Unfortunately, I didn't particularly like this book. It seemed very long and some chapters were a bit unnecessary. It took me a long time to finish the book. Maybe I would have liked it better if I had read larger sections at a time.
For me, it was only a 2.5 star read.

This is my first book in this prolific series. I believe this could be read as a stand alone, but I do feel I would have enjoyed it even more if I had read the series in order. I do plan to start at the beginning of the series. It seems I would have appreciated the relationship between the police officers even better. The story gave me an in depth insight into the nuances of an investigation. This story also had the best police chase scene I’ve ever read. It was quite tense. This story was very British and that made it extra special as well. There were of course several red herrings and I didn’t know whom the murderer was until the reveal. The only negative for me was the occasional, mild profanity. I highly recommend this book and series.

I was blessed with an ARC by NetGalley and the opinions expressed are my own.

Cynthia Harrod-Eagles’ Easeful Death is a compelling and intricately plotted mystery that keeps readers guessing until the very end. The novel follows the unsettling case of a young woman found dead in her home, a tragedy that raises more questions than answers. With masterful storytelling and well-paced suspense, Harrod-Eagles crafts a tale that doesn’t immediately reveal its secrets, allowing the reader to savor the investigative process.

One of the novel’s greatest strengths lies in its ability to maintain intrigue. Unlike stories that prematurely disclose key details, Easeful Death carefully unfolds, allowing tension and curiosity to build. The investigation is handled with depth, ensuring that every clue and character development adds to the richness of the mystery. Harrod-Eagles’ writing is sharp and immersive, making it easy for readers to become invested in both the case and those working to solve it.

Beyond the central mystery, the novel offers nuanced characters and realistic police procedural elements, lending credibility and depth to the narrative. Fans of crime fiction will appreciate the balance between suspense and character-driven storytelling, ensuring that Easeful Death is more than just a puzzle to be solved—it is a story to be experienced.

For those who enjoy crime fiction that challenges them to think while delivering a gripping and well-paced mystery, Easeful Death is a standout read. Harrod-Eagles once again proves her skill in crafting a story that is as intriguing as it is satisfying.

This is the * entry in Harrod-Eagle's Bill Slider series. Slider is supposedly unorthodox, but he makes sense to me in his persistence and integrity in chasing down bits of evidence, never too small. The writing style is largely narrative, which I'd forgotten. It's enjoyable, sharp and often humorous but takes getting used to. In this case, we have the murder of a 15 year old girl, just ready to take her A-Levels, solidly middle class daughter raised by her mother and her stepfather, who treats her as his own. She is dead in the garden, strangled by a silk cloth that is not present. Her stepfather found her.

This is a good. police procedural with lots of potential suspects-- eventually. The crime scene revealed little and the need to track down all possible evidence leads to discoveries of lots of lies and false starts. The ensemble of characters who support Slider are great. Very enjoyable.

Another great case for SliderI love this series and can’t wait to see what they get up to next.. Plenty of twists and turns and suspense to keep me hooked. Well rounded characters. Great writing style. Eagerly awaiting the next adventure. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the chance to review it.

This is the latest in a long running police procedural series featuring DCI Slater and his sergeant Atherton. A highlight for me is Slider’s multi-generational home life, anchored by his violinist wife Joanna. I also like the dry humor, puns and malapropisms of the different characters. Vivid descriptions of settings and characters make it easy to picture the investigation and I enjoyed following along as the team works to find the killer. This can be read on its own, and will appeal to fans of Grimes and Crombie. Recommended.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an eARC. All opinions expressed are my own.

Cynthia Harrod-Eagles, Ease ful Death, Seven House, April 2025

Thank you to Seven House and NetGalley for the ARC of this book.

Cynthia Harrods Eagles' Bill Slider series is a standout among police procedurals, and Easeful Death is a welcome addition to the series. In this outing Slider's firm is investigating the sudden and unexpected death of 18 year old Rhianne Morgan, who was found dead by her stepfather. Rhianne after being strangled by something similar to a silk scarf that was removed from the scene by her killer.

Slider and his quirky team interview suspects, confirm or break alibis, and ultimately determine who killed Rhianne. Was her stepfather abusive and did he kill her as a result? Or perhaps it was Kenton, a boy she stopped seeing because she found an older man more attractive? Could the older man have been Kenton's older brother Corey? Or might the older man have been "Handy" Andy Denton, a recently released sex offender?

