Hole in One [Hardcover]

Catherine Aird (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 14, 2005

Detective Chief Inspector (D.C.I.) C. D. Sloan works in the deceptively quiet town and county of Calleshire, where for many years he's endured the pressures of his demanding, unreasonable boss and the company of Constable Crosby, Sloan's all too constant but not very helpful sidekick. He's also solved a series of complex murders in Aird's long-running series long praised for it's literate wit, style and charm. In her first new novel in almost two years, Hole in One, a death occurs on the links, a death that is nearly impossible and is, quite improbably, is murder. But improbable is a Calleshire specialty and as far as D. C. I. Sloan is concerned, impossible is merely par for the course.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Fans have waited two years for another of Aird's Calleshire County police procedurals, and if you like golf, this well-crafted whodunit was especially worth the wait. "Seedy" Sloan and his trip-over-the-truth sidekick, Detective Constable Crosby, tramp over hill and sand trap in search of the killer of an unknown male found buried behind the sixth green at the Berebury Golf Club. Eventually, they identify the victim as a likable young caddie who was dating the daughter of a member bidding on some land the club was planning to sell. Along the way, Sloan, who prefers roses, learns more than he cares to about golf: the history of the game, the names of each club, the lingo (a beginner is called a "rabbit"), even the origin of the term "links." Full of poetical, biblical and Shakespearian references, this fun read delivers a denouement that finishes the game well under par. Nicely played.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist

So many try, so few succeed--to write a golf mystery that gives the game a fair shake, that is. Aird comes closer than most, despite relying on that silliest of cliches, the dead body buried in a bunker (there's not enough sand to do a proper job of it). And, please, why do her golfers use nine-irons to play out of the sand when the sand wedge was invented some 70 years ago? Golfers may not be able to get beyond these gaffes, but fans of Aird's Detective Chief Inspector Sloan series will find plenty to enjoy here. The interplay between Sloan and Constable Crosby, his dry-witted sidekick, is a delight as always, and Aird's take on life in the "caddyshack" boasts a few Bill Murray-like flourishes. The plot, about rival club members vying for development rights to land surrounding the links, unfolds satisfactorily, and Sloan's asides to himself provide a running satirical commentary on the foibles of the private-club set. Solid series fare despite a couple of double bogeys on the front nine. Bill Ott
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 208 pages
• Publisher: Minotaur Books; 1st edition (July 14, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0312342292
• ISBN-13: 978-0312342296
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.8 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,192,816 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

16 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars fine golf mystery, July 27, 2005

By 

Harriet Klausner - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Hole in One (Hardcover)

At the Berebury Golf Course, female "Rabbit" Helen Ewell plays with her friend Ursula Millwood when she sinks a shot into a bunker on the sixth hole. As she struggles to dig out of the sand trap she uncovers the head of a dead person. Hysterical she tells Ursula she thinks she may have stroked an eyeball out of the trap.

Calleshire County Police Superintendent Leeyes is at the links on his day off. He calls his chief of Criminal Investigation Division Detective Inspector Sloan to get over to the country club "quicker than soonest". Sloan begins to investigate the homicide with the help of dimwitted Crosby and astute "pretty Polly" Perkins.

The pastoral setting of the country club in which the two ladies slowly (and the plot like wise) play a poor woman's brand of golf lulls the reader into expecting a serene village cozy. However, once Helen makes her chip shot, the British police procedural moves through eighteen fast holes. The story line is humorous at times but never loses sight that first and foremost is that there is an official investigation into who killed and buried the head in the sand. Catherine Aird's latest Sloan story is a fine entry in a strong series.

Harriet Klausner

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars simple plot perhaps but a brillaint read nonetheless, January 30, 2006

By 

tregatt (Portland, Oregon) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Hole in One (Hardcover)

It's always a pleasure to read one of Catherine Aird's Inspector Sloane mystery novels: they're full of mischievous and witty asides and engaging dialogue, cleverly executed and just a joy to read. So that even though "Hole in One," mystery-wise, was a little less cunning and intricate than usual, it still was an excellent read, and well worth a 4 star rating.

