What do you think?
Rate this book
Inspector Sloan #14
A Going Concern
A bizarre clause in an elderly woman’s will exposes a dirty secret—and a murder—in this “intricate, witty, and thoroughly delightful” mystery ( Publishers Weekly ).It was an odd request, but when Octavia Garamond passed away, she left explicit instructions in her The police must be present at her funeral, and the coroner should be exceptionally thorough when examining her body. Amelia Kennerly is perplexed to find herself the sole executor of her great-aunt’s will, as she barely knew her. Further questions arise when the local parson, Mr. Fournier, is anything but happy to conduct Octavia’s service. Then someone breaks into Octavia’s home and tears the house apart. It seems the old lady’s words may have been eerily “Hell is empty, and all the devils are here.”From a winner of crime fiction’s prestigious Diamond Dagger, this twisting mystery featuring Detective Inspector C. D. Sloan of the Berebury CID is “a literate, surprising treat” ( Publishers Weekly ).
169 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 1993
156 people are currently reading
279 people want to read
About the author
Catherine Aird
68 books194 followers 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.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 44 reviews
May 8, 2021
I can fully understand why some readers would find this novel "tarsome" as Georgie Pilson would say. It belongs to that interesting subset of English mystery writing in which the author shares the benefits of a classical education with their admiring/complicit/complacent/self-congratulatory readership. Michael Innes is the worst offender I can think of but Catherine Aird scores heavily here with literary quotation and latinate vocabulary.
It is rather a pity that this will put readers off what is a rather fetching idea of the police investigating the death of an elderly retired woman scientist, while her perplexed executrix researches some family history.There are business shenanigans in the background , just to complicate matters.
The ending is rather abrupt and weak, leaving one to wonder if the writer played around with the clever ideas without really thinking the investigative aspect through.
Sloan and Crosby are not as interesting here as they usually are, and their interactions a little muted.
A slightly disappointing, but easy read.
It is rather a pity that this will put readers off what is a rather fetching idea of the police investigating the death of an elderly retired woman scientist, while her perplexed executrix researches some family history.There are business shenanigans in the background , just to complicate matters.
The ending is rather abrupt and weak, leaving one to wonder if the writer played around with the clever ideas without really thinking the investigative aspect through.
Sloan and Crosby are not as interesting here as they usually are, and their interactions a little muted.
A slightly disappointing, but easy read.
September 9, 2019
The mystery begins with summoning a young woman back from a vacation to take on the unexpected role of executor of an estate. This with other directives from the deceased draws Insp. Sloan into the event as well.
One thing I love about this story is that is incorporates the past with the present. I got to learn a lot about aspects of wills I did not know. And it was interesting to learn about "war work" done and kept secret- and given the times today- times of evil really haven't changed- and some things are best left to dust.
What you get to watch is Sloan inspecting and Amelia (the executor or the estate) trying to find a person who may or may not be alive and may not have kept the name she was given before being adopted. Both angles of the investigation are interesting. And, the end, where you know that there is a set up to identify the murderer doesn't diminish it the end at all. Quick read.
One thing I love about this story is that is incorporates the past with the present. I got to learn a lot about aspects of wills I did not know. And it was interesting to learn about "war work" done and kept secret- and given the times today- times of evil really haven't changed- and some things are best left to dust.
What you get to watch is Sloan inspecting and Amelia (the executor or the estate) trying to find a person who may or may not be alive and may not have kept the name she was given before being adopted. Both angles of the investigation are interesting. And, the end, where you know that there is a set up to identify the murderer doesn't diminish it the end at all. Quick read.
September 4, 2020
When old Octavia Garamond dies, her executor, a great-niece who hardly knew her, has to find the people her aunt knew during World War II, and the secrets someone is ruthlessly determined to find.
For a chapter that is mostly stream of consciousness, the first chapter is very fast paced. It speeds onward, streaming with human issues and a business takeover, until great-niece Amelia knows and sympathizes deeply with her great-aunt. I was amazed at one point to stop and notice that I had read two thirds of the book. Very involving and satisfying to me, though I don't recommend it to mystery readers who prefer gun fights.
