The Sirens Sang of Murder [Hardcover]

Sarah Caudwell (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 1, 1989

In this narrative Professor Hilary Tamar tells of the activities of the four young barristers at 62 New Square and deals with the complexities of English tax law and murder. The author has also written "The Shortest Way to Hades".

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Astringently British witticisms season Caudwell's third suspense novel with Professor Hilary Tamar of Oxford, as usual, telling the tale. One of her young lawyer friends, Michael Cantrip, is off in the Channel Islands where he joins an international group charged with administering the "Daffodil Settlement," involving a great fortune. Checks on the previous administrators reveal that one of them, a strong swimmer, had drowned during a meeting on the Cayman Islands. Alerted to their friend's possible "death by misadventure," the coterie at Lincoln's Inn flies to his defense. The tensions increase moment by moment, capped by a heady scene between Michael and a charming Italian contessa. Besides giving readers a bewitching mystery, the author absorbs them in the legends of Jersey, Sark, Little Sark--all the storied Channel Islands. Mystery Guild alternate.
Copyright 1989 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From the Publisher

Young barrsiter Michael Cantrip has skipped of to the Channel Islands to take on a tax-law case that's worth a fortune -- if Cantrip's tax-planning cronies can locate the missing heir. But Cantrip has waded in way over his head. Strange things are happening on these mysterious, isolated isles. Something is going bump in the night -- and bumping off members of the legal team, one by one. Soon Cantrip is telexing the gang at the home office for help. And it's up to amateur investigator Hilaray Tamar (Oxford don turned supersleuth) to get Cantrip back to safety of his chambers -- alive! --This text refers to the Paperback edition.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 276 pages
• Publisher: Delacorte Press (October 1, 1989)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 038529784X
• ISBN-13: 978-0385297844
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.7 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,223,011 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

25 of 25 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Not for everyone, October 18, 2000

By 

D. P. Birkett (Suffern, NY USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Sirens Sang of Murder (Paperback)

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.

16 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Pure delight, August 8, 2001

By 

Dr. Amanda DeWees - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Sirens Sang of Murder (Paperback)

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.

20 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Another treat from Sarah Caudwell!, August 30, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: The Sirens Sang of Murder (Paperback)

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.