BEFORE I SLEEP (PolProc-Bill Slider-England-Contemp) – 24th in series – Cynthia Harrod-Eagles
Severn House, Feb 7, 2023, 256 pp.
RATING – VG

First Sentence: Jenrich stuck her head – all cheekbones and burning blue eyes – round the door.

Felicity Holland left her home to attend a pottery class and never returned. With a wonderful home, and Henry Holland, a successful author for a husband, there didn’t seem to be any reason for her to leave, nor has there been any ransom demand. Still, her husband is certain she has been kidnapped. In spite of no evidence, Detective Chief Inspector (DCI) Bill Slider and his team are assigned to find out what has happened.

Cynthia Harrod-Eagles is seriously underread, although she is a clever, and noteworthy author. By that I mean, in addition to her plots, one wants to note down so much of what she has written just from the sheer cleverness of her use of language. From the very beginning, one is both captured, and amused, by the chapter headings. They prepare one both for CH-E’s humor and literary acumen. But don’t be fooled, these are serious police procedurals. Even so, her metaphors are masterful…”Borough Commander ‘Call Me Mike’ Carpenter, Slider’s boss, Porson’s boss, everybody’s boss, who had all the warmth, charm, and empathy of Vladimir Putin with a toothache.”

It is refreshing that Slider’s boss, Porson, supports his team and that they work well together. At the same time, Porson is known for his malaprops and mangling of language. This adds a touch of lightness to the story. There is also wonderful repartee between Slider and Atherton, his second. It is refreshing that the whole team works well together. One also appreciates that Slider has a stable home life and that CH-E has created very realistic characters.

BEFORE I SLEEP is a very enjoyable read, mainly because of CH-E’s talent with language and how cleverly she plots her stories. Even if one does state to suspect the killer part of the way through, she carries it off beautifully and you want to know how she gets to the end…”’There’s no end to this, is there?’ There never is. Evil casts a long shadow.” Slider thought.” Her principal characters are a pleasure to read. It’s nice that she develops them throughout the series and we see them grow and change. This was a very good read.

Thank you to Netgalley for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This is the first book I have read from this author, so I wasn't sure what to expect. I found the book well-written, with a good pot. Perhaps time for me to read the rest of the series. Recommended.

This is quite a tongue-in-cheek murder mystery - although the author does try a little too hard to be amusing and it doesn't always work. I think the police probably take their work a little more seriously than Slider's team (or maybe not). But it makes for a fun read.

A man contacts the chief constable because his wife has failed to return home, so it falls to Slider to find her, and quickly. But the evidence is very thin; eventually they piece together her movements, but will they find her safe and well or dead? The outcome and perpetrator were actually fairly obvious from early on, but it didn't really detract from a good yarn.

Thank you to NetGalley and Severn House for allowing me access to the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Prepare for another absorbing reading experience as you catch up with all the team working with Bill Slider on a case that doesn't feel or look like much of a case. But Slider's head will definitely be on the chopping block if he doesn't solve the case of the missing wife. It seems the husband is a well-known author and the police commissioner really enjoys reading his books. Naturally the author called the commissioner when his wife didn't arrive back home from completing her schedule of activities the previous day. Slider and the team can't seem to find a single clue to get started with.

This is another very well plotted mystery from one of my favorite authors. Cynthia Harrod-Eagles has written 24 novels featuring Slider and I've enjoyed each one I've read. This one kept me guessing the whole way through!

Thank you to NetGalley and Severn House for a digital galley of this novel.

Cynthia Harrod-Eagles continues Detective Inspector Slider's cases in Before I Sleep. Slider and his team are tasked to find the missing wife of a distraught husband who has influential ties to the police top brass. Felicity Holland left for her pottery class and supposedly disappeared. As she remains unfound the police do track her and find out things from her past popping up. Her father is a prominent retired lawyer with no patience for police enquiries and her husband provides no real help. An excellently plotted police procedural which leads to an ironic and deadly ending for Felicity and her family.

A woman is missing with no discernable explanation and no clues to follow. DCI Bill Slider and his team of detectives know that time isn’t on their side. As they race the clock they encounter more questions than answers.

Cynthia Harrod-Eagles has created a series that never disappoints. It is a well-done and realistic police procedural that has a variety of interesting characters (on both sides of the law) and a plot that is well-conceived. The story moves along at a good pace and, as a reader, I found myself thoroughly invested in the team and the outcome of their case.

I highly recommend this book as well as the series by Ms Harrod-Eagles.

