Fifth "Bill Slider" book. The one where a prominent media personality is found dead in the gents at BBC Televison Centre just before the show he's appearing on is due to start.

Another reliably good tale. Again much of the interest comes from the writing, and from the back-story of Bill and Joanna's relationship. In fact they have a bit of a rocky patch, and it's not clear whether that could be the precursor to more serious happenings: I hope not.

I liked this, when Bill visits Irene to talk about their impending divorce:

He met her eyes for an agonising moment, and saw in them the same bewilderment as in the children's. She was out of her place too; for two pins, Slider thought, she would ask him if they couldn't all go home again. It was always easier to settle for the familiar, however disappointing, than to get through the pain of change in the hope of something better. That weight of intertia was marriage's best friend. The words hung unspoken on the air - couldn't we forget everything that's happened in the past year and go back - sink back into our cosy frowst - it wasn't so very bad was it?

Completed : 25-Mar-2012