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Inspector Sloan #23
Past Tense
Sloan and Constable Crosby are on the case again. A young girl has been murdered, found dead in the river. But what connection does she have to the recently deceased Josephine Short? Following the twisting trail of evidence, Sloan works to uncover the truth behind the life of Josephine Short and uncover the murderer behind a young girl's death.
286 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2010
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208 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.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 86 reviews
May 16, 2011
It's been a while since I've read a mystery by Catherine Aird. I first discovered her about twenty years ago. It's hard to believe that she's been writing her Inspector Sloan mysteries for over forty years. Of course now, in Past Tense--the most recent adventure written in 2010--he is a Detective Chief Inspector and the police have cell phones and computers at their beck and call. But the style is the same. Aird writes a very smooth, quick read. The mystery is complex enough to hold the attention and the characters are drawn with broad strokes, giving just enough information to flesh them out and keep them from being two-dimensional. Reading this one was like slipping into something familiar and comfortable. Not too taxing and thoroughly enjoyable. Not a spectacular read (like my previous one), but a nice cozy, comfortable mystery.
This installment revolves around Josephine Short--her life and, more importantly, her death. She has been living at the Berebury Nursing Home, just a short distance from her next-of-kin, a great-nephew and his wife. However, when the nursing home calls the couple to let them know the elderly lady has passed away, they are surprised. They had no idea she was living so close. More surprises follow. A young man who claims to be Josephine's grandson shows up for the funeral. Josephine had never been married and there had never been mention of a son--let alone a grandson. Sloan and his sidekick Detective Constable Crosby are called in when there is a break-in at the Nursing Home and Josephine's room is the only one disturbed. Nothing seems to have been taken, but Sloan is disturbed nonetheless. Finally, a young woman is found floating in the nearby river and it soon becomes clear to Sloan that all of these events must be related. What other secrets does the past (or present) hold for the Short family? And who would kill to keep them hidden?
As I mentioned, this was a nice comfortable read. Fast-paced and easily read in one evening's sitting. Just what you might want if you like cozy mysteries with a touch of police procedure and a puzzle that intrigues but doesn't demand a lot of brain-power. Three and a half stars.
This installment revolves around Josephine Short--her life and, more importantly, her death. She has been living at the Berebury Nursing Home, just a short distance from her next-of-kin, a great-nephew and his wife. However, when the nursing home calls the couple to let them know the elderly lady has passed away, they are surprised. They had no idea she was living so close. More surprises follow. A young man who claims to be Josephine's grandson shows up for the funeral. Josephine had never been married and there had never been mention of a son--let alone a grandson. Sloan and his sidekick Detective Constable Crosby are called in when there is a break-in at the Nursing Home and Josephine's room is the only one disturbed. Nothing seems to have been taken, but Sloan is disturbed nonetheless. Finally, a young woman is found floating in the nearby river and it soon becomes clear to Sloan that all of these events must be related. What other secrets does the past (or present) hold for the Short family? And who would kill to keep them hidden?
As I mentioned, this was a nice comfortable read. Fast-paced and easily read in one evening's sitting. Just what you might want if you like cozy mysteries with a touch of police procedure and a puzzle that intrigues but doesn't demand a lot of brain-power. Three and a half stars.
September 14, 2018
Josephine Short, a woman with few friends and relatives, dies in a nursing home, leaving some unusual requests. Shortly thereafter an intruder enters her room. The attending physician noticed nothing unusual, attributing her death to heart failure. The woman listed a second cousin living nearby as the next of kin on her nursing home documents. He is in the Amazon at the time of her death, and his wife, who knew nothing about the woman, must deal with the arrangements. The woman's grandson from a faraway island attends the funeral. A young nurse who attended the funeral is found in the river soon afterwards. Then the old woman's grave is disturbed. Inspector Sloan and Constable Crosby try to make sense of mysterious circumstances which must be linked--but how? It's an interesting puzzle. My hunch was correct, but even I doubted my own conclusions from time to time. I listened to the audiobook read by Ric Jerrom. He did a good job differentiating voices.
