I'm not crazy about his pretentious boss, and Crosby takes a bit of getting used to. Not a bad read.

[Richard Thomas · Rating 4 out of 5]

Intriguing Plot.

It’s a well written book with enough parallel plot to maintain interest. The red herrings are well distributed and the characters are a nice mix of sympathetic and nasty. My only reservation is that it ravels up too quickly. I would have preferred a clearer denouement.

[Yibbie · Rating 3 out of 5]

This may be a slightly befuddled review. I enjoyed reading it, but I was seriously sleep-deprived and sick. I think, eventually, I’ll reread it just to catch what was really going on. For now, this review of my hazy impressions will have to do.
Like the other book of the Inspector Sloan series that I read it’s a police procedural. There are surprises such as false leads, dead ends, confused witnesses, deceptive clues, and a desperate criminal. Sloan has to sort out clues that are buried in people’s dim memories and the forgotten rubble of a past war. How do you solve a murder that is 30 years old? How do you even find out who was murdered? Be careful as you read. There are clues in the most unexpected places.
I thought only one thing distracted from the mystery and that was the philosophical musings on current events. I was more interested in who-done-it than if the flower children were right in their view of the nuclear standoff. It just seemed a little heavy for a cozy mystery.

[Elizabeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another wonderful British cozy with Inspector Sloan. I loved that I didn't know who-dunnit until almost the last page, certainly the last chapter. Everything was explained, loose ends tied up nicely and the Inspector finally was able to get home for a hot meal of his wife's excellent home cooking.
One thing I have noticed is that these books are mostly stand alone stories in spite of three recurring characters. Also, the stories aren't difficult to follow due to British slang, unusual customs or mannerisms left unexplained for the uninitiated. All is well that ends well, as the Inspector might say, and another cozy has been thoroughly enjoyed.
I highly recommend this book as well as this series.