I do love a cold case and this was not only a cold case but an intriguing take on one. Not only is Slider trying to solve a twenty year old murder and deal with an investigation that never really happened but he is also wrestling with internal politics and the conflict between the old order and the new.



The mystery itself is intriguing. A body buried underneath a garden shed. Twenty years for the suspects to disappear and any witness to forget everything. No real investigation in the disappearance to refer too. Slider and his team definitely have their work cut out for them and I loved following along with the investigation. Like most straight forward police procedurals the focus is mostly on the mystery which doesn't make for much character development. Going in this far into a series can be a little hit or miss but I really had no problem jumping in here. While I didn't necessarily learn who everyone in Slider's team right away I really didn't need to know who was who because it didn't distract from keeping up with the mystery. There is a subplot regarding an internal investigation that Slider got involved with. While I could have done without it it wasn't confusing and didn't take over the book.



This is a nice classic feeling mystery series with a likable if not hugely developed main character and a solid mystery. I'm looking forward to reading more from this author and this series.

Requested this book on Netgalley as soon as I saw it was available. Slider and his team are a unique group being deadly serious in one instance then spinning off to something humorous the next. Reading the Slider books I always get the feeling that his dedication goes unnoticed by his superiors and that he has strict moral values he follows, expecting that those around him follow also. His banter with Atherton is a book in itself.

The only fault I have with the latest novel is that I found it fairly obvious what the twist was before it was revealed although that did not stop me completing the book, just meant 4 stars instead of 5.

I look forward to the next Slider mystery with anticipation.

A human skeleton is found in the garden of a house newly inhabited by a young couple. Twenty years ago teenager Amanda Knight disappeared from the same area. Could this be the missing teen?

DCI Bill Slider and his team are charged with investigating. But after so many years, there is no evidence, and a lot of the people who were questioned back then are no longer in the area or have passed.

With police corruption hanging over their heads, Slider almsot welcomes a cold case. It will keep him busy and keep him out of the public eye at the same time.

This is the 19th book featuring DCI Bill Slider. While reading this one, there are a lot of references to previous cases. The book was not fast paced, and it was more mysterious than suspenseful. I did enjoy the characters and the humor that sparked along the way. OLD BONES is a fairly good British police procedural.

Many thanks to the author / Severn House / Netgalley for the advanced digital copy of OLD BONES. Opinions expressed here are unbiased and entirely my own.

Cynthia Harrod-Eagles gives us a rousing British police procedural. Bill Slider has to find out why a twenty year old skeleton ended up in a back yard. Who was the dead girl? Who murdered her? Sleazy family histories and surprising upsets in the case. Meanwhile Slider tries to find out how an old case he oversaw has gone sideways and the case is swept under the rug. Gritty stories and well told tales.

First Sentence: There comes a point in the life of a balloon when it has lost so much air that its taut, festive body becomes sagging, wrinkled and—well, frankly, sad.

DCI Bill Slider is decidedly unpopular at HQ due to those implicated in his last cast. A young couple discovers a skeleton in their back garden. It’s thought to be that of a young girl who disappeared from that garden two decades ago. Slider’s boss, DS Porson, hope this case will be simple and will keep Slider out of harm’s way. But does it?

Harrod-Eagles never disappoints. Her use of language, Britishisms notwithstanding, is always a delight, including her chapter headings. Her description of people makes them immediately recognizable—“Carver was a miserable bastard, who had raised resentment to an art form, and his leaving do was appropriately cheerless.” and—“It was time that Atherton, the serial romancer, settled down. He was tall, handsome, elegant, and irresistible to females. Pure catnip. He could commit sexual harassment by sitting quietly in another room. Really, the world needed him to be taken out of circulation.”

How lovely to have the protagonist be in a marriage that has suffered its rocky patches, but that works. There is an excellent comparison between Slider being a cop, and his wife Joanna being a professional musician. There is also a moving and painful description of a mother learning of her daughter’s body being found years often her disappearance. It is this ability to convey both light and dark equally well that makes CHE such a fine writer.

Slider and his team truly are a team. They are an ensemble cast, each with their own parts to play and backgrounds about which we learn. The case is a jigsaw puzzle, put together piece-by-piece, following the clues. But don’t make the mistake of thinking the cases are clichéd or the ending pat. They are far from so being.

“Old Bones” is a very well-done police procedural with excellent characters. It is so well written; no prologue, no tricks, no portents or cliff hangers, just 256 pages of solid writing.

OLD BONES (Pol Proc-Insp. Bill Slider-England-Contemp) – Ex
Harrod Eagles, Cynthia – 19th in series
Severn House, Feb 2017

An Enjoyable British Police Procedural Novel

The novel starts with the heroine Detective Chief Inspector Bill Slider attending a retirement party but runs into his boss, D/Supt Porson who informs him that human remains, a whole skeleton, were unearthed in the morning. Porson thought that it was a good case to keep Slider usefully employed and out of everyone’s hair. At the scene, it became quite obvious that the victim had been in the ground for a long time — estimated to be 20 to 25 years. It was a really cold case. The reason the Porson has thought that it was a good idea was that because Slider’s team had uncovered an underage six ring implicating many higher-ups, including a Member of Parliament and a police Assistant Commissioner. The case had broken in the papers, with Slider being suspected for the leak and the investigation was taken away from him. The investigation languished, and then the key and only witness recanted her story. Porson had told Slider to leave this case alone — fat chance! Lastly, there is a substory of Detective Constable Connolly, a member of Slider’s team, and a shoplifter.