November 4, 2012
Maybe comfortable because solution easy to guess from start in slow investigation. Flavor of eccentric England place and people foreign to me. Focus trickily red-herring, suprisingly sideways, on minor character Jan Wakefield, her adulterous husband, their inability to have children, ending "And one has to move on, hasn't one?" p286. Somehow readable despite (or because of?) predictability, distractions, shallow characters, minimal action.
Elderly Miss Josephine Eleanor Short - deaf, blind, wishing for death - notes next-of-kin as nearby William Wakefield, working in Brazil, so his wife Janet handles arrangement for previously unknown relative, black-sheep single mother. But in the church, tanned Joe Short, mining engineer from obscure African country Lasserta, sits next to Jan, claims to be grandson of deceased, and changed jobs at same time as same-age, same-qualifications "friend" Brian Benton who vanished in jungle. At the pre-selected precise grave site, pretty auburn-haired nurse Lucy Lansdown does not talk to Joe, nor he to her, yet he tells Jan her name. Drowned that night, her body is found by fishermen next day.
British Inspector Sloan and consistently-snacking, sequiteur-blurting Constable Crosby also investigate break-in at ritzy Berebury Nursing Home. Intruder broke vase in the late spinster's room, looked at office files, nothing seems missing. Joe briefly shows his passport to the lawyer for identification, reports theft next day. Why police not ask Lucy's friends for photos (descriptions, identifications difficult after few years) of her fiance, or central passport office for duplicates?
Elderly Miss Josephine Eleanor Short - deaf, blind, wishing for death - notes next-of-kin as nearby William Wakefield, working in Brazil, so his wife Janet handles arrangement for previously unknown relative, black-sheep single mother. But in the church, tanned Joe Short, mining engineer from obscure African country Lasserta, sits next to Jan, claims to be grandson of deceased, and changed jobs at same time as same-age, same-qualifications "friend" Brian Benton who vanished in jungle. At the pre-selected precise grave site, pretty auburn-haired nurse Lucy Lansdown does not talk to Joe, nor he to her, yet he tells Jan her name. Drowned that night, her body is found by fishermen next day.
British Inspector Sloan and consistently-snacking, sequiteur-blurting Constable Crosby also investigate break-in at ritzy Berebury Nursing Home. Intruder broke vase in the late spinster's room, looked at office files, nothing seems missing. Joe briefly shows his passport to the lawyer for identification, reports theft next day. Why police not ask Lucy's friends for photos (descriptions, identifications difficult after few years) of her fiance, or central passport office for duplicates?
August 21, 2012
This is some rather thin soup. The mystery is not very complex. The title is pointless. The personalities are not particularly winning. The detectives are not especially bright.
The wit is downright weak. Detective Sloan does the footwork and the brainwork, and his pal Crosby is evidently along only to chip in with slightly inapposite remarks which are clearly intended to raise the comedy quotient in the book but which really have very little effect. Likewise Sloan reports at intervals to his super, who repeatedly makes slightly inapposite remarks (of a slightly different slant) which are designed to be found humorously incongruous by the reader but repeatedly fall short.
There's little tension.
All that said, I did read the book, and it's not quite impossible that I'd ever read another one by this author. Some of the side characters were briefly interesting, and the narrative style was comfortable enough. But it's not an outstanding book any way you look at it.
The wit is downright weak. Detective Sloan does the footwork and the brainwork, and his pal Crosby is evidently along only to chip in with slightly inapposite remarks which are clearly intended to raise the comedy quotient in the book but which really have very little effect. Likewise Sloan reports at intervals to his super, who repeatedly makes slightly inapposite remarks (of a slightly different slant) which are designed to be found humorously incongruous by the reader but repeatedly fall short.
There's little tension.
All that said, I did read the book, and it's not quite impossible that I'd ever read another one by this author. Some of the side characters were briefly interesting, and the narrative style was comfortable enough. But it's not an outstanding book any way you look at it.
