Injury Time: Collected Mysteries

Inspector Sloan #15

by Catherine Aird

Sixteen short puzzlers from the inimitable Catherine Aird, author of the acclaimed C. D. Sloan Mysteries 

A professional pickpocket and accomplished thief ignores his wife’s warnings and embarks on an adventure that will change his life—perhaps for the better. A technological marvel of a sports car kills a pedestrian, but no one was at the wheel. A local lunatic admits to murder, but is he crazy—or crazy smart? The life of a researcher with ties to a British spy agency is thrown into chaos when his research go missing, but the only people who could have stolen the valuable data seem to have airtight alibis.
 
Injury Time delivers captivating tales of intrigue wrapped in Catherine Aird’s tightly woven logic, sealed with the bow of enigma. These quick-fire mysteries run the gamut, with fresh twists on old classics and delightfully unique stories involving old friends from the C. D. Sloan Mysteries.

Genres: Mystery, Short Stories, Fiction, Anthologies, Contemporary, Audiobook, British Literature

220 pages, Kindle Edition

First published September 1, 1994

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

[Zain · Rating 4 out of 5]

Contentment

These short stories by Catherine Aird are fun and interesting. Most of the stories are about Inspector C.D. Sloane, and part of The Calleshire Chronicles. A few other stories are about random detectives, and someone named Henry Tyler.

What makes the author’s’ writing so amusing is her descriptive side snippets that shows what a character is really thinking. I have enjoyed all of the books I’ve read by her so far, and I enjoyed reading this one, too.

[Anna · Rating 3 out of 5]

As with most collections of short stories some of these were brilliant, others were chilling, odd and even lackluster. It was amusing to read her humorous take on urban legends, other mystery authors, and even Shakespeare.

[Lady Wesley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Review of the audiobook narrated by Derek Perkins.

This is a delightful collection of sixteen short mystery stories, some (but not all) featuring Aird's Inspector Sloan. And when I say "short," I mean that none are more than thirty minutes long. Nevertheless, they are clever and complete, albeit with abrupt endings.

I have a feeling that this is a book that I will listen to again.

[Nichola · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am about 60% sure I missed almost half of the Literary and contextual references in here. Which is saying something for me. So I might need to reread this but I will say Aird is a great short story writer. Dare I say, a better short story writer than Christie.

[Lisa Kucharski · Rating 5 out of 5]

Finally picked up this series of short stories by Aird that contain some cases with Sloan, and a few without but the people remain in the world of her series.

Really great shorts here, gives you an idea of how sharply Aird is at not just creating a crime but the way in which it is solved. It also brings even more into view how well read she is!

If you’re looking for shorts that have a lot of smarts get this book. The last story in this is a wonderful jab at Sloan’s boss! Ha.

[Frances · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a set of short (often very short) mysteries featuring Sloan and Crosby for the most part. Like most collections, there are some winners and some not so great stories and nothing really sticks in the mind, but it was a fun summer read.

[Christopher Lawrence · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great collection of short stories with Sloan & Crosby plus other characters. This series is really one of my all time favorites.

[Joy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I like puzzles in which the author has time to flesh out her characters. That's not usually true of short stories, though these are clever.

[Damaskcat · Rating 5 out of 5]

An entertaining collection of short stories including Sloan and Crosby mysteries as well as others from an earlier era. I like short stories in general and I think crime short stories must be some of the most difficult to write successfully. Catherine Aird is one of the crime writers of today who is excellent at short stories I think.

I read one of the them twice as it sees Sloan get the better of one of his superiors and the ACC acknowledges that he couldn't have solved the mystery on his own. This is the story entitled 'One Under the Eight' and the mathematics involved is very cleverly done. This has to be one of the cleverest short stories I've read for a long time.

I also liked 'Lord Peter's Touch' in which a group of bell ringers adopt the pseudonyms of the characters in Dorothy L Sayers' 'The Nine Tailors'. This is an excellent collection to read straight through or to dip in and out of in any spare moment during the day.

