The Stately Home Murder - Classic Mystery Review

Goodreads: The Stately Home Murder by Catherine Aird

Rating: Really Liked It (4 Stars)
Source:   Purchased

Description:  First, let's look at the facts: a dead body in a suit of armor, a once-wealthy earl with lots to hide, and a sprawling estate stacked with witnesses.
It’s another head-scratcher for Detective Inspector C. D. Sloan in this intriguing mystery by CWA Diamond Dagger winner Catherine Aird.

In the late 1960s and early 70s, times were tough in the upper reaches of British society. To survive the changing times, the Earl of Ornum has done the previously unthinkable and opened his estate to wandering tourists. One day, a hyperactive boy and his family are delightedly roaming Ornum House. The curious one sees a full suit of armor on display and lifts the visor . . . only to see a human face staring back at him.

As Detective Inspector C. D. Sloan soon finds, the man in the armor is dead—and there’s a slew of suspects waiting to be interviewed. Was it the ditzy duchess? The disappointing nephew? One of the servants? The earl himself? It’s up to Sloan and his wisecracking sidekick, Detective Constable Crosby, to find out before the murderer strikes again.

Librarian's note: this novel was published in the UK as "The Complete Steel' in 1969 and as "The Stately Home Murder" in the US in 1970.

Genre: Mystery - Classic

Why I Picked This Book:   Catherine Aird is an author I've really been wanting to read more of and this is the third book in the C.D. Sloan series.

My Impression:  This was a fun read!  There's a touch of everything with the titled family and the grand residence full of antiques.  There's quirky characters of varying levels of quirky, a butler, a dungeon, a ghost, and beleaguered detective who is trying to just finish untangling all the loose ends and get the murder(s) solved before he gets any more pressure from his superior.  

I love CD Sloan.  He's so nicely human though we don't know too much about his personal life.  He's not perfect but he's practical and in this book especially he has the challenging job of keeping his Detective Constable behaving.  I loved seeing the inside of Ornum House and what the residents thought of opening the house to the public as well as the guides' opinions.  The mystery did keep me guessing and I didn't figure it out until Sloan revealed the murderer and the motive and I was completely delighted.

This isn't the fast paced mystery but it didn't feel like the plot ever dragged or got overly detailed.  Aird unravels the mystery slowly as she lets the reader get to know the characters and the dynamics of the house.  It was an entertaining and likable mystery and I'm looking forward to my next mystery featuring CD Sloan.

Would I Read More of this Series/Author?  Absolutely!  I'm already looking forward to my next Aird book.

Would I Recommend this Book?  If you like classic mysteries like Agatha Christie and Dorothy L. Sayers you should definitely give Catherine Aird's books a try!