January 9, 2018
Why does Ms. Short want to be buried at the location where no one knows her?
There is a break in at the nursing home. Ms.Short's room is broken into but why isn't anything missing?
There is a body in the river. Whose body is it?
Bill Wakefield comes back from Brazil unannounced, why?
These questions and the fact that I can't wait make me listened to the conclusion first!
But even after I know what is going on and why I still enjoy the book enormously!
Ric Jerrom, the narrator, gives a great performance which adds to the fun of the book!
There is a break in at the nursing home. Ms.Short's room is broken into but why isn't anything missing?
There is a body in the river. Whose body is it?
Bill Wakefield comes back from Brazil unannounced, why?
These questions and the fact that I can't wait make me listened to the conclusion first!
But even after I know what is going on and why I still enjoy the book enormously!
Ric Jerrom, the narrator, gives a great performance which adds to the fun of the book!
September 25, 2020
By the time Josephine Short died, she had shut herself off from the world. A surprising number of odd consequences followed her perfectly natural death. Somehow they must have to do with the large fortune she left behind, but her will seems perfectly straightforward. Inspector Sloan has to sort out various motives and clues that seem to lead in contradictory directions.
March 30, 2021
Really one of best books in the Sloan series. Three very different kinds of crimes - a simple break in, a murder and a desecrated grave - interweave and circle each other and Sloan has to deal with them all. There is a bit of deeper look at police procedures as several departments and jurisdictions are involved. Probably my favorite of the more modern novels in the series - also, noticeably less racial and feminist slurs.
January 18, 2016
In the quiet, English countryside an old lady dies in her bed at the local nursing home. Janet Wakefield receives notification 14her husband Bill, who is stationed in South America by his company, is the next of kin 14which is a surprise because neither of them even knew Josephine Short existed.
Sent to make the funeral arrangements, Janet discovers that all the particulars have been laid out by the decedent. The church, the hotel and 1Cbun wrestle 1D, as the reception is described, and the 18no flowers 19 request are already in place. She shows up for the funeral service to find several of the local villagers: a friendly, old man who claims to have known Ms. Short, a beautiful, young lady with auburn hair and in the pew behind her, the nursing home matron as well as the attorney handling the estate. As the service starts, a tall, dark-haired, young man sits next to her on the pew reserved for family. Joe Short, the grandson.
Making the acquaintance of another family member previously unknown to them helps the Wakefields discover who Josephine Short is and where she fits into all their lives. The discovery that she is well off and has a large estate is even more confusing. When the auburn beauty 19s body is found in the river under suspicious circumstances, the heirs are forced to reveal their alibis, which brings down suspicion on both of them, as well as a local thug whose mother was working at the nursing home.
When using material that Aird senses her reader may not have a complete understanding about, such as subject matter, she will have her characters ask questions to show their ignorance of the subject, which in turn edifies both the character and reader at the same time.
Aird weaves the red herrings and suspicions throughout the story, making you look back into the past pages for clues missed, words uttered that might have been a clue, a hint of foreshadowing glossed over until the pieces all fall together, making perfect sense of the tale.
Sent to make the funeral arrangements, Janet discovers that all the particulars have been laid out by the decedent. The church, the hotel and 1Cbun wrestle 1D, as the reception is described, and the 18no flowers 19 request are already in place. She shows up for the funeral service to find several of the local villagers: a friendly, old man who claims to have known Ms. Short, a beautiful, young lady with auburn hair and in the pew behind her, the nursing home matron as well as the attorney handling the estate. As the service starts, a tall, dark-haired, young man sits next to her on the pew reserved for family. Joe Short, the grandson.
Making the acquaintance of another family member previously unknown to them helps the Wakefields discover who Josephine Short is and where she fits into all their lives. The discovery that she is well off and has a large estate is even more confusing. When the auburn beauty 19s body is found in the river under suspicious circumstances, the heirs are forced to reveal their alibis, which brings down suspicion on both of them, as well as a local thug whose mother was working at the nursing home.