[Penelope · Rating 2 out of 5]

Injury Time is a Collection of 16 Short Mysteries by Catherine Aird. My husband & I listened to the audiobook wonderfully performed by Derek Perkins. Some of the short mysteries (varying from 8 to 25min each) were interesting, some included CD Sloan (my reason for purchasing the collection). Sadly, most were too short to be memorable or worth revisiting, the latter I frequently do with favorite titles. I am presently reading and/or listening through Aird’s CD Sloan series and Injury Time showed up as the next title to read. Now that we’ve completed it, I will happily move on to what I expect will be more to my liking - a good visit with CD Sloan & his colleagues as they work to solve a new case in AFTER EFFECTS.

Unless a reader feels the need to read all the books in a series they enjoy (a demographic which includes me unless otherwise forewarned), IMO, INJURY TIME can get a pass. The following were the short mysteries and cases in Injury Time:
1) Steady as She Goes - with CD Sloan. Death by poison.
2) The Man Who Rowed for the Shore - with CD Sloan. A Woman’s Death Opens the Door for Another.
3) A Far Cop - with CD Sloan. A murder averted.
4) Double Jeopardy - with CD Sloan. A padded trial.
5) Lord Peter’s Touch - with CD Sloan. A dead ringer.
6) Memory Corner - with CD Sloan. Motive for murder.
7) Sleight of Hand - Timely Warnings in Crime. No CD Sloan. with Foreign Office’s Henry Tyler.
8) Cause & Effects - Dinner Poison. with Henry Tyler, Foreign Office.
9) The Hard Sell - Classic Cars. with CD Sloan.
10) One Under the Eight (?) - with CD Sloan. A security break involving the theft of top secret intelligence papers by 1 of 3 ppl who has clearance.
11) Bare Essentials - with CD Sloan & Crosby. Death by sauna.
12) Home is the Hunter - with CD Sloan & Crosby. A case of extradition.
13) Blue Upright - with Henry Tyler of the Foreign Office. The case of a stolen pearl necklace.
14) Deviled Dip - Be Wary! No CD Sloan or Henry Tyler.
15) Misjudgment of Paris - A wrong impression. with no Sloan.
16) Her Indoors - A case of wasted time for CD Sloan.

2 Stars even though audio performance was excellent; I enjoy the CD Sloan’s series but this short mystery collection I could have skipped. The cases weren’t particularly interesting or memorable.
1=DNF/What was that?; 2=NOT FOR ME; 3=Ok; 3.5=I enjoyed this; 4=I really liked this one; 5=I really loved this! (5 is rare for me).

READER CAUTIONS ~ This is a Clean mystery collection.
PROFANITY - None. I believe.
VIOLENCE - PG. Murders occur off scene and are not described in a dark manner.
SEXUAL SITUATIONS - None.

[Susan in NC · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very enjoyable collection of short stories in a favorite British police procedural series set in the mythical Calleshire County. The usual lead character is Detective Inspector C.D. Sloan (“Seedy” to friends), a shrewd and diligent detective who is often saddled with a younger less-than-shrewd Detective Constable William Crosby. We also get the blowhard Superintendent Leeyes and police pathologist Dr. Dabbe making brief appearances.

I really enjoyed most of these, as the superintendent can be annoying in the full-length books, as can the running (and sometimes irritating) poking at Crosby as a young idiot. Surely he’s making some progress after all these years?

There were a few non-police mysteries solved by Henry Tyler of the Foreign Office, a character I’ve not come across in the series so far, but I wish Aird had written more books starring this very likable diplomat.

Overall an enjoyable collection that serves as a wonderful introduction to this author’s dry, humorous writing and clever puzzles.

[Glenn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Catherine Aird is a wonderful mystery writer and I heartily recommend her full novels. There is another collection of short stories called Chapter and Hearse which I enjoyed more than the collection within Injury Time. The main reason is that a lot of the stories that comprise Injury Time are a bit tongue in check and unfortunately I did not always understand the outcome. I am writing this because I wouldnt want someone who first exporsure to Catherine Aird to be put off from trying her full lenght mysteries. She is wonderful with great plots and I do enjoy her MC C D Sloan and his young sidekick.

