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Title: The Shortest Way to Hades by Sarah Caudwell ISBN: 0-440-21233-2 Publisher: Dell Pub. Date: 05 November, 1995 Format: Mass Market Paperback Volumes: 1 List Price(USD): $6.50 |
Average Customer Rating: 4.57 (7 reviews)
Rating: 5
Summary: Unexpectedly twisted, does more about faces than apolitcian
Comment: Another deliciously witty and unexpected Murder Mystery from Caudwell, the second in her all too short career as a mystery writer, and featuring the ever superior Professor Hilary Tamar as the Oxford scholar and semi-detective. These are neat, urbane mysteries which almost make you want to take up discussion of the minutiae of the British Tax code. The characters are generally the same as those which featured in the first mystery in this series- "Thus Was Adonis Murdered" - only this time, to add to the joy of the Tax Code, there is minute discussion of the laws of inheritance, and some Greek mythology vs History thrown in for good measure.
So when Dreary Deidre falls over the side of her uncle's flat during the annual Cambridge/Oxford boat race, none of her family is too disturbed. Most of them think she is better gone than still alive. She was never great fun, always whining, and to top it all off, she had just caused a great stink when they had tried to adjust the entail set up by her great grandfather in which Dedre's cousin (the beautiful, talented and intelligent Camilla) would inherit all. It seems, having resolved this to her advantage, Deidre had everything to live for - but Julia - her barrister of 63 New Square suspects otherwise.
This all leads to a twisted trail of attempted murders, a cruise around the Greek Islands, an uexpected visit to an orgy and a first class flight for Professor Tamar (at someone else's expense naturally).
For Jane Austen fans, this book is a must, if only for the classic scene in which Serena picks up Pride and Prejudice to read....in fact this book would definitely appeal to Austen fans (I think).
I do like Caudwell for her neat use of language, her lovely understated humour and her ability to make the various and fine points of legal language and concepts available to the reader. I also love the very complicated trail she weaves and am in awe of how she twists things all back together again. These are hugely enjoyable books and I almost cry when I think there are only 4 of them.
Rating: 3
Summary: Liked the characters
Comment: but the story bogged down in the middle too much for my taste. There were a lot of characters and a lot of relations among the characters- I had a hard time keeping up with who was who! My real problem with the book, however, was that much of the story was advanced through letters from one of the good guys. The story had basically slowed to a stop and then all the footwork and plot advancement happened in these letters. I just did not like that method for development. After reading these letters our hero, the Professor, figures everything out and gets on an airplane to resolve the case. Maybe if the letters had been developed as part of the plot and the 100 pages of filler before had been eliminated I could have got into the fun. Oh well!
Rating: 5
Summary: You will love it or hate it
Comment: The first page will tell you whether you are going to find unreadable or (like me) find it one of the most entertaining reads of the decade. The style is elaborately witty with nineteenth century diction combined with descriptions of late twentieth century partying and mayhem. It is all very artificial and mannered. The plot is about the murder of beneficiaries of a will and in many ways a classical English whodunnit. The setting is in London lawyers' (sorry barristers') offices (sorry chambers),lesbian nightclubs and the Ionian Islands. Lots of sex but never explicit. A lot of information about English law, classical Greece, sailing and cricket.
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Title: The Sibyl in Her Grave by Sarah Caudwell ISBN: 0440234824 Publisher: Dell Pub. Date: 03 July, 2001 List Price(USD): $5.99 |
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Title: Murder at the Old Vicarage by Jill McGown ISBN: 0449218198 Publisher: Fawcett Books Pub. Date: 31 March, 1991 List Price(USD): $6.50 |
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Title: Green for Danger by Christianna Brand ISBN: 0786703865 Publisher: Carroll & Graf Pub. Date: March, 1997 List Price(USD): $4.95 |
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Title: Close to Home : A Novel of Suspense by Peter Robinson ISBN: 0060198788 Publisher: William Morrow Pub. Date: 04 February, 2003 List Price(USD): $23.95 |
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Title: Death in the Family by JILL MCGOWN ISBN: 0345458486 Publisher: Ballantine Books Pub. Date: 04 February, 2003 List Price(USD): $22.95 |
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