When using material that Aird senses her reader may not have a complete understanding about, such as subject matter, she will have her characters ask questions to show their ignorance of the subject, which in turn edifies both the character and reader at the same time.
Aird weaves the red herrings and suspicions throughout the story, making you look back into the past pages for clues missed, words uttered that might have been a clue, a hint of foreshadowing glossed over until the pieces all fall together, making perfect sense of the tale.
March 2, 2011
In the quiet, English countryside an old lady dies in her bed at the local nursing home. Janet Wakefield receives notification—her husband Bill, who is stationed in South America by his company, is the next of kin—which is a surprise because neither of them even knew Josephine Short existed.
Sent to make the funeral arrangements, Janet discovers that all the particulars have been laid out by the decedent. The church, the hotel and “bun wrestle”, as the reception is described, and the ‘no flowers’ request are already in place. She shows up for the funeral service to find several of the local villagers: a friendly, old man who claims to have known Ms. Short, a beautiful, young lady with auburn hair and in the pew behind her, the nursing home matron as well as the attorney handling the estate. As the service starts, a tall, dark-haired, young man sits next to her on the pew reserved for family. Joe Short, the grandson.
Making the acquaintance of another family member previously unknown to them helps the Wakefields discover who Josephine Short is and where she fits into all their lives. The discovery that she is well off and has a large estate is even more confusing. When the auburn beauty’s body is found in the river under suspicious circumstances, the heirs are forced to reveal their alibis, which brings down suspicion on both of them, as well as a local thug whose mother was working at the nursing home.
When using material that Aird senses her reader may not have a complete understanding about, such as subject matter, she will have her characters ask questions to show their ignorance of the subject, which in turn edifies both the character and reader at the same time.
Aird weaves the red herrings and suspicions throughout the story, making you look back into the past pages for clues missed, words uttered that might have been a clue, a hint of foreshadowing glossed over until the pieces all fall together, making perfect sense of the tale.
Sent to make the funeral arrangements, Janet discovers that all the particulars have been laid out by the decedent. The church, the hotel and “bun wrestle”, as the reception is described, and the ‘no flowers’ request are already in place. She shows up for the funeral service to find several of the local villagers: a friendly, old man who claims to have known Ms. Short, a beautiful, young lady with auburn hair and in the pew behind her, the nursing home matron as well as the attorney handling the estate. As the service starts, a tall, dark-haired, young man sits next to her on the pew reserved for family. Joe Short, the grandson.
Making the acquaintance of another family member previously unknown to them helps the Wakefields discover who Josephine Short is and where she fits into all their lives. The discovery that she is well off and has a large estate is even more confusing. When the auburn beauty’s body is found in the river under suspicious circumstances, the heirs are forced to reveal their alibis, which brings down suspicion on both of them, as well as a local thug whose mother was working at the nursing home.
When using material that Aird senses her reader may not have a complete understanding about, such as subject matter, she will have her characters ask questions to show their ignorance of the subject, which in turn edifies both the character and reader at the same time.
Aird weaves the red herrings and suspicions throughout the story, making you look back into the past pages for clues missed, words uttered that might have been a clue, a hint of foreshadowing glossed over until the pieces all fall together, making perfect sense of the tale.
March 13, 2015
(I finished this two days ago and can't remember the names of most of the characters, so apologies if I get them wrong!) Joyce Wakefield is surprised to learn that her husband's great aunt not only lived in her town, but died there and they are her next of kin, responsible for her funeral. Since her husband is out of the country, it's up to Joyce. The elderly Josephine, she learns, was the pariah of the family for having a baby out of wedlock. At the last minute, her grandson--who also works abroad--appears and turns out to be sole heir to the estate. And it's a considerable estate. However, problems are cropping up. Who broke into the nursing home and why? Who murdered the young woman found in the river, who had been at the funeral? What was Joyce's husband up to in London, when he should have been in Brazil? It's up to Inspector Sloane and the irritating constable Crosby to find out--before their suspects fly the country.