Cynthia Harrod-Eagles writes excellent police procedurals and this one is no exception: gripping, twisty, and fast paced.
A tightly knittted story that kept me guessing.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this arc, all opinions are mine

Once again, the pages flew past on their own as I was engrossed in this police procedural whodunit from the first page. DCI Bill Slider is all about getting the job done – and that involves keeping himself and his team from attracting too much attention from Them Upstairs. So when a worried husband insists the police start looking for his missing wife – and rings up the Commissioner of the MET to ask that it’s done, he isn’t thrilled when he’s the one who gets the job. Because said husband is a successful author, who happened to go to school with the Commissioner, who’s also a fan of his writing.

Initially, everyone on the team is exasperated that their precious time is being taken up with this annoying case, that is bound to be trivial – and but nonetheless put in their best effort to get it sorted out as fast as possible. After all, some 95% of missing spouses either return, or let their half know where they are within three days. But when those days trickle by and Felicity still hasn’t shown up, despite Slider’s diligent enquiries, the team’s speculations become a whole lot darker.

I love Harrod Eagles’ easy style – she knows her main characters inside out and it shows. There is a lot of banter amongst the team, much of it funny enough to have me laughing aloud. And while this isn’t a gritty, blood-soaked affair, neither would I class it as a cosy anything. Harrod Eagles’ writing might not be unduly graphic, but neither does she ever let us forget that a beautiful, vibrant woman has disappeared – and is likely not going to be seen alive again.

I have also read sufficient books in the series to enjoy watching Bill’s happiness with his second marriage. So many protagonists in police procedurals are dogged loners, living on takeaways and constantly staying late at the office, that I enjoy his happy domestic circumstances and sociability.

I did get a little fed up about halfway through, when I knew exactly what was going on – and probably who’d done it. Although it wasn’t a dealbreaker, I was a little disappointed that the normally well-constructed and twisty plotting I’d become used to enjoying was thinner this time around. Until, it turned out – while I was right about some of it, I didn’t know who’d done it after all. And as events moved forward, I realised that I wasn’t supremely clever – and probably that guess happened just when the author wanted it to. So yes… the plotting is every bit as twisty and well-constructed as usual. And so heartbreakingly poignant that I finished the book with a lump in my throat.

In short, a thoroughly satisfying read and highly recommended for fans who like their police procedurals featuring a likeable protagonist and a memorable victim who certainly didn’t deserve what happened to her. While I obtained an audiobook arc of Before I Sleep from the publisher via Netgalley, the opinions I have expressed are unbiased and my own.
10/10

A suspenseful story that willl suck you in from the very first page. I loved this book, loved the characters and loved the way I had no idea what was happening until the end!

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Many thanks to NetGalley and Severn House for this Advanced Reader Copy and the opportunity to review “Before I Sleep.” All opinions and comments are my own.

Detective Chief Inspector Bill Slider and compatriot Jim Atherton have been on the job for a while now; this is their twenty-fourth book. Should we expect something ho-hum from Cynthia Harrod-Eagles? Not a bit of it. “Before I Sleep” is once again a complex investigation, replete with Slider’s ability to figure out who the bad ‘uns are (thanks to Ms. H-E). And never forget that same author’s ability to throw in a quip or two when it’s warranted -- and it’s usually warranted a lot.

Certainly, the case is never made easy for us readers. In this instance, Slider can’t be sure there is a case - of a missing person - to answer. There’s someone definitely not where’s she supposed to be, and the husband (who has the ears of coppers way above Slider’s paygrade) is all in a tizzy; but there’s no sign of violence, and most significantly, no body. Police really like verification of such things to do their work, but Slider’s told to get busy on the case, and so he does. And the proper police work begins, which includes the banter the series is always good for; do look for Atherton’s definition of “foibles;” worth the price of admission, it is, along with the chapter headings, as always. Slider and his colleagues do their best. And their best is very, very good, indeed.

I mentioned this is a long-running series; if you think that the personal side is also ho-hum by now - it isn’t. Our author ensures that we care about these people by putting their stories in amongst the hard work of the investigation. Yes, Slider’s pretty much the same as always and Joanna is doing well with her musical career; but there’s news on the Atherton front.

The plot teases us with multiple scenarios. Which one is the real one? Which one to believe? “Evil casts a long shadow,” Slider reminds us as the book comes to an end. Readers may well think so, too. Fans of the series will be best pleased by this latest series entry, another example of the author’s ability to present us with a competent, thorough police procedural and two terrific main characters.

What a refreshing and entertaining book which I see now is one of a series. How have I only just found Slider and Atherton? Yes the missing wife is potentially very serious and no stone is left unturned during the investigation but there are still so many genuinely funny phrases and comments I found myself laughing out loud and you don’t often do that during what is essentially a police procedural story. With characters like Cynthia Harrod-Eagles invents you cannot but be enchanted.