From here the main story line proceeds to identify a missing teenage girl from the same address twenty years earlier. As the skeleton was of a young girl, the file on that case was found but was suspiciously small with much appearing to be missing. The investigating officer was interviewed to fill in the gaps and everyone related to the case back then needed to be found and reinterviewed. The father was the main suspect, but even back then the wife and mother strongly defended him and said it could not have been him. Finding all of the witnesses was very well portrayed by the author, especially the younger women whose names now probably different. This portrayal added realism and richness to the storyline. For me, this aspect really enhanced my enjoyment of the novel.

As this is the 19th book in the series, the B-story appeared to be very well established. The author brings depth to the story with Slider’s thoughts on team members, especially DS Atherton, with whom he partners most of the time. The author also weaves in the interactions between Slider and his wife, between Slider and his boss D/Supt Porson, and with other members of his team, especially DC Connolly. Again, these rich B-storylines increased the enjoyment of reading this novel.

This is the first work by Cynthia Harrod-Eagles that I have read, so this review is from this point of view. As such, I only had one problem with this work. Because of the large team, I had a little difficulty following the flow of the main storyline in the early part of the novel. Once I became familiar with the cast of characters, I was able to enjoy the novel. Now, if you have read previous novels in this series, this probably will not be an issue, and this novel would be rated as a five-star work. Read and enjoy. But, as I am a first time reader of this series, this beginning brings the rating for me to four stars. I would say to anyone who wanted to start with this novel, it may be challenging at the start, but still is an enjoyable read and I do recommend reading it.

I have received a free kindle version of this novel through NetGalley from Severn House with a request for an honest, unbiased review. I wish to thank Severn House for the opportunity to read this novel.

Will not review this book since it didn't work for me!

A tangled web

This is the ninth in this author's Bill Slider Mysteries series. Slider is a detective inspector currently under a bit of a cloud having upset those in high places. The trouble is that he dislikes being told what not to do and can't help pursuing a case he has been clearly told to leave. His loyal staff is similarly reluctant to walk away from what is a case of child abuse leading to suspected murder. Following the retirement party of a colleague, where Slider struggled to survive disillusionment and boredom, he goes in to work on Monday morning to find he has a new case.

A builder, digging out the foundations for a new shed has dug up a skeleton in his client's garden. Thinking that it is probably ancient, Slider and team are called out to the leafy Trees Estate and to number 15 Laburnum Avenue. It is soon clear that the remains found are not historical, but do date back twenty to thirty years. They are also the bones of a young teenage girl of around fourteen years of age.

What follows is a complex crime thriller with a myriad of twists and turns as the story rolls out with shock after shock. It seems the residents of the Trees Estate are far from the usual suburban type, and apparent respectability turns into secrets and lies.

This novel rocks along at a speedy pace as we follow the police investigation and the lives and personalities of Slider and his team. There is more than one maverick amongst them!

The horror of what unfolds is tempered by witty chapter headings and the mixed metaphors – everyone a gem! - produced continually by Slider's boss, Chief Superintendent Porson.

This was very close to a five star rating, marred only by the fact that I guessed the ending about two-thirds through. It took me a little longer to tie all the ends together, but for five stars I expect the ending to be a total reveal!

Pashtpaws

Breakaway Reviewers received a copy of this book to review.

<http://freshfiction.com/review.php?id=62036>

A fairly reasonable UK-based police procedural, I really did like the ‘sting in the tail’ resolution of the actual identity of the discovered skeletal remains, as well as the unexpected humour of the prose:-

‘(she) was vast, like a shipping hazard’

‘always ready to go the extra meal ’

This is the latest part of a series of novels concerning the same main characters, and as such, there were many references (and scenarios) relating to actions / events in the preceding novel(s) – but this did not majorly detract from the flow of the story.

Somewhat exasperated however by the poor editing and proofreading of this Kindle edition, such as: -

‘strait and narrow’ instead of straight and narrow, as well as ‘self-extreme’ rather than self-esteem.

Plus multiple use of ‘higher echelongs’ – rather than higher echelons.

I really do expect an author to have a functional use language and spelling; and if not, to have an effective proof-reading of his/her work.

My mother has been recommending this author to me since forever, so when I saw this murder mystery up on the NetGalley dashboard, I requested it.

A young couple discover human remains buried in the garden of their new house: could this be the resting place of 14-year-old Amanda Knight, who disappeared from the same garden two decades before, and was never seen again? The problem comes almost as a relief to DCI Slider, still suffering from the fallout of his previous case. He is not popular with the Powers That Be, and his immediate boss, Detective Superintendent Porson, reckons that at least this little puzzle will keep Slider out of trouble. After all, with a murder twenty years in the past, this is the coldest of cold cases. Most of the suspects and principal players are now dead too, and all passion is long spent ... Or is it?