This was an entertaining read, but I was just disappointed that I figured out almost all of it either from the start, or from the time the significant clue was dropped. I guess I've read too many mysteries! This had some interesting twists and turns and red herrings, and differentiated characters (one of whom, not the murderer as it turns out, was a real jerk), so was good for light reading.
This was an entertaining read, but I was just disappointed that I figured out almost all of it either from the start, or from the time the significant clue was dropped. I guess I've read too many mysteries! This had some interesting twists and turns and red herrings, and differentiated characters (one of whom, not the murderer as it turns out, was a real jerk), so was good for light reading.
July 18, 2014
Janet Wakefield receives a telephone call out of the blue to say a relative of her husband's has died in a local nursing home. Janet is puzzled because she doesn't recall Bill ever mentioning any relatives locally. As her husband is away on business she arranges the funeral and is surprised to meet a young man who claims to be Aunt Josephine's grandson.
Meanwhile Sloan and Crosby are asked to investigate a break in at the home at which Bill's Aunt Josephine was resident. Nothing seems to have been taken but someone has clearly been into the room belonging to the deceased as a vase has been broken. When a young woman is found dead in the river Sloan is left scratching his head as to whether the two cases are connected.
This is a typical Sloan and Crosby cosy crime novel. Well plotted with interesting characters and a nice line in irony and humour. I love Crosby's less than politically correct asides and the way he has of stating the obvious and forcing Sloan to think again about the case he's investigating. Recommended to anyone who enjoys their crime with not too much on the page violence and no bad language.
Meanwhile Sloan and Crosby are asked to investigate a break in at the home at which Bill's Aunt Josephine was resident. Nothing seems to have been taken but someone has clearly been into the room belonging to the deceased as a vase has been broken. When a young woman is found dead in the river Sloan is left scratching his head as to whether the two cases are connected.
This is a typical Sloan and Crosby cosy crime novel. Well plotted with interesting characters and a nice line in irony and humour. I love Crosby's less than politically correct asides and the way he has of stating the obvious and forcing Sloan to think again about the case he's investigating. Recommended to anyone who enjoys their crime with not too much on the page violence and no bad language.
March 27, 2021
This is a rather unique group of suspects to sort out. It starts off with the death of an old lady in obscurity. What she leaves behind though for her estranged niece and nephew to sort out though will involve theft, disappearances, and murder. All of this is tied to an old buried secret. Will they be able to sort out all the clues before the suspects depart for various foreign destinations? Or are those very destinations clues?
Aside from the unique side stories and fun characters. It’s really a pretty straightforward mystery, a police procedural.
Content warning.
Several curse words. One character’s infidelity is brought forward as an alibi with some delicacy, but not much. Throughout the issue of fornication is viewed permissibly.
Aside from the unique side stories and fun characters. It’s really a pretty straightforward mystery, a police procedural.
Content warning.
Several curse words. One character’s infidelity is brought forward as an alibi with some delicacy, but not much. Throughout the issue of fornication is viewed permissibly.
March 14, 2011
An old lady dies in a nursing home. An heir shows up out of nowhere. A body is found in the river. There's a break in at the nursing home and the old lady's jewelry goes missing.
There are a lot of seemingly unconnected events that all come together in the end.
I'm not a big fan of multiple points of view and this is no exception. I give it two stars because there were a lot of twisty events that were wrapped up nicely. Still, I didn't really care for any of the characters including Detective Chief Inspector Sloan.
There are a lot of seemingly unconnected events that all come together in the end.
