Hole in One: A Sloan and Crosby Mystery

I am a long-time fan of Catherine Aird and her wonderful humour. C.D. Sloan is just as British as ever, and the way he talks and thinks depending on who he is talking to is hilarious. This book is all about golf since a body is found in a sand trap on the sixth hole. And the club happens to be the one that Chief Superintendent Leeyes belongs to. All in all it exposes poor C.D. to more golf and its lore than he ever wanted to know. He would much rather be with his lovely roses any day, even though his wife has been wanting him to take up golf in order to make some social connections. The book is a short one, but even so it has an intricate and witty little plot. A true little delight for those who like their mysteries in the British way.

It's always a pleasure to read one of Catherine Aird's Inspector Sloane mystery novels: they're full of mischievous and witty asides and engaging dialogue, cleverly executed and just a joy to read. So that even though "Hole in One," mystery-wise, was a little less cunning and intricate than usual, it still was an excellent read, and well worth a 4 star rating. Inspector Sloane's wife has been trying to get him to join the local golf club, sure that his chances of being promoted would be greatly enhanced if he joined -- especially since Sloane's boss, the demanding and irascible Superintendent Leeyes is a member of the Berebury Golf Club. So far Sloane has stood firm: he's not about to give up his beautiful rose garden in order to saunter about taking pot shots at golf balls! Unexpectedly, however, he does find himself at the golf club, investigating a murder when Leeyes calls him up to report that a body has been found buried in a bunker (sand trap). With Leeyes breathing down his neck, and the aid of the ever obtuse and unhelpful Detective Constable Crosby, Sloane must somehow identify the murder victim and discover who committed the murder and why. Time is of the essence and when one is dealing with golf club members who are rich and powerful, one must be careful as well, especially when there is a lot of money at stake... Unlike earlier Inspector Sloane mysteries like "Henrietta Who" and "Some Die Eloquent," "Hole in One" is not that complex a read -- one is able to figure who the murder victim is fairly quickly and the motive as well. Nor was it that suspenseful a read -- the identity of the killer becomes a little obvious about two-thirds through the book. why then my high rating? Because "Hole in One" entertained me from beginning to end. I enjoyed Sloane's wry inner thoughts (esp the way in which he'd compare horticulture with golfing) and Catherine Aird's dry, mischievous humour. I found myself sniggering all too often. Also, in spite of the fact that the plot was written along simple, basic lines, this was still a very elegantly executed novel with some truly brilliant character portrayals. In the final analysis, while "Hole in One" may not be the most intriguing read of one's lifetime, it still was a very enjoyable and absorbing, and one worth a 4 star rating for excellent writing.

At the Berebury Golf Course, female "Rabbit" Helen Ewell plays with her friend Ursula Millwood when she sinks a shot into a bunker on the sixth hole. As she struggles to dig out of the sand trap she uncovers the head of a dead person. Hysterical she tells Ursula she thinks she may have stroked an eyeball out of the trap. Calleshire County Police Superintendent Leeyes is at the links on his day off. He calls his chief of Criminal Investigation Division Detective Inspector Sloan to get over to the country club "quicker than soonest". Sloan begins to investigate the homicide with the help of dimwitted Crosby and astute "pretty Polly" Perkins. The pastoral setting of the country club in which the two ladies slowly (and the plot like wise) play a poor woman's brand of golf lulls the reader into expecting a serene village cozy. However, once Helen makes her chip shot, the British police procedural moves through eighteen fast holes. The story line is humorous at times but never loses sight that first and foremost is that there is an official investigation into who killed and buried the head in the sand. Catherine Aird's latest Sloan story is a fine entry in a strong series. Harriet Klausner