The Sirens Sang of Murder

by Sarah Caudwell

Genres: Crime, Mystery
Pages: 256
Series: Hilary Tamar #3

Synopsis:

Whilst on a trip to the sunny Channel Islands to find the heir to a lucrative tax law case, young barrister Michael Cantrip finds himself in over his head. Peculiar things begin to occur on the mysterious and isolated islands with something - or somebody -- bumping off members of his legal team.

With the help of his mentor, amateur investigator Hilary Tamar, Cantrip, must find a safe passage back to the Lincoln's Inn Chambers.

The Sirens Sang of Murder is the third Hilary Tamar book by Sarah Caudwell, and I was just as enchanted by it. This time it’s Cantrip getting into some real scrapes (could it ever be Ragwort’s turn, or is he too perfect?) and everyone else getting him out, with some serious risk to general life and limb along the way. There’s plentiful helpings of Julia as well, don’t worry.

It’s very British, pretty funny, and happy enough with its own cleverness that it doesn’t feel the need to stick it down your throat, or so it feels to me. If a particular apt phrase or funny moment passes me by, that somehow seems perfectly fine with Caudwell, and no need to labour it too much.

As for the mystery itself, that’s a little convoluted — and dramatic! — but that suits these books perfectly well. And when I say convoluted, I certainly don’t mean on the contrived scale of John Dickson Carr’s work, anyway.

I can see myself reading these books again and again; the cast is delightful, the wit works well for me (maybe there’s a shade of being an air to Sayers’ wittiest moments?) and I bet they could be a real delight in audio, a thought which strikes me enough that I’m going to see if there’s an audio version available.

Rating: 4/5