For a chapter that is mostly stream of consciousness, the first chapter is very fast paced. It speeds onward, streaming with human issues and a business takeover, until great-niece Amelia knows and sympathizes deeply with her great-aunt. I was amazed at one point to stop and notice that I had read two thirds of the book. Very involving and satisfying to me, though I don't recommend it to mystery readers who prefer gun fights.
January 10, 2026
Interesting premise in that the victim suspected she might be murdered and left a will and instructions on how to treat her body by asking the doctor to examine her carefully on her death, naming an executrix that she had only met once, and asking the police to her funeral. Of course, Sloan insists on an autopsy. From then on, the police work in circles closing in on the murderer slowly and surely. Great suspense, as the reader can't help but feel anxious for the young executrix as she tries to track down the baby given up for adoption more than fifty years previously. Was the murder done for the money? Or for the victim's secrets?
February 25, 2020
This is the 14th adventure of C.D. Sloan - a British police officer in the fictional town of Berebury in the fictional county of West Calleshire – and his sidekick, Constable Crosby. The series is classic British “cozy”, with minimal violence and foul language, and our heroes solving one crime at a time. What differentiates these books from the run of the mill is the author’s subtle, but very active sense of humor. There is much dialogue in the Sloan books and the reader is privy to the inner thoughts and observations of characters as they politely nod during these conversations – all the while internally thinking one zinger after another – which of course remain unsaid. The books are also great mysteries.
A Going Concern doesn’t disappoint. When an elderly woman dies, her will contains very specific and somewhat alarming instructions – a very thorough autopsy with police involvement before her body is interred. Enter Sloan and Crosby who attempt to solve a puzzle that dates back to WWII with corporate espionage, biochemical “research”, and an unknown branch in the deceased woman’s family tree.
A very worthy addition to a very enjoyable series.
A Going Concern doesn’t disappoint. When an elderly woman dies, her will contains very specific and somewhat alarming instructions – a very thorough autopsy with police involvement before her body is interred. Enter Sloan and Crosby who attempt to solve a puzzle that dates back to WWII with corporate espionage, biochemical “research”, and an unknown branch in the deceased woman’s family tree.
A very worthy addition to a very enjoyable series.
June 14, 2015
An elderly woman dies an apparently natural death and a clause in her will insists that the police attend her funeral. The coroner is informed and it is decided that a post mortem needs to be carried out.
In addition she has appointed a relative she has hardly ever met to be her executor. Amelia is on holiday with friends when she is informed of her great aunt's death and she returns to deal with her estate only to find some very strange bequests in her will and that her house has been very thoroughly searched.
What seems at first like the paranoia of an elderly woman quickly turns into a complex investigation for Sloan and Crosby who set about it in their usual inimitable fashion. This is, as ever, a well written mystery with plenty of wry humour and some amusing dialogue as well as an intriguing plot which shows how the past can influence events in the present.
I thoroughly recommend this entertaining and well written series to anyone who likes crime novels where the mystery is the important thing. The series can be read in any order.
In addition she has appointed a relative she has hardly ever met to be her executor. Amelia is on holiday with friends when she is informed of her great aunt's death and she returns to deal with her estate only to find some very strange bequests in her will and that her house has been very thoroughly searched.
What seems at first like the paranoia of an elderly woman quickly turns into a complex investigation for Sloan and Crosby who set about it in their usual inimitable fashion. This is, as ever, a well written mystery with plenty of wry humour and some amusing dialogue as well as an intriguing plot which shows how the past can influence events in the present.
I thoroughly recommend this entertaining and well written series to anyone who likes crime novels where the mystery is the important thing. The series can be read in any order.
June 14, 2017
I hadn't read Aird before and was in the mood for an easy read, which this was. I'm not sure it's one of her best, since it's 14th in a series about Inspector Sloan, but the plot seemed rather short on clues.
One thing I found annoying was the author's habit of using way too many adverbs, among them several I had to look up, and which often even the Kindle dictionary didn't know. I like new vocabulary as much as anyone, but 'he said, hortatively'? I found this unnecessary and distracting. And there were instances of superfluous information seemingly inserted to show off the author's store of trivia. I can handle asides like this if they show character or enlighten the reader on a plot point, but these were just irritating.