I'm not a big fan of multiple points of view and this is no exception. I give it two stars because there were a lot of twisty events that were wrapped up nicely. Still, I didn't really care for any of the characters including Detective Chief Inspector Sloan.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 13, 2011
Janet is surprised when her husband's great aunt dies--she and Bill, now in Brazil for his job, hadn't known the old woman was alive and living in the vicinity. She makes all the funeral arrangements, but is surprised when the maiden lady's grandson appears at the services. Meanwhile, there are a series of mysterious break-ins bothering the police. All this becomes unimportant, however, when a body is found. If you have read much Aird, you'll know who the culprit is, but the journey is still a pleasant one.
September 5, 2011
I thought I'd solved the mystery toward the beginning of the story. But that could have been because of my natural suspicion and the help given in the book synopsis. As I read on, I began to doubt myself - there was more than one mystery in this mystery, after all!
Overall, the story flowed well, and was an easy read. The characters were easily relatable. I did think there was a loose end or two, namely why string us along about the husband, only to have him fizzle at the end. The ending, however, came as no real surprise after all.
Overall, the story flowed well, and was an easy read. The characters were easily relatable. I did think there was a loose end or two, namely why string us along about the husband, only to have him fizzle at the end. The ending, however, came as no real surprise after all.
March 21, 2012
Catherine Aird is not that well-known in this country, but follows the classic British mystery tradition of Christie, Sayers, Allingham, and Tey. Most of her novels feature Chief Inspector Christopher Dennis “Seedy” Sloan and his frequent sidekick, the somewhat dense Detective Constable Crosby. They’ve been compared to “a quaint English combination resembling Abbott and Costello with an accent.” Similar authors include Peter Lovesey and Robert Barnard.
October 25, 2012
I liked the writing style so I wanted to give this four stars, but there were two major drawbacks for me.
First, I knew very early in the book "who, how, and why". Second, the husband's VERY bad behavior is never dealt with.
I may try some earlier books by this author, because I really did like the style.
First, I knew very early in the book "who, how, and why". Second, the husband's VERY bad behavior is never dealt with.
I may try some earlier books by this author, because I really did like the style.
April 16, 2011
Catherine Aird's story is engaging as DCI Sloan methodically investigates the murder of a young girl and tries to determine how it is related to the death of an old woman. His sidekick Crosby, however, is not a very entertaining or likeable person, so that distracts from the story.
June 23, 2019
Sloan, Crosby and Leeyes are old friends, and it was lovely to meet them again after a break in the publishing schedule. 3 stars because I figured several things out early on. But it was still good fun.
June 3, 2011
The latest from Catherine Aird. I didn't like this as much as some of the others but it was still enjoyable. A well-written "cozy" with humorous characters and a good plot. I have thought since I started reading these that they would make a great PBS Mystery series.
November 8, 2013
An easy entertaining read, just as I remember them being when I read a few back in the 1970's.Strange that I've never seen these characters on TV, they would be ideal for easy viewing as well.
Now I've STILL got to finish that heavy book about Napoleon........
Now I've STILL got to finish that heavy book about Napoleon........
March 23, 2016
It was OK - a fairly bland English detective story, probably one for the fans.
An old lady dies, her grandson arrives at the funeral. There is a death of a nurse. There is a robbery. Some of the events are red herrings. It takes a while but the police finally realises whodunit.
An old lady dies, her grandson arrives at the funeral. There is a death of a nurse. There is a robbery. Some of the events are red herrings. It takes a while but the police finally realises whodunit.
July 27, 2016
Kind of average. Predictable, not much in the way of great or unique characters, mildly entertaining. I'll try one more before I give up on the series as the first one I read was a bit better than this one.
May 14, 2011
good story - but I did figure out the end about half way through the book. It is a fast read and has some good twists.
June 14, 2011
Nicely done British mystery. Disparate elements thrown together and not brought into harmony until the very last.
July 24, 2011
A nice light read. A traditional British police procedural mystery. Easy to solve. Perhaps a bit too fluffy.
September 1, 2011
Predictable from the get-go. But still interesting.
June 13, 2012
Picked this up on a whim at the library. Didn't care for it at all.
September 7, 2012
Love her, but I am so good at figuring out mysteries, and I got this one quickly.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 86 reviews