No one is more surprised than Sloan when the lid of the casket is removed to reveal the corpse of a recently killed young woman. Now Sloan has a murder investigation to add to his drug cases, and his usual partner is not well, leaving him with the speed demon, Detective Constable Crosby, who often appears a sandwich short of a picnic.

A gut feeling that the murder and a heroin ring are connected puts Sloan on a one-track investigation, which fortunately proves to be the right track. With methodical plotting and a few off the cuff, odd observances from Crosby, Sloan is able to track down all the players and their motives, neatly connecting all the dots and tying up loose ends.

While Little Knell appears to be a typical British police procedural, and a slow starting one at that, it is Catherine Aird's cast of characters that enliven the plot and keep up the interest. From the not-so-smart, yet entirely likable Crosby, to the mover Wayne Goddard who is not to be trusted, to the museum curator Marcus Fixby-Smith, more interested in the museum's inheritance than the murder of a young woman, to the law and order coroner, Granville Locombe-Stableford, there is at least one character that will quickly appeal to every reader.

The dialogue is brisk and helps move the plot along at times when it seems to be dragging. Sloan seems to be caught between his inept partner and his demanding superior creating an interesting dichotomy and humorous scenes as readers imagine Sloan's frustration. This lighter touch to the traditional British police procedural is sure to appeal to many readers.

--Jennifer Monahan Winberry