One thing I found annoying was the author's habit of using way too many adverbs, among them several I had to look up, and which often even the Kindle dictionary didn't know. I like new vocabulary as much as anyone, but 'he said, hortatively'? I found this unnecessary and distracting. And there were instances of superfluous information seemingly inserted to show off the author's store of trivia. I can handle asides like this if they show character or enlighten the reader on a plot point, but these were just irritating.
July 21, 2022
Update: I forgot all about this book. (Note; I have a Nook reader rather than a Kindle) How it got my attention again, I have no idea. Second time around, I found that I enjoyed it much more. I must have just been skimming the first time around, because I noticed much more detail this time around. Still not my favorite mystery series but definitely worth the read.
My first from this author. A Growing Concern left me wanting more from almost the very beginning. When I read the description of the book, I anticipated a much more layered story. To me, it read more like an outline of a great novel, leaving out the character development and detailed descriptions of the finished piece.
My first from this author. A Growing Concern left me wanting more from almost the very beginning. When I read the description of the book, I anticipated a much more layered story. To me, it read more like an outline of a great novel, leaving out the character development and detailed descriptions of the finished piece.
June 11, 2015
I tried to like this pleasant murder mystery...maybe even a cozy, but I found the characters constant use of quoting the bard or some other dead poet very distracting. If you like reading Shakespeare quotes and a "clean" murder mystery than give this series a try.
If like me, you prefer they stick to the storyline and actually have some details and character development, than try someone else like the Dalziel and Pascoe series.
If like me, you prefer they stick to the storyline and actually have some details and character development, than try someone else like the Dalziel and Pascoe series.
February 1, 2010
Not much going on in this book. What little there was was much too heavy on business intrigue for my tastes. I like the character of Sloan, though.
June 24, 2016
Barely, a three. I think this is the weakest of the series that I've read. It's very piecemeal and never really got going for me.
March 23, 2018
The story was good, but I found the constant references to literature and Shakespeare annoying
April 25, 2020
Elderly people often have odd ideas - or so the stereotype goes. So when Octavia Garamond adds not only a precatory memorandum (wishes that the deceased would like to have happen but aren't outlined in the will itself), a very young executrix (Amelia Kennerly) who Octavia had only met once, and a request that the police be at her funeral, it adds up to something beyond just a little odd.
And the oddness continues as Octavia's house, ordered to be locked after her death and not opened by anyone but Amelia, is completely searched. Inspector Sloane works slowly to find out the answer to this mystery which has its roots in a biochemical research lab during World War II.
I heard about this book on the Classic Mysteries podcast and enjoyed it quite a bit. I am not sure I will go back to the beginning and read them all but I will probably look through and see if there are any other plots that look interesting.
And the oddness continues as Octavia's house, ordered to be locked after her death and not opened by anyone but Amelia, is completely searched. Inspector Sloane works slowly to find out the answer to this mystery which has its roots in a biochemical research lab during World War II.
I heard about this book on the Classic Mysteries podcast and enjoyed it quite a bit. I am not sure I will go back to the beginning and read them all but I will probably look through and see if there are any other plots that look interesting.
July 11, 2019
I long ago realized that I am not a big fan of "cozy" mysteries - and this book reminds me of why. The author is so caught up in indulging British witticisms, that the characterizations and plot barely register. There is also way too much plodding through minutiae that adds nothing to the story and way too much to the "pun-ish" atmosphere. In the end, one learns why the grand old lady is murdered, and how she knew what was coming, but, by that time, one cares very little, which is a shame. It should have been a thrill ride, with a lot of attention paid to the moral duties of scientific endeavor, but it comes across as pedantic and downright prudish at times. I'll give it two stars for capturing a certain British drollery, but that's all I can muster by way of appreciation.
December 22, 2024
When good writing is as grating as bad one
This is one of those literary/literate (!) mysteries I quite enjoy. However, in a misguided attempt to highbrow humor, the author makes (almost) all characters speak *around* all kind of literary/historical references. It is not that they *include* said references in their communication, really, it often feels like giving a Shakespeare quote is the whole point of communication. Even when answering clear questions like “What is the motive of death?”.
The plot itself is not bad, but not engaging enough to compensate for the abysmally irritating dialogue. Mystery resolution is a bit contrived.