Inspector Sloane's wife has been trying to get him to join the local golf club, sure that his chances of being promoted would be greatly enhanced if he joined -- especially since Sloane's boss, the demanding and irascible Superintendent Leeyes is a member of the Berebury Golf Club. So far Sloane has stood firm: he's not about to give up his beautiful rose garden in order to saunter about taking pot shots at golf balls! Unexpectedly, however, he does find himself at the golf club, investigating a murder when Leeyes calls him up to report that a body has been found buried in a bunker (sand trap). With Leeyes breathing down his neck, and the aid of the ever obtuse and unhelpful Detective Constable Crosby, Sloane must somehow identify the murder victim and discover who committed the murder and why. Time is of the essence and when one is dealing with golf club members who are rich and powerful, one must be careful as well, especially when there is a lot of money at stake...

Unlike earlier Inspector Sloane mysteries like "Henrietta Who" and "Some Die Eloquent," "Hole in One" is not that complex a read -- one is able to figure who the murder victim is fairly quickly and the motive as well. Nor was it that suspenseful a read -- the identity of the killer becomes a little obvious about two-thirds through the book. why then my high rating? Because "Hole in One" entertained me from beginning to end. I enjoyed Sloane's wry inner thoughts (esp the way in which he'd compare horticulture with golfing) and Catherine Aird's dry, mischievous humour. I found myself sniggering all too often. Also, in spite of the fact that the plot was written along simple, basic lines, this was still a very elegantly executed novel with some truly brilliant character portrayals. In the final analysis, while "Hole in One" may not be the most intriguing read of one's lifetime, it still was a very enjoyable and absorbing, and one worth a 4 star rating for excellent writing.

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars This didn't qualify as a good mystery novel for me., July 10, 2008

By 

J. Lesley "(Judy)" (Midsouth, United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Hole in One (Hardcover)

Catherine Aird has been one of the authors I typically turn to whenever I am in the mood for a good cozy mystery. I have just recently read this book even though it was published in 2005. I have to admit to being disappointed. Partially this is my own fault. I read one of her first novels (The Stately Home Murder - published in 1969 under the title The Complete Steel) just one day previous to starting this book. The contrast was unavoidable. All of the usual cast of characters is present, Detective Inspector C. D. Sloan, Detective Constable Crosby, Police Superintendent Leeyes, Pathologist Dr. Dabbe and all the other crime scene technicians. No time seems to have elapsed from the book written in 1969 to the one written in 2005. It was slightly jarring for me because I read two of the books so close together. This phenomenon of the non-passage of time is, however, the way all of Aird's books are written.

The story is that two women golfers are playing a round at a private golf course. One of the women is unfortunate enough to hit her ball into a bunker (sand trap) which is notorious for being difficult to get out of. While hitting her ball several times she is still in the trap but uncovers a human skull. Sloan and his investigative unit must uncover (an unintended pun!) the identity of the victim and why he was placed in that exact spot. It certainly doesn't help matters any to know that Superintendent Leeyes is a member of the club and is in the running for nomination to the clubs governing board. He wants the mystery solved and solved quickly and quietly.

It is my own personal opinion that this book qualifies as a short story or novella, not a full length novel. It only took me -- a very slow reader -- four hours to read it from cover to cover. That is not a good sign for me. The actual story begins on page 15 of a 202 page novel. The print is rather large and there are 27 completely blank pages within the story plus many other blank half pages at the end of chapters. They actually count the blank pages to add up to the 202 total. That is way, way too much white space for me. This means that all of this blank space was included so that the book would appear longer. It was something which irritated me.

The story is totally centered around the game of golf. I don't play golf but I do enjoy watching the game on television, going to tournaments, and listening to my husband tell me about his latest round. This book was golf overkill. If you don't know anything about the game, you will be confused and probably bored to tears. And I watch lots of British golf tournaments also. They don't refer to the golf clubs in these old fashioned terms any more. It just made the book seem terribly dated. Too much detail about golf, not enough mystery and character development.

I gave the book two stars simply because I have been reading and enjoying Catherine Aird's work for so long. There wasn't enough depth here. I think it should have been a short story. Sorry but that's how I feel.