Customer Reviews

The Sirens Sang of Murder (Atlantic Mystery)

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

The humor is elaborate and depends on convoluted witticisms couched in a pastiche of eighteenth century prose, alternating with sharp observations of contemporary British life and amazingly effective slapstick. This sort of thing has to be done superbly well or it falls flat. This is done superbly well. The plot seems completely fantastic until the murderer is revealed and you realise you should have thought of that person all along. The same setting as the other Caudwells - the London singles bar scene.

After the relatively disappointing second book in the series (The Shortest Way to Hades) I was enraptured to find The Sirens Sang of Murder on a par with the first Sarah Caudwell, the one that made me sing hosannas and rush out to buy everything she had written. One of the strengths and pleasures of Sirens, as with Thus Was Adonis Murdered, is that a large part of it takes the form of an epistolary novel, in this case through telexes in the hilarious voice of Cantrip. Surely Caudwell is a fan of P.G. Wodehouse, since the hapless Cantrip reminds me irresistibly of clueless Bertie Wooster, even down to his malapropisms and his dotty uncle (reminiscent of Uncle Fred). Having so many adventures related through his harried, well-intentioned, quirky voice ("pottle" is one of his favorite verbs) makes everything that much livelier. Another clever, enjoyable device is the use of hackneyed romance-novel cliches, which circulate due to Cantrip and Julia's collaboration on a would-be bestseller. Added to this heady mixture is the faintly dangerous, sexy whiff of witch lore and the supernatural.

If you enjoyed Thus Was Adonis Murdered, don't hesitate to heed the Sirens' seductive cry.

Alas, the last of Ms. Caudwell's mystery series with Professor Tamar and the barristers of Lincoln's Inn, but certainly a good one. Sarah Caudwell's mysteries are a treat for lawyers and non-lawyers, well-written with a great command of English as few mystery novels are these days. This one has red herrings and interesting twists throughout.

A comment on Mr Schau's review of August 16,2000--What attracts me, and I think others to Ms Caudwells books, is her clever intertwining a riveting mystery with the equally baffling intricacies of the confiscatory tax structure of the U.K. Who among us does not use our knowledge to mimimize our taxes? To read a thrilling mystery and gain an educated insight into the workings of the Revenuers is a delight indeed. Since I was introduced to "Sirens" while on holiday in London (at one of those stuffy 19th century Pall Mall clubs), the hunger for her books has continued. More, Ms.Caudwell! --with the intrigue AND the tax info!

Cantrip is missing! Having been seconded to assist with the mysterious Daffodil settlement in the Tax Haven of the Channel Islands, he disappears, and there seem to be bodies all over the place, bodies and unlimited suspects who might well have been involved in murdering them - or then again might not. Even murder isn't necessarily on the cards here. Really, it is up to Professor Hilary Tamar to sort things out and find the culprits, and find Cantrip at the same time.

A while ago we were discussion (on a Jane Austen list) the art of the epistolary form of the novel - and perhaps this is the original idea behind Caudwell's form of mysteries - they are very reliant on letter writing. While the first mystery featured letters by Julia from Venice (Thus was Adonis murdered), and the second Serena from Corfu (The Shortest Way to Hades), this has Young barrister, Michael Cantrip, writing from..... well.... all over France - and using the handy mechanism of the Telex machine to send his messages back to the members of the nursery at 62 New Square (and the occassional less than flattering note to their Clerk, Henry).

A very funny, bouynat mystery with the usual Caudwell twist at the end - I guess the unexpected seems to occur every few pages really - The only thing I would mention is that I didn't feel like all the clues were quite at my grasp as they might have been - however, I didn't mind, it was such a rollicking good fun ride. Sometimes I wonder if I read these as mysteries or comedies - they are lovely as both. .

This is the third of Sarah Caudwell's sublimely funny murder mysteries narrated by Hilary Tamar, professor of legal history at Oxford, and featuring her young barrister friends. All four of these books are hilarious, and this is the funniest of the lot. Not many books in my life have made me cry with laughter, but this one reduced me to tears on several occasions. The adventures of young Michael Cantrip (educationaly disadvantaged, poor boy, he went to Cambridge)in the Channel Islands and in France and Monaco are full of wildly funny incidents. The poor boy has to suffer spending five hours shut in the boot of a car, being locked in a wine celler by a dotty waiter etc, meanwhile back in london his colleagues are having to cope with his barmy uncle. The plot is amazingly convoluted, and like all the books you may find yourself getting a bit lost in the complexity of the financial details, but who cares. Just enjoy the ingenious story, the wonderful characters, the witty dialogue, and Sarah Caudwell'smarvellous style. What a tragedy that there are only four of these marvellous books.

I was delighted with Cauldwell's third book in her too-short series. Much maligned Cantrip always makes me laugh, and you get plenty of him in this book.

Of the four Caudwell mysteries, this is the one to read last or not at all. That Wildean wit and off-center logic that are a part of the characters in all four books are there, but Good Grief! the wading one must do through tax codes, financial details and fiduciary claptrap. Caudwell becomes almost pedantic about government regulation on tax matters (will there be a quiz after?) and that is very tiring. Any of the other three is a better choice, particularly as a first Caudwell read. (Note: Given a vote in the matter, I do believe that Prof. Tamar is female, though it seems not to matter one way or another.)

I am very fond of the work of Sarah Caudwell. It's about young lawyers in London solving murder mysteries. It's snooty, mannered, deliciously written work. I've read all her books (that I know of) and bought this copy as a gift for a friend.

The Sirens Sang of Murder

Beverly Dahlen