‘Ingenious’ Daily Mail’A truly outstanding series’ Booklist’No CCTV cameras, no overlooking houses, no passing traffic or pedestrians. That means no witnesses.’Bill Slider begins a nightmarish investigation when an unidentifiable victim is found in the no man’s land beneath London’s A40 flyover. Slider doesn’t have much to go on, the victim, a smartly dressed businessman, has no ID in his pockets … pockets and no one has reported him missing. When the autopsy reveals old injuries and faded scars cover the man’s body, the mystery only deepens. If he wants answers, Slider knows he must go into London’s darkest corners.
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When a murder victim is found in the area of a car shop, Bill Slider and is team is called in to investigate. The man is well dressed, but has no identification on him. Eli Simpson, the man who found the body does not know who he was.
When a girlfriend of sorts shows up with a name, she also informs them of his colorful past. Medical examination has shown plenty of scars from previous injuries. And when the investigation also comes up with another name … they begin to wonder just who was this guy?
Who would want him dead? Old enemies ? New enemies? Or was this a personal attack? Did he know something he shouldn’t have heard? See something? Was he perhaps being blackmailed?
With lots of theories and plenty of suspects, team Slider will have to sift through lies and secrets and cover-ups.
Although 20th in this series, it is easily read as a stand alone. Not having read any of the previous books, I can’t compare the author’s writing then and now. I didn’t find it especially suspenseful or gripping. I would recommend starting at the beginning to see how the main characters have grown over time.
Many thanks to the author / Black Thorn Books / Netgalley for the digital copy of this crime fiction. Read and reviewed voluntarily, opinions expressed here are unbiased and entirely my own.
I read the Kindle Edition.
4 stars
DCI Slider and DS Atherton respond to a body in a broken-down auto repair shop. The deceased is a well -dressed man completely out of place in that neighborhood. He has no identification on him. The shop owner says he does not know the man.
They begin the investigation by interviewing the local citizenry. They learn some interesting facts and local history about the owner of the shop but little else. They talk to Eli, the shop owner’s, wife and she basically unloads on them. Eventually, the dead man’s girlfriend comes in and identifies him. He is a Mr. King. She doesn’t know exactly who he worked for or what he did for a living.
The autopsy reveals many old fractures of Mr. King’s bones and other wounds that indicate that he has had a rough life. DCI Slider and his team begin to wonder if this guy was someone’s enforcer – like a crime boss.
This is a true police procedural. The story develops slowly and through patient and professional police work. They interview witnesses, follow clues and are proactive in identifying the man and seeking his killer.
This book is very well written and plotted as are all of Cynthia Harrod-Eagles’ novels. The suspense begins immediately, but builds rather slowly as the police investigation proceeds. I liked the way DCI Slider’s team pulled together at their mutual tasks. DCI Slider himself seemed a true professional. I have not read very many of Ms. Harrod-Eagles’ novels, but I am re-committed to reading more of them.
I want to thank NetGalley and Black Thorn for forwarding to me a copy of this great book to read and enjoy.