The Body Politic [Hardcover]

Catherine Aird (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 1, 1991

Detective Inspector Sloan suspects murder when a tiny metal pellet is found in the cremated remains of Alan Ottershaw. Ottershaw died during the local Camulos Society's re-enactment of the Battle of Lewes. Sloan must look to history for the answer to the puzzle.

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 182 pages
• Publisher: Doubleday (August 1, 1991)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0385417802
• ISBN-13: 978-0385417808
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.8 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #746,448 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Death stalked the re-enactment in more ways than one, April 21, 2002

By 

Michele L. Worley (Kingdom of the Mouse, United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Body Politic (Hardcover)

Just as Calleshire is an imaginary county in England, like the Ledshire of Patricia Wentworth's Miss Silver novels, here we see the first appearance of the fictional Middle Eastern Sheikhdom of Lasserta, and Anthony Heber-Hibbs, British Ambassador to Lasserta (some relation to the Heber-Hibbs 'county' family we met in _Henrietta Who?_). The Anglo-Lassertan Mineral Company has an awkward problem: Alan Ottershaw, a British mining engineer, ran over a pedestrian in Lasserta who stepped out into oncoming traffic, and faces the death penalty under Lassertan law. The Lassertan government, for its part, is using the incident to put the screws on the company, while Ottershaw himself was bundled home to Calleshire.

Where he asked his member of Parliament for help, took part in a historical reenactment by the Camulos Society of the Battle of Lewes, and died - amazingly convenient for almost everybody. (The Camulos Society and their reenactments would entertain me even without a mystery, especially if Aird allowed them to run on a bit longer. I hope they reappear in some future book.)

Sloan has a mess on his hands: by the time he and Crosby are called in, Ottershaw's body has been cremated - and we have our first proper introduction to Tod Morton, the local mortician, since he found a mysterious metal pellet in the ashes. Queremitte - the rare mineral mined in Lasserta. Who has been doing what to whom, and why? Why was somebody - not on the Camulos muster list - dressed as Death and following the M.P. around at the reenactment? Who's been sending live scorpions and threatening messages to Calleshire's two M.P.s in the post - but not letter bombs?

4.0 out of 5 stars Enjoyable, July 7, 2011

By 

JoeV "Reader" (Arlington Hts, IL) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: The Body Politic (Hardcover)

This is the 13th adventure of C.D. Sloan - a British police officer in the fictional town of Berebury in the fictional county of West Calleshire. Although not "drawing room" mysteries, Sloan does get out and about, these books follow that mold, i.e. a baffling case solved in the last pages as our hero puts all the clues together and identifying the culprit. Aird's books are "G" rated - very little violence and no foul language. And interaction between the sexes is downright Victorian, in this book a woman's pleasing looks are noted by her dainty ankles.

What differentiates these books from run of the mill British "cozys" is the author's subtle, but very active sense of humor. There is much dialogue in the Sloan books and the reader is privy to the inner thoughts and observations of characters as they politely nod during these conversations - all the while internally thinking one zinger after another - which of course remain unsaid. This may or may not be your cup of tea - I enjoy them - even if 20% of the author's references fly right by me.

In The Body Politic, Sloan is tasked to solve the somewhat mysterious death of a young man which occurred during the re-enactment of the 13th Century Battle of Lewes. Initially thought to have been a simple heart attack, C.D. (Seedy) and side-kick Crosby soon uncover some mitigating factors that suggest the victim's demise might not be all that straightforward. The solution in this book is somewhat of a let-down; overly simple after an overly complicated case of red herrings, but the story and characters are still engaging and enjoyable.

If you like your mysteries "very British" then pick up one of Aird's books. Following the series in chronological order is not necessary.

5.0 out of 5 stars Was it murder?, November 15, 2005

By 

applespoon (NJ) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Body Politic (Pan crime) (Paperback)

Lots of dry humor and wonderful descriptions of the personalities and interactions of the police involved in the case. The solution to the mystery is almost an afterthought to the confusion faced by almost everyone involved.