What makes the Bill Slider books so enjoyable is that over the course of the series, Harrod-Eagles has endowed each member of the team with a personality and a voice. There are, for example, Atherton, Spider's bagman, previously a don Juan of the highest order, now contemplating marriage, and Porson, Spider's boss, who is given to often hilarious malaproprisms. Slider's home life has also grown and changed over time. His wife Joanna, has been joined by their son, George, and their daughter, Zoe, Slider's father and his wife, a variety of cats and a tortoise named Habeus. Together they make for an engaging household.

Easeful Death is a strong entry in a series well worth reading. Highly recommend.

This is the 25th book in the brilliant DCI Bill Slider series. Reconnecting with DCI Slider and his Sergeant Jim Atherton is like a long awaited meet up with old friends you haven't seen for a while. Catching up on their lives outside of the force, laughing at the wonderful malapropisms of Mr Porson, Slider's boss, is a joy.

Slider and Atherton are called to investigate the murder of 18 year old Rhianne Morgan who was found by her step father in the kitchen of their home. Slider and Atherton soon hear from neighbours about arguments between Rhianne and her step father and from school friends about a boyfriend she had unceremoniously dumped quite recently. As always, Cynthia Harrod-Eagles has written a great police procedural tale with a number of suspects, plentiful lies, misdirection and only circumstantial evidence for Slider and Atherton to base their theories on.

This is another excellent story in the series, which I highly recommend.

With many, many thanks to NetGalley and Severn House for my advanced reader copy in return for my honest and unbiased opinion.

I thank NetGalley and Severn House for an advance reader copy of “Easeful Death.” All opinions and comments are my own.

The usual witty chapter headings are present, as is the laugh-out-loud dialog between participants in “Easeful Death,” the latest in the long-running series by Cynthia Harrod-Eagles. It’s a quiet August so far, Slider’s working through paperwork, and our favorite sergeant Atherton is back from holiday and thinking about proposing. Surely the world is coming to an end. But not before they’re called to a crime scene, a young woman dead from apparent strangulation. And soon it will be up to our policemen extraordinaire to solve what becomes an intriguing case of back-and-forth alibis, of obvious and not so obvious suspects. Will our intrepid duo, of quick speech and dapper dressing, sort through the facts and bring a killer to justice? Gentle reader, you know they will.

Complete with the author’s firm grasp of description, people, and places (each one brought to life), quips, and of course, DCI Porson’s mangling of the English language, one mustn’t forget that “Easeful Death” includes a thorough police investigation with a successful case at the end. Now, on to the next one. Can’t wait.

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This book is the 25th book in the Detective Inspector Slider series. I started in the middle of this series but have been reading it for years. There are changes in the lives of the characters as the series progresses, but the cases stand alone from book to book. DI Bill Slider balances the job with his personal life, and I love the banter between him and his friend and colleague, Detective Jim Atherton. Slider is a good leader and he and his entire team work well together.

The case in this one is a sad one. I was interested to find out who killed a young woman who was found dead at her own home. There were a few different suspects to make things interesting, but there are some slow spots in the book. In spite of that, I enjoyed the book, especially seeing Slider and team solve the case. There are also a couple of developments that fans of the series will appreciate.

I was fortunate to receive an advance copy of the ebook from NetGalley and Severn House for review consideration. My review is voluntary and unbiased.

I enjoy this old-fashioned series featuring Bill Slider, the wisecracking Atherton, and assorted others. In this case, a girl is found dead just inside her middle-class parents' garden and it appears she was strangled. Could it be a random vagrant? Her stepfather, who seems often exasperated with the moody teen? The girl's boyfriend? Or what about this criminal recently released from prison? The clues are chased down, the avenues explored, and the interesting and ordinary lives of the characters and their families carry on without loads of angst or drama. It's in the Inspector Morse tradition and feels like a bit of a throw-back to a simpler time - maybe that's why I enjoyed it!

This latest in a long running series will be perfectly enjoyable as a standalone, especially for fans of well crafted procedurals. Bill Slider finds himself with a real puzzle on his hands when 18 year old Rhiannon is discovered by her stepfather. She's been strangled. There are several suspects, starting with her stepfather but Slider and his team will learn that there was more to the young woman than even her parents knew. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. Nicely crafted with a bit of humor, this is one that will keep you guessing.

