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Inspector Sloan #26
Learning Curve
Much-loved Calleshire research chemist Derek Tridgell has been ill for some time. On his deathbed, his incessant, but unintelligible mutterings culminate in a very clear cry of foul murder. Detective Inspector Sloan and Detective Constable Crosby are brought in to investigate whether these are just the ramblings of a man at death's door, or a real confession at the final hour.Their enquiries uncover three tragic deaths that may or may not be linked to the deceased's last an accidental drowning at a rival chemist manufacturer; an old friend of Derek's killed in a caving expedition whose body was never retrieved; Derek's son Paul walking away unscathed from a fatal car accident that killed one and left others irrevocably injured. With a tight-lipped Paul knowing more than he's letting on, Sloan and Crosby have their work cut out if they're going to untangle this complex case . . .
239 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2016
4 people are currently reading
123 people want to read
About the author
Catherine Aird
68 books194 followers Kinn Hamilton McIntosh, known professionally as Catherine Aird, was an English novelist. She was the author of more than twenty crime fiction novels and several collections of short stories. Her witty, literate, and deftly plotted novels straddle the "cozy" and "police procedural" genres and are somewhat similar in flavour to those of Martha Grimes, Caroline Graham, M.C. Beaton, Margaret Yorke, and Pauline Bell. Aird was inducted into the prestigious Detection Club in 1981, and is a recipient of the 2015 Cartier Diamond Dagger award.
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Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews
July 13, 2025
Simon and I chose to read this book out loud together. It was truly intriguing and we enjoyed speculating on whodunnit. At the time of publication in 2016, the author was in her mid-eighties which caused us to marvel. Her use of vocabulary had us stumped several times with words we hadn't come across before and enjoyed looking up. Additionally, some of the place names were just weird enough to probably exist somewhere in the UK, such as Chislet Crags and The Baggles Bite.
Quotes that made us think:
"The general practitioner sat back in his chair. 'Remember that a dying man is rather like a guttering candle - moments of flickering darkness and then every now and then a sudden flaring of light.'"
"The game of snakes and ladders still on his mind as they travelled back to base, Sloan was beginning to think that they might need to throw a six to begin on this case. He was not yet sure either whether there were any snakes on the board in the shape of murderers, or ladders in the form of evidence."
"A young man, soberly dressed according to the requirements of an aspirant employee of a five-star hotel, appeared without delay."
'In the [hotel] business they call it being a cadre stagiare,' Cullen sniffed, 'but if you ask me it's a posh name for being a dogs body.'
I loved the following descriptions of Detective Inspector Sloan's approach to his work:
"Cradling his hands round a large mug of tea at his desk" Sloan sits back to quietly contemplate the complex issues of the case. "His wife, Margaret, called it being 'thinkative.'"
Sloan's own description of this task is "a sort of mental 'alpenglow,'" which refers to the "rosy hue, back-lighting the mountains long after the sun has gone down."
"That's what he needed now - just that same illumination, throwing a special extra light on what he had gleaned so far just when the darkness all around was deepening."
Quotes that made us think:
"The general practitioner sat back in his chair. 'Remember that a dying man is rather like a guttering candle - moments of flickering darkness and then every now and then a sudden flaring of light.'"
"The game of snakes and ladders still on his mind as they travelled back to base, Sloan was beginning to think that they might need to throw a six to begin on this case. He was not yet sure either whether there were any snakes on the board in the shape of murderers, or ladders in the form of evidence."
"A young man, soberly dressed according to the requirements of an aspirant employee of a five-star hotel, appeared without delay."
'In the [hotel] business they call it being a cadre stagiare,' Cullen sniffed, 'but if you ask me it's a posh name for being a dogs body.'
I loved the following descriptions of Detective Inspector Sloan's approach to his work:
"Cradling his hands round a large mug of tea at his desk" Sloan sits back to quietly contemplate the complex issues of the case. "His wife, Margaret, called it being 'thinkative.'"
Sloan's own description of this task is "a sort of mental 'alpenglow,'" which refers to the "rosy hue, back-lighting the mountains long after the sun has gone down."
"That's what he needed now - just that same illumination, throwing a special extra light on what he had gleaned so far just when the darkness all around was deepening."
June 9, 2019
Readers have had to wait years for English author Catherine Aird to release yet another novel, Learning Curve. How delighted I was that she finally has! I had feared that the title of her 2014 book, Last Writes, had telegraphed that it would be her last. But, no, Aird, now 88, has given us at least one more, and it was definitely worth the wait!
Learning Curve, the 25th in the cozy mystery series that features Detective Chief Inspector C.D. Sloan and his dim-witted young sidekick, Detective Constable William Crosby, has not yet been released in the United States, but I couldn’t wait. I bought a copy from England. In the novel, Derek Tridgell, a man dying of cancer utters as his dying words: “He did it, you know. Killed him, of course.”
