The Religious Body

Rating:
Summary: Mediocre debut...
Review: "Religious Body" is the first novel of crime novelist Catherine Aird. We meet Inspector C.D Sloan of the Calleshire CID, as he tries to solve a baffling murder of a nun at a convent. Soon, he discovers that someone was doing some cross-dressing, and that a group of boys had help in stealing a habit for a bonfire to celebrate Guy Fawkes Day. It isn't really bad, but the dialogue has an empty feel, and it seems like Aird is still finding her voice.

Rating:
Summary: Heavenly Murder
Review: Catherine Aird's first book, from 1966, is a good, sold cosy. Up until the 1990s, when her narratives became meandering and precious, Aird figured as one of the best post-WW2 English cosy writers.

Rating:
Summary: Relaxing but not Monotonous
Review: Robin Bailey is laconic. I generally prefer quicker--or perhaps I should say, lighter--readers (Ian Carmichael, Rosemary Leach) but there is something hypnotically pleasant about listening to Robin Bailey's deep voice. You can picture him raising his eyebrows over some of Sloan's dialog.

In typical Aird fashion, the dialog is often quite cryptic and the mystery is somewhat thin. If you like mysteries for the clues, the red herrings, the complex puzzle building, Aird is not for you. If, however, you enjoy irony and the fine sketches of various personalities (in the context, of course, of a murder), Aird is a good choice.

Recommendation: I'm a firm believer that readers make all the difference in the enjoyment of an audiotape. If you've never heard Robin Bailey before, check one of his audios out of the library first.