Note:
Most of my experience with Catherine Aird books has been through Audio. There have been several narrators but the most recent versions featuring Derek Perkins were the best. IMHO

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Although I am not a huge fan of short stories, I do love Catherine Aird and the world she has created around Inspector Sloan and his sidekick, Crosby. There are 16 stories in this collection:

1. Steady as She Goes
2. The Man Who Rowed for the Shore
3. A Fair Cop
4. Double Jeopardy
5. Lord Peter's Touch
6. Memory Corner
7. Slight of Hand
8. Cause and Effects
9. The Hard Sell
10. One Under the Eight
11. Bare Essentials
12. Home is the Hunter
13. Blue Upright
14. Devilled Dip
15. The Misjudgement of Paris
16. Her Indoors

Some of the stories do not feature Sloan but some feature characters that have appeared in previous books, such as Henry Tyler. Overall, an enjoyable collection and worth reading for fans of the series.

[Jane Irish Nelson · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a collection of short stories, some of which feature familiar characters from the author's Calleshire mysteries. Some of the stories are quite short, for example, my favorite, Lord Peter's Touch, an homage to Dorothy L. Sayers, is only five pages long, but still both exquisite and drily humorous. Highly recommended.

[SuedePuzzler · Rating 2 out of 5]

A collection of short stories. Most are mysteries, but some are not.

Some of the stories were enjoyable, others felt a bit pointless. My favorite involved a bit of mathematics used to solve a spy mystery.

None felt very realistic. I have previously read Henrietta Who? by the same author and the tone of that was more realistic than these short stories.

[Jessi · Rating 4 out of 5]

A collection of short stories featuring Inspector Sloan. There is a confusing story about a woman killed in a sauna when the heat was turned up too high. A scientific group's alarm is dismantled with ease but how could someone have cracked the code that was only recently implemented. There are 14 other stories; some aren't quite mysteries but all are entertaining.

[Melissa Lindberg · Rating 3 out of 5]

Short stories. One read like it was edited out of a longer novel, because some editor said "well, it's lovely, but it doesn't advance the plot, does it?" - so she put it in this collection of short stories.

Enjoyed it. A quick read.

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I don't always enjoy short stories, since often they short-circuit character development, but I did enjoy these, possibly because I already knew most of the main characters. A few too many "killed the wife", but otherwise a good read.

[Monica Willyard Moen · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a lively and delightful collection of short mystery stories set in the United Kingdom. The stories are all fairly plotted with plenty of clues, but many of them still managed to surprise me in the end.

[Maria]

A series of short stories, many about C. D. Sloan, but not all, were very interesting, although I can't say I understood all of them. There were lots of quotations that I did not recognize or get. One was very funny. A good range of mysteries.

[Carol · Rating 3 out of 5]

Too short for my taste. I'd just get in tested and it would be over.

[Cynthiaj · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fun and entertaining set of shorts.

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

A bit of a mixed bag, but most of the stories were very good. 3.5 stars, rounded up.

[Cindy B. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Strange stories, interesting and, sometimes, unexpected twists and ends. Well narrated.

[Debbie · Rating 4 out of 5]

short stories

[Teri Am · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great introduction to Inspector C. D. Sloan and Constable Crosby.

[Sheryl · Rating 3 out of 5]

I prefer her longer stuff but some of these short stories are fun.

[Libby · Rating 3 out of 5]

I don’t often choose short stories but, with Catherine Aird as the writer and Derek Perkins as the narrator, how could I resist? Quirky stories and characters, some familiar. Love them.

[Anne Ray · Rating 5 out of 5]

New to me, a fun collection of short stories

[Deb Jones · Rating 4 out of 5]

Catherine Aird's quality of writing is not diminished by the brevity of short stories.