DCI Bill Slider is pulled off his regular work by the police commissioner on a sensitive case to track down Felicity Holland. According to her author husband, Felicity left their house to go to her weekly pottery class and never returned. Felicity is a mature woman with a stable home life and a happy marriage. Was she kidnapped as her husband fears? Or did Felicity run away with a secret lover? Slider and his team tries to retrace Felicity's movements but it's a slow tough slog. Dogged police work finally provides some clues and it becomes clear that several family members are not being fully truthful with the police.

Harrod-Eagles writes great police procedurals that are elevated with plenty of humour, a superb set of characters and glimpses of Slider & Atherton's personal lives. Before I Sleep is another fine entry in the long-running Bill Slider mystery series.

I received a digital ARC from Netgalley and Severn House. All opinions are my own.

I've been reading the DI Slider mysteries by Cynthia Harrod-Eagles for quite a while, and I'm still a fan. The entire team of detectives under Slider's leadership has a wonderful camaraderie that I enjoy. I especially like the banter between Slider and Sgt. Jim Atherton and their witty comments both on and off the job.

This case about a missing woman whose husband is friends with the Commissioner puts a lot of pressure on Slider to solve the case, but without offending the influential witnesses and potential suspects who are involved. There are a lot of twists in this case to keep things interesting. However, some of the developments seemed obvious to me so they should have also been clear to a whole squad of detectives. In spite of that, I was entertained from the beginning to end of this well-written mystery and I'm already looking forward to the next one.

I received an advance copy of this ebook from NetGalley and Severn House at no cost, but my review is voluntary and unbiased.

It has been a while since I have read a Bill Slider mystery. Now, I am going to catch up on all the ones that I missed. I simply found Before I Sleep to be such an enjoyable read. There is an interesting plot, a range of characters and settings and, of course, the author’s puns and sense of humor. All of these elements combine for a most delightful read.

What happened to Felicity when she did not return home? Was it a voluntary leaving or has something sinister happened? What is the role/opinion of her rather dull, author husband? Of her sister? Her father? Of others around her? Did something happen in the woods? Elsewhere? I recommend that readers pick up this title in order to find out more.

Many thanks to Severn House and NetGalley for this title. All opinions are my own.

This latest in the long running series (it was fine for me as an almost standalone) sees DCI Bill Slider and his team looking for Felicity, a wealthy woman who didn't turn up for her pottery class. Her husband Henry, who thinks she's been kidnapped isn't really helpful but Slider and his team especially Atherton find lots of clues and issues among the high end neighbors and friends. I liked the glimpses into Slider's home life and that Atherton seems to have a romantic interest. Thanks to netgalley for the ARC. It's a well done procedural that will please new and old readers alike.

This is a solid police procedural with excellently drawn characters and despite being part of a series, can definitely be read as a stand alone.

It’s a good whodunnit with a trail of clues that will keep you engaged throughout and I’m grateful to NetGalley and the publishers for the opportunity to preview.

A solid four star read. Great premise. Well written. Good characters. Page turner. Plenty of suspense to keep me guessing Would definitely read the next novel. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the chance to review it.

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and author for this eARC.

I have read most of the books in the Inspector Bill Slider canon and just love the inventiveness of the author. They are stories of serious criminal happenings but told in such a brilliant and often wryly humorous way that it is hard to stop reading you just have to find out what happens next!

Felicity Holland is missing.

She left her handsome West London house to go to her weekly pottery class and didn't come back. She's a mature, sensible woman with a stable home life and a happy marriage - no reason to abscond. Her distraught husband is convinced she must have been snatched.

DCI Bill Slider and his team know that when a woman goes missing, you have to move fast if there's to be a hope of finding her alive. But with no evidence of foul play - nothing to go on at all - where do you even start looking?

The clock is ticking. But as Slider tries to retrace the last known movements of Felicity Holland, he is led ever further down a dark and twisted path into the secret past of this beautiful, enigmatic woman.
This truly atmospheric and brilliantly suspenseful thriller dressed up as a police procedural rushes on to the superb climax. I look forward to the next instalment of Bill Slider's stories Strongly recommended.

Before I Sleep is a book that will have you guessing and following the clues to the last page.

Bill Slider and his team have been charged with finding a missing wife.

Just not any missing wife: she is the wife of a famous author who just happens to know the Commissioner.

It's like treading on ice for Slider and Atherton.

Secrets are revealed and lies discovered.

Although this may be Book 24 in the series you can easily read it as a stand alone though it will leave you wanting to read more of the series . (which I highly recommend).

I love Slider and Atherton and I am off to read the few I missed.

Thanks to NetGalley and Severn House for an entertaining and intriguing read.