Reading the Detectives discussion

Welcome to our Dec/Jan buddy read of A Late Phoenix first published in 1970 and the fourth book in the Sloan and Crosby / Calleshire Chronicles series.

Decades ago, Germans bombed the village at Lamb Lane. But now redevelopment is under way. During the excavation, a workman finds the skeleton of a pregnant girl with a bullet lodged in her spine. The trail is definitely stone cold when C. D. Sloan takes on the case.

Please feel free to post spoilers in this thread.

As this is set in the 1970's, it is what we call a cold case now. We are told quite a lot of facts about how life was like during the war and how people had coped with it. Aird manages to add a certain amount of humour, especially where Superintendent Leeyes, Sloan's boss, is concerned.

Jill wrote: "As this is set in the 1970's, it is what we call a cold case now. We are told quite a lot of facts about how life was like during the war and how people had coped with it. Aird manages to add a cer..."

Yes, he’s always complaining about something, or sharing his unwanted knowledge from his night classes, whether they apply to the case in hand, or not! One definitely gets the feeling the times are a-changing in Britain, and some older folks who remember the War must be struggling to adapt. Leeyes is clearly one of them!

I really liked the medical practice administrator - she was a great character, one of those dedicated, common sense women with a prodigious memory, written off cruelly as a spinster, but so vital to holding everything together, and so caring about her community! I was so afraid there’d be a weird twist at the end, she’d be the killer or something; so relieved she wasn’t. She was a great mentor to the new, young doctor- I felt compassion for him, coming in, trying to fill the shoes of a beloved old GP. Plus, she was the one solid source of clues for Crosby!

So much destruction and loss - lives, homes, records. I’ve often thought, reading Lorac books set in WWII, and now this one, how frighteningly easy it is in wartime to make someone disappear! If not for the bullet, this would’ve been just one more tragic, long-ago war death.

Yes I was dreading the doctor's helper being mixed in with it somehow

I was also glad she wasn't involved. I read a non-fiction book about crime in wartime London once, Can't remember now - possibly this one: Dark City: Murder, Vice, and Mayhem in Wartime London? I'm not sure that was the one, but I know it was very interesting and will have a search to see whether I can find it.

When Sloan was explaining to Crosby about 'Dad's Army' I was thinking that these days, people wouldn't need to have it explained to them ('Don't tell him, Pike!'). But I see that the book was written/set in 1970, and Dad's Army was first shown in 1968. Given how full the book is of cultural references, it could have included that (but I suppose Aird didn't realise that it would become as well known a classic as the Hunchback of Notre Dame.

Susan wrote: "I was also glad she wasn't involved. I read a non-fiction book about crime in wartime London once, Can't remember now - possibly this one: [book:Dark City: Murder, Vice, and Mayhem in Wartime Londo..."

That does sound interesting, but awful in a way - to think what kind of nasty person decides to start committing crimes against fellow citizens at such a time! It’s like looting after a natural disaster, talk about kicking someone when they’re down.

Rosina wrote: "When Sloan was explaining to Crosby about 'Dad's Army' I was thinking that these days, people wouldn't need to have it explained to them ('Don't tell him, Pike!'). But I see that the book was writt..."

This book, with its wartime reminders and cultural references (and Leeyes reaction to the long-haired men from thebar), and Christie’s Hallowe'en Party, with Poirot interviewing older residents about a crime, and their comments about societal changes, really showed me, as an American, what a culture shock the postwar years to 1970s must have been for older English people. Talk about seismic shifts!

There will always be criminals in a large city I suppose and the blackout must have been a godsend to those up to no good. However, I do recall one story of a group of criminals looting a building when a bomb fell next door to where they were and they did abandon their activities to rescue someone trapped and then slid away when the authorities turned up, so life, as always, is more grey than black and white.

I have also read that the government allowed a little crime to flourish, such as parts of the black market, as they thought it improved morale for people to sometimes be able to get hold of items not in the shops. Overall, though, rationing pretty much worked. Still, it was a delicate balance to not be too authoritarian, so they were not turning into the same government they were fightinging against. In the same way, the decision was made not to ban people listening to Lord Haw-Haw, as although he was broadcasting defeatist and alarming information, it was felt that allowing him to be listened to, as though he was nothing to worry about, allowed people to shrug it off and laugh at it.

Susan wrote: "There will always be criminals in a large city I suppose and the blackout must have been a godsend to those up to no good. However, I do recall one story of a group of criminals looting a building ..."

Very smart and pragmatic approaches, I’d say, at the heart of it sounds like they trusted the British people to be smart enough to see the need for rationing, for instance, get some treats on the side, but not get greedy! And very smart about Lord Haw-Haw - allowing him to be heard and seen to be a joke, and not a threat, probably disarmed him as a propaganda weapon more effectively.

With the crazy conspiracy theories floating around today and gaining a foothold in a part of the population, I worry governments may be giving too much credit to the common sense of the governed to see such nonsense for what it is!

I've finished this book now. I enjoyed it a lot for the writing style and the characters of Sloan, Crosby and the superintendent, but I thought the suspects were mainly a bit distant. I was also very glad that the doctor's receptionist wasn't involved.

I did guess that the previous doctor's wife's niece was probably the victim as soon as she was mentioned, but didn't work anything else out.

I'm not sure who suggested Catherine Aird for buddy reads originally, but many thanks.

Judy wrote: "I've finished this book now. I enjoyed it a lot for the writing style and the characters of Sloan, Crosby and the superintendent, but I thought the suspects were mainly a bit distant. I was also ve..."

Same here - been a mystery reader long enough, whenever a character supposedly “just disappeared one night, we assumed went to [insert nearest big city]…” my ears perk up!

Judy wrote: "I've finished this book now. I enjoyed it a lot for the writing style and the characters of Sloan, Crosby and the superintendent, but I thought the suspects were mainly a bit distant. I was also ve..."

I think I nominated for a Buddy Read for purely selfish reasons, I’d read the first two years ago, wanted to get back to the series! ;)

And we're really glad you did! I'd read the early ones ages ago, but drifted away from the series, and am happy to come back to them.

Second that. I had been making my way slowly through the series. The next book will be the first I haven't read.

Years ago I had been put off by the flowery covers and so never read them. But recently there have been sales.

Susan in NC wrote: "I really liked the medical practice administrator - she was a great character, one of those dedicated, common sense women with a prodigious memory, written off cruelly as a spinster, but so vital to holding everything together, and so caring about her community! I was so afraid there’d be a weird twist at the end, she’d be the killer or something; so relieved she wasn’t. She was a great mentor to the new, young doctor- I felt compassion for him, coming in, trying to fill the shoes of a beloved old GP. Plus, she was the one solid source of clues for Crosby! ."

Agreed-I thought she was a great character and it was sad that she was written off so easily by men like Crosby. In another 25 years she would likely have become a Dr herself!

I also liked the new young Dr and enjoyed the representation of the GP society/support group. I expect entering into a solo practice in a small town could be quite isolating both socially and professionally so it seems a great way for them to support each other and to discuss challenging cases.

Judy wrote: "I've finished this book now. I enjoyed it a lot for the writing style and the characters of Sloan, Crosby and the superintendent, but I thought the suspects were mainly a bit distant. I was also ve..."

This was also how I felt-I didn't have a good feel for the suspects and in fact couldn't get the developer, the owner, and the builder straight in my head and I'm still not sure which of the did it! However I do like the main detective duo and seeing how crime was investigated at the time-sending letters to Somerset House, going to the public library-and the Doctor's set up-the speaking tube next to his ear in bed along with the telephone-all adds to making this an enjoyable read.