Review:- Catherine AIRD – “Losing Ground”

Year Published: -2007
Where the book was from:- Pensby Library
ISBN: - 978-0-7490-8050-1
Pages: - 222pp
Genre: - Cosy crime
Location:- Fictional Calleshire (S England)
How I came across it: - Serendipity
Rating: - ***** *
One sentence summary:- The theft of an 18th century painting precedes a fire in the building depicted in it causing the Calleshire police to find a very tangled web surrounding the house and some bones that are found in it.

Describe the plot without giving anything away:- This is the 21st story starring Detective Inspector Sloan and his colleagues.

General comments:- I thoroughly enjoyed this story but have knocked it down by two stars because the plot makes an inaccurate assumption that is key to the solution. I can’t say what it is without spoiling the plot for anyone who hasn’t read it but anyone who has worked in local government and as a company secretary will appreciate that what is supposed to have happened would have been extremely unlikely.

 
AUTHOR Notes:- Catherine Aird (born 1930) holds an honorary MA from the University of Kent and was made an MBE. In addition to her crime stories she has written a series of village histories.