Orchestrated Death: A Mystery Introducing Inspector Bill Slider

Rating:
Summary: What's a nice girl like you doing dead in an abandoned flat?
Review: A young woman's naked body is found in a seedy, abandoned flat and Bill Slider is called in to investigate the death. No identifying items are found with the body and no one has reported her missing. It is only by a fluke that her identification is made quickly - an identification that takes Bill Slider into the world of London's orchestra's and smuggling.

This is the first of Cynthia Harrod-Eagles novels of Bill Slider - a Detective from Shepherd's Bush station in London. She writes a convincing and complex detective story but I was less impressed with the personal details of her characters. Bill Slider is unhappily married to Irene yet he immediately meets Joanna through his investigation - a friend of the deceased - and starts an affair with her. It seems a little too idealist - and Slider seems a bit too wishy-washy. Atherton, as Slider's side-kick, provides a bit of comic relief but mostly in the form of clever puns which I found wore a bit thin at times.

The mysterery is very satisfying to figure out. The clues are all laid out for us slowly and I really enjoyed the process of following Slider and Atherton on their slow investigation - peeling back layer upon layer of the mystery - the olive oil cans, the girl's rich background, why she constantly disappeared to Manchester to play in the orchestra there, what on earth a Stradivarius violin was doing in her seedy flat and why did she suddenly start demanding an ex-lover marry her. There are suspects a plenty and lies and alibis. The only thing is the ending was disappointing - kind of a cop out. You know who and why but there is no justice in it. Still a good read overall.