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Read Passing Strange (1983)

Passing Strange (1983)

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Rating
3.55 of 5 Votes: 5
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ISBN
055324079X (ISBN13: 9780553240795)
Language
English
Publisher
bantam books

Passing Strange (1983) - Plot & Excerpts

Something seems to have gone wrong with the judging of the vegetables and fruit at the Almstone flower festival when some tomatoes which definitely aren't the best on show win first prize. This is the first indication that things aren't all they should be. The second is the dead body of the fortune teller AKA the District Nurse, Joyce Cooper. Sloan and Crosby have their work cut out to unravel the mystery - especially as Joyce seems to have been one of the nicest people imaginable.I enjoyed this portrait of village life as well as the mystery which surrounds the murder. Sloan and Crosby make a good due with Sloan seeing more than people give him credit for and Crosby just occasionally hitting the nail on the head by reducing everything to its most basic terms. If you want something light and easy to read with plenty of wry, and dry humour then give this excellent series a try.

Detective Sloan is a good solid protagonist for Aird's mysteries, with lots of insight into the mentality of the various small towns in his jurisdiction. His foil, Constable Crosby, is a bit of a moron, which provides excellent comic relief throughout the book. In Passing Strange, Sloan is called in when an old nurse is murdered during a village flower and vegetable show. Through interviews and introspection, Sloan tracks the killer, follows and discards several red herrings, and eventually captures the murderer. It's a good cozy English countryside mystery, for fans who enjoy Agatha Christie's style and content. One thing that's quite distinct in this and other Sloan mysteries is the presence of a lot of literary quotes. Every character seems to have a favorite old poet or author whom they quote throughout the book. It's nice sometimes and a bit distracting at others.

What do You think about Passing Strange (1983)?

Well, each year in the small village of Almstone there is the local Horticultural Society Flower Show, where locals enter their flowers, fruit, veggies etc to be judged all in a friendly competition. This year, however, is different. The fortuneteller, aka Nurse Cooper, is found dead under a tarp at the end of the day when the tents all have to come down. She was a gentle soul, and according to all, would never hurt a fly. So why on earth was she killed? This is the puzzle that Sloan and Crosby will have to solve before they even get to the whodunit. The ending was a bit more thought out this time and it is a fine mystery with a number of good red herrings. I'd say that people who like British mysteries or police procedurals would enjoy this one. Not a cozy, so don't expect one.
—Nancy Oakes

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