This is one of those literary/literate (!) mysteries I quite enjoy. However, in a misguided attempt to highbrow humor, the author makes (almost) all characters speak *around* all kind of literary/historical references. It is not that they *include* said references in their communication, really, it often feels like giving a Shakespeare quote is the whole point of communication. Even when answering clear questions like “What is the motive of death?”.
The plot itself is not bad, but not engaging enough to compensate for the abysmally irritating dialogue. Mystery resolution is a bit contrived.
February 17, 2019
Aird is such a fine stylist: her writing is elegant and also funny. The exchanges between Sloan and Crosby are really amusing. The chief inspector, though, is a one-note angry incompetent. Scenes with him are predictable.
This mystery, though, was nicely worked out. There's a WWII connection, with the victim having been a chemist (a woman!) who invented something that lots of people want to get their hands on, in any way possible. The resolution of that thread is nicely done, as is the finding of the victim's mystery people. Nifty.
This mystery, though, was nicely worked out. There's a WWII connection, with the victim having been a chemist (a woman!) who invented something that lots of people want to get their hands on, in any way possible. The resolution of that thread is nicely done, as is the finding of the victim's mystery people. Nifty.
October 4, 2023
Catherine Aird has a real talent for beginning a book in a manner that sucks the reader in. There are lots of boring police procedurals, but not hers. This one involves a woman that appears to know that she is going to die under mysterious circumstances, as she invites the police to her funeral. Turns out that she was once a brilliant chemist that discovered a way to determine when a person was halfway through their life. She declined to develop this idea, but that didnt mean that others were not wishing to intervene.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 24, 2024
This book is very much a product of the age it was written about (mid 50's). I'm about half way through and not sure if I'll continue - I'm quite happy reading books set it time, but for some reason this one is dragging. I probably won't look for more by this author. However, this isn't to say this book isn't for you. If you like detective stories set in the 50's, before many modern policing methods were found and used, you will probably enjoy this book.
January 12, 2026
I’ve enjoyed many of Aird’s mysteries but this one missed the mark for me. I usually look forward to the interplay between Sloan and Crosby but there was little here save for Crosby’s lead foot behind the wheel. I liked Amelia, and would have been happy to follow her throughout the book, but she became almost secondary to the mystery. It was all a bit of a muddle. Read the earlier entries in this series and give this one a pass.
May 10, 2022
Someone is going to have to pry the golden age detective stories out of my cold dead hands before I let them go. I can't explain why they give me such comfort but they are such a joy.
CD, next to Barnaby is probably my favourite actual professional detective. This was such fun. Not as action packed as usual but lots of good character growth and look at Crosby actually using his brain!
CD, next to Barnaby is probably my favourite actual professional detective. This was such fun. Not as action packed as usual but lots of good character growth and look at Crosby actually using his brain!
May 23, 2023
I was completely at sea with this one, at one point I was not even fully convinced it would turn out to be murder at all, at the very least there did not seem to be a viable motive or suspect, but somehow we got there. I am a little bit mad at the ending though to have the victim so nearly miss something that important was tragic.
March 13, 2019
All of Catherine Aird's books are a pleasure to read. They are intellectually challenging and interesting. Her use of language and humor make her books delightful to read. I am reading through all of her books. Try them!
December 7, 2023
lovely British mystery
This lovely British village mystery is full of the charm of the English countryside with a bit of WW I and WW II history thrown in. It has dotty characters and plenty of atmosphere. Great for a pleasant light read.
This lovely British village mystery is full of the charm of the English countryside with a bit of WW I and WW II history thrown in. It has dotty characters and plenty of atmosphere. Great for a pleasant light read.
August 26, 2017
Sharp, witty, twisty. Enjoyable, but didn't have the intensity and sparkle of her others.
February 8, 2018
I have the Pan Books paperback edition published 8 April 1994
August 11, 2019
Another novel in this enjoyable series. Carefully and originally plotted.
August 16, 2020
Probably one of her worst. Trust me, you’ll never be able to keep track of the characters, and you’ll never figure out who-dunnit or how.
March 29, 2022
This series never fails to surprise me as to how the murder is committed. Fascinating story that kept me turning the pages to find out more. . .
July 4, 2022
As always, a good mystery and interesting characters.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 44 reviews