Roger Silverwood

This first Inspector Angel book has promise. I really enjoyed the mystery. It kept me guessing until the end-- when I discovered that my deductions were all wrong. I've read a lot of crime fiction, so I always like it when an author pulls the wool over my eyes.

Inspector Angel is definitely the star of this show. He's as stubborn as they come, he likes to shout, and a lot of his humor contains dated references that zoom right over the heads of the sergeant and cadet who are working with him. Since I understood his humor, I found much of it to be genuinely funny.

But there are a few kinks that need to be ironed out. Angel is a strong character, but it's not always for the right reasons. I got tired of his shouting. He "pursed his lips" so much I began to fear that he would be forced to face the world with a permanent pucker. And I most certainly did not care for the way he treated the cadet working with him. Early on the cadet proved himself to be hard-working and self-motivated, and Angel did mentor him a bit, which was good to see, but Angel also treated the poor young man as a lackey-- making him go out frequently for groceries, to make restaurant reservations, get his lunches, and the like. Since the cadet is an Indian, and Angel refers to him as "Sabu," a case could be made for bigotry. At least he treats Detective Sergeant Crisp no better... and sometimes worse.

Halfway through the book, I suddenly thought to myself, "Where are all the females?" Throughout In the Midst of Life, the only females making an appearance are victims, victims' relatives, witnesses, and suspects. Not a one was in police uniform. Rather strange for a police procedural set in 2002.

Silverwood has written a strong mystery that I did enjoy, but the problems I had with Inspector Angel leaves me doubtful that I will be returning to read more of the series.… (meer)