Easeful Death is the first DCI Slider book I’ve read and now I want to read them all! This is a story about 18 year old Rhianne Morgan who is found dead in her suburban home. This was an enjoyable mystery with lots of twists. I loved the characters and the detective’s banter.
Thank you NetGalley and Seven House! I’m happy this is the 25th book in the series—I’m looking forward to reading the other books!

Easeful Death, the 25 th book in the DCI Bill Slider series is a great example of a police procedural. It's always a treat to spend time with DCI Slider and his fellow officers. Ms Harrod-Eagles crafts her characters so well that I feel I’ve come to know them over the course of her many books. The dialogue between them is interspersed with humor and believably real life. It is not easy to maintain this high level of writing over so long a time but I am happy to report that it has happened yet again. This book can be read as a stand alone but treat yourself to some of the earlier works to really feel you know the characters.

DCI Bill Slider & his team investigate the suspicious death of 18-year old Rhianne Morgan. The teenager had typical rows with her mother & stepfather, and dabbled with both boys and drugs. So who wanted to end her life?

This was another solid entry in the long-running police procedural series.

I received a digital ARC from Netgalley and Severn House. All opinions are my own.

This is number 25 in Cynthia Harrod-Eagles Bill Slider series. I had been wanting to read this series for awhile, and this was my first. The author did an excellent job of bringing me in as a new reader to the series, She gave enough detail that I understood the relationships between characters as well as a little of the history of Slider. It was slipped in so easily and didn’t interrupt the flow of the story or give too much detail.

This was a very well written police procedural with some humor and well drawn characters. The mystery kept me guessing throughout. It started off with the murder of a teenaged girl who had been giving her parents some grief and gone off the rails a bit. The story took us through the investigation and gave us insight into the police team and relationships. I’m anxious to read the rest of the series now, beginning with the first one.
If book 25 is this good, then I have high hopes for the whole series. I think if you enjoy the writing of Martha Grimes or Elizabeth George, you would enjoy Cynthia Harrod-Eagles as well.

#EasefulDeath #NetGalley #SevernHouse

Cynthia Harrod-Eagles delivers the goods in her latest entry in the Bill Slider series, This is probably in my top five mystery series of all time, and I wish it could find a wider audience. The characterization is strong, the crimes are complicated without being ridiculous, and the humor is top-notch. If you love British humor, you'll love the puns and clever wordplay.

This time the mystery focuses on the death of a teenage girl. The investigation points to the victim's handsome stepfather and her betrayed boyfriend, but not everything is as it seems, and they soon learn that the victim may have had some dirty habits of her own.

For anyone who has followed the series, you'll be pleased to know that all the side characters are here, from Joanna to Atherton, from Porson to Swilley. It was great to visit old friends, and I eager look forward to the next installment.

I was late coming to Cynthia Harrod-Eagles’ DCI Bill Slider books, but I’ve read all these outstanding police procedurals since I discovered them. The combination of witty dialogue and clever phrasing, along with the unconventional police team and the investigations are on display in the twenty-fifth book in the series, Easeful Death.

Rhianne Morgan was only eighteen when her stepfather, David Morgan, found her dead in their garden. It would have appeared to be a natural death, but Rhianne was strangled with a ligature of some sort. Slider and his team suspected Morgan because he was the stepfather and he discovered the body. But, it seemed that Rhianne had secrets. Of course, the police investigated a man recently released from prison for sex crimes. And, there was that graduate student she dated. Rhianne’s friends talked about “an older man”.

Slider’s team is under pressure to close the case of the death of a young woman. But, they face lies every time they question a witness, men and women. It appears that answers are slipping away.

I started this series because it was a well-reviewed police procedural, my favorite type of book. I continue to read the books because of the clever writing, the chapter headings, the wit, along with the strong characters who form a working team. There are just phrases that jump out at me; “the bare arms and legs as browned as a nicely roasted chicken but with much less meat on them”. And, there are such realistic relationships between characters, such as Slider and his wife, Joanne, or Slider and his sergeant, Jim Atherton.

Easeful Death shows the determination of a team of police detectives who won’t give up in investigating the death of a young woman. It’s another solid entry in the series.

This was another winner in the DCI Bill Slider Mystery series, it had that element that I wanted and worked with the rest of the series perfectly. It had that mysterious element that I was looking for and enjoyed the element that was going on. The characters had that feel that I was hoping for and worked with the previous entries. Cynthia Harrod-Eagles has a strong writing style and am excited to read more.