So who killed whom? Sloan eventually narrows down the possibilities to three: a man killed by falling into a vat at a factory owned by a pharmaceutical firm competing with Tridgell’s own, a spelunker who died in a cave-in seven years ago, or a young man killed in a car accident due to drunken driving. I never, ever predicted the ending, and I loved every single page.
I only hope that Aird won’t make us wait so long for the next novel.
Learning Curve, the 25th in the cozy mystery series that features Detective Chief Inspector C.D. Sloan and his dim-witted young sidekick, Detective Constable William Crosby, has not yet been released in the United States, but I couldn’t wait. I bought a copy from England. In the novel, Derek Tridgell, a man dying of cancer utters as his dying words: “He did it, you know. Killed him, of course.”
So who killed whom? Sloan eventually narrows down the possibilities to three: a man killed by falling into a vat at a factory owned by a pharmaceutical firm competing with Tridgell’s own, a spelunker who died in a cave-in seven years ago, or a young man killed in a car accident due to drunken driving. I never, ever predicted the ending, and I loved every single page.
I only hope that Aird won’t make us wait so long for the next novel.
September 24, 2016
Derek Tridgell dies accusing someone, unknown, of murdering someone, unspecified. Is this just the result of the strong painkillers he was on or is this a genuine accusation? Sloan and Crosby must try and investigate the dead man's life to see if they can work out which of the deaths which have affected him over the last few years could have been murder and if it was murder, who was responsible? The dead man's son, Paul isn't making things easy for them as he seems to be antagonistic and could be lying.
This entertaining mystery has quite a complex plot and I certainly didn't work out who was responsible for the murder or who was murdered. Taking in industrial shenanigans, people who seem to be hiding something which may or may not be connected with the crime and a positively hair raising finale this book certainly kept me reading.
I have read all the previous Sloan and Crosby mysteries and thoroughly enjoyed them and this is, in my opinion, one of the best. I love the wry humour of the writing and the characters of Sloan and Crosby and the irascible Superintendent Leeyes who loves attending evening classes. If you like mysteries without graphic violence or bad language then this series may interest you. They can be read in any order.
This entertaining mystery has quite a complex plot and I certainly didn't work out who was responsible for the murder or who was murdered. Taking in industrial shenanigans, people who seem to be hiding something which may or may not be connected with the crime and a positively hair raising finale this book certainly kept me reading.
I have read all the previous Sloan and Crosby mysteries and thoroughly enjoyed them and this is, in my opinion, one of the best. I love the wry humour of the writing and the characters of Sloan and Crosby and the irascible Superintendent Leeyes who loves attending evening classes. If you like mysteries without graphic violence or bad language then this series may interest you. They can be read in any order.
June 20, 2022
Three and a half stars/
Having read all of the previous Sloan & Crosby stories some years ago, I was pleased to find this and one other additions to the list at my local library. While "Seedy" (C.D.) Sloan is a very likeable and humane copper his sidekick Crosby is rather moronic and adds little to the story. In fact his inane interjections become tiresome (to this reader anyway). The Goodreads synopsis says enough about the plot so I don't need add to it.
Ingenious and quite enjoyable.
Having read all of the previous Sloan & Crosby stories some years ago, I was pleased to find this and one other additions to the list at my local library. While "Seedy" (C.D.) Sloan is a very likeable and humane copper his sidekick Crosby is rather moronic and adds little to the story. In fact his inane interjections become tiresome (to this reader anyway). The Goodreads synopsis says enough about the plot so I don't need add to it.
Ingenious and quite enjoyable.
August 2, 2019
The current Sloan and Crosby whodunnit maintains the usual standard. As normal, Aird bases this in interesting and new environments, this time among potholers/cavers, victims of a multi-occupied car crash, and two dog-eat-dog pharmaceutical companies. A police procedural as usual, this unfolds gradually, as evidence and knowledge of the characters involved is gathered and analysed.
With Catherine Aird’s books, the key points of interest, missed by those who want explicit violence, bad language, and an impossible-to-predict dénouement, are realistic and steady police work, understanding of human relations in different layers of society, wit, and good writing. All in the whodunnit framework which allows a narrative flow to have a satisfactory passage from beginning to end.
How annoying it is to see people use the silly and dismissive phase ‘cosy, or cozy, crime’, for books/series like this. A SPLENDID CRIME NOVEL.
With Catherine Aird’s books, the key points of interest, missed by those who want explicit violence, bad language, and an impossible-to-predict dénouement, are realistic and steady police work, understanding of human relations in different layers of society, wit, and good writing. All in the whodunnit framework which allows a narrative flow to have a satisfactory passage from beginning to end.
How annoying it is to see people use the silly and dismissive phase ‘cosy, or cozy, crime’, for books/series like this. A SPLENDID CRIME NOVEL.