As soon as I tucked into this offering, I understood why Mum has been nagging me to read her – Slider’s desert-dry viewpoint is a joy. He is an old fashioned copper who is heartily sick of all the new management-speak, but nonetheless straight as a dye without being remotely starchy. His irreverent humour bubbles continually away in the background, annoying his superiors and exasperating his subordinates. For a nice change, he isn’t some grizzled loner but has a happy marriage to a professional musician.

I liked the fact that the loss of a little girl isn’t just treated as some dry academic puzzle – there is a real sense of poignancy of a life unfulfilled as Slider and his team try to grapple with who had murdered her and buried her in the back garden. I also enjoyed the fact that we don’t have a CSI-type approach where they have shedloads of forensic evidence to answer all the questions. In fact, there is precious little to go on, except the faulty memories of those involved all those years ago.

As with all the best police procedural mysteries, there are a number of candidates and possibilities, though I did guess one of the major twists well before it was revealed. Not that it mattered all that much – I was too invested in the main characters to mind and besides, there were still some interesting developments. There is a lovely subplot that develops regarding one of Slider’s team and a youngster caught up in the system.

I appreciated the absence of any grisly details, undue violence or gore – but I certainly wouldn’t peg this in the cosy mystery genre. All in all, a thoroughly entertaining read that nicely got me through a day when I was feeling pretty wretched and it comes highly recommended. I’ve discovered that Harrod-Eagles is prolific as well as talented, so I shall definitely be getting hold of more D.I. Slider mysteries.

While I obtained the arc of Old Bones from the publisher via NetGalley, this has in no way influenced my unbiased review.

To DCI Bill Slider, colleague DCI Ron Carver’s retirement party is just another sign that the police force is changing. Top ranking officers come straight from college now instead of working their way up through the ranks and now beat cops are actually being eliminated. Slider’s job consists of more and more paperwork every day and he has made enemies of his superiors on his last case. When old human bones are found at a local home renovation site, Slider’s boss gives him the cold case to hopefully keep him out of trouble, but the case heats up more than anyone could have imagined.

I really enjoyed this installment of the long-running Bill Slider series. The case of missing teenage Amanda Knight is interesting and it’s great to read about old-fashioned detective work as Slider and his team work to solve the case. I love the clever, witty writing. One small example is a character saying they are going to the police café for some “cruel and unusual nourishment.” I have read several of the prior installments in the series and have gotten to know and love the characters. Slider is a great detective and person and anyone would love to have a boss as encouraging and understanding as he is. There is a wonderful subplot with one of Slider’s direct reports, Connolly, and a young witness from a prior case that is interesting and touching.

It would be going too far to say there is a happy ending, but there is a satisfying resolution to the case. Reading a new Bill Slider book is a joy and if you are familiar with the series or are just looking for a great police procedural with likable characters, I highly recommend “Old Bones.”

I received this book from NetGalley through the courtesy of Severn House. The book was provided to me in exchange for an honest review.

Cold cases are intriguing - how do you investigate a murder when a number of the parties involved are dead?  Old Bones is well done, both as a cold case procedural and a police drama.  DCI Bill Slider is on the outs with higher-ups because he uncovered corruption in the ranks.  A cold case is perfect, because it offends no one and solving it makes the police look good.  Thus, when human remains are found in the yard of the house where a teen when missing decades ago, it is assigned to Slider and his team. 

Cynthia Harrod-Eagles doesn't take the easy route.  Instead she offers readers a complex mystery.  Even if you guess before the end where the story is going, you won't be disappointed with this character driven mystery.

5/5

I received a copy of Old Bones from the publisher and netgalley.com in exchange for an honest review.

--Crittermom

I enjoyed this book very much. It was my first book of the series, and it would have helped me to have read the earlier books. There were many references to previous books. The plot was interesting and the characters were well developed. Detective Bill Slider and his team must solve a very cold case that his supervisor thinks will keep them out of trouble. Supervisor Porson is very funny and constantly misquotes famous sayings which adds humor to the book. I liked the technical police procedural descriptions. There were many twists and turns before the case reached its conclusion, and the ending was a surprise. I will definitely read the other books in the series!

Bill Slider and his team got a break. Their latest case came up when a skeleton of a young girl was found buried in a backyard garden. The date of death put it in the time frame when a local girl disappeared from that same garden. But with no obvious cause of death, Slider and his team had to figure out motive, location, and cause of death, all on a very slim file from the missing person case. Some nice detective work lead to the case being solved along with about the right amount of character development. Old Bones is a nice addition to Bill Slider's series.

Wow!! Another marvelous Bill Slider mystery from Cynthia Harrodsburg-Eagles!! I've a fan for many years, but I haven't read some of the recent titles in the series. Now they're high on my "must read" list. In spite of that gap, I quickly felt I was back among long-time friends. I could hardly put this one down,. Even though I solved the mystery fairly early on ! I was still anxious to learn if Inwas on the right track and how Slider and company would deal with the many ramifications of the case. I hope a lot of discussion groups will choose this title because there is so much to discuss!