May 16, 2017
The author must be in her late 80s now but is still writing entertaining books. I first came across this series nearly forty years ago and think I have read most of her books. The characters never age in this fictional part of South East England and over the years I have really grown to like Sloan and his bumbling detective constable, Crosbie. I suppose this is what is now called "cosy" though it is a police procedural. The author writes with charm and humour and there is even a touch of excitement at the end. A dying man seems to indicate that he knows of a killer and Sloan looks at three three deaths to which the dying man might have been referring. OK, it's implausible and so are the characters but just lie back and enjoy the ride. I actually figured out the crime and the killer early on but it was still an enjoyable read.
October 22, 2019
One of the more intriguing ways to start a murder investigation. A dying man doesn’t confess, but certainly gives a death bed statement that someone’s been killed reveal. The trick is, which death that seems to have been within this man’s purview is the murder?
I guessed which one it most likely to be, but that doesn’t take away from all the other lines of investigation. They are all interesting to observe and do all have some effect upon each other.
In this story the humor, and thoughtfulness of Sloan peering back into his old school days- mother’s bible club- and past literature is in top form. Crosby while not fully matured does really help and shows that when asked to do something he gets it right.
And of course we get to explore another area, not golf, but diving into caves, pharmaceuticals, and a traffic tragedy. Not an easy story to find, the earlier ones are more common, this is second to last the most current one (as of this writing) is Inheritance Tracks which I hope to get to soon.
I guessed which one it most likely to be, but that doesn’t take away from all the other lines of investigation. They are all interesting to observe and do all have some effect upon each other.
In this story the humor, and thoughtfulness of Sloan peering back into his old school days- mother’s bible club- and past literature is in top form. Crosby while not fully matured does really help and shows that when asked to do something he gets it right.
And of course we get to explore another area, not golf, but diving into caves, pharmaceuticals, and a traffic tragedy. Not an easy story to find, the earlier ones are more common, this is second to last the most current one (as of this writing) is Inheritance Tracks which I hope to get to soon.
April 7, 2023
With this book, I have read all of Catherine Aird's books (some twice or more). She is a favorite because she has a wry sense of humor that spills over into her characters. All the usual suspects are in attendance with Chris Sloan and his sidekick, Crosby.
Once I started this book, I couldn't put it down. How do you mix spelunking with pharmaceuticals? Aird can. A man dying of pancreatic cancer suddenly says, "He killed him." The family was so upset that they told the police. Before long, Sloan finds he has a wealth of possibilities. There are three possible crimes, but no one is talking.
Despite Sloan's pontificating boss and his muttering sidekick, Sloan catches his crook. Delightful reading.
Once I started this book, I couldn't put it down. How do you mix spelunking with pharmaceuticals? Aird can. A man dying of pancreatic cancer suddenly says, "He killed him." The family was so upset that they told the police. Before long, Sloan finds he has a wealth of possibilities. There are three possible crimes, but no one is talking.
Despite Sloan's pontificating boss and his muttering sidekick, Sloan catches his crook. Delightful reading.
September 19, 2023
Unusual and thoroughly enjoyable crime story set in a small country village in Kent. Several likeable and/or interesting characters. Several strands so as a reader has a hard time to separate the important elements from the red herrings.
Of additional personal interest was that the author, like me, studied at the University of Kent at Canterbury.
Of additional personal interest was that the author, like me, studied at the University of Kent at Canterbury.
January 18, 2019
The veteran cosy crime writer strikes again in a mystery set in the worlds of pharmaceuticals and cave diving. Not often those two overlap! The first half took time to get going. But the second half sped along to a satisfying revealing of the murderer.
August 7, 2019
Sloan and Crosby make a good team. Sloan has the experience, but Crosby comes up with some good ideas. I learned a little about caving in this one ,but it is unlikely that I will take it on as a sport. I need less not more adventure in my real life. It is a lot more fun vicariously.
July 13, 2025
This was the first book I've read of Catherine's. It was an amazing sequence of unravelling of the crimes committed. The commercial aspect of the two pharmaceutical companies was very believable. But that was a distraction...
January 19, 2018
Quite disappointing. A good story premise but very slow moving and predictable. Hate it when i work out the "whodunnit" about half way through the book. Will not be reading this author again.
July 16, 2021
This was a homey mystery. Nothing really gruesome and not very many characters. Interesting though.
March 7, 2023
I enjoyed this book when Sloane and Crosby are called in to solve a seemingly difficult case.
January 6, 2024
A dying man's last words send Sloan and Crosby on a hunt for a possible murderer sometime in the recent past, in this very convoluted mystery.
June 15, 2024
Its is not a nail biting who done it, but keeps your interest until the end. It is a fast read as well, the style is light.
July 31, 2021
An engaging read. Inspector Sloan starts with minimal clues and builds a case. As always, Aird's fresh use of English, and the charm of the mythical county of Calleshire win me over every time. Catherine Aird introduces her readers to the cut throat world of the business in this novel. Sloan and Crosby persist until the mystery is solved.
Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews