Monday, October 10, 2011

Crime Fiction on a Euro Pass: Greece

Only two more stops left in our crime fiction tour courtesy of Kerrie at Mysteries in Paradise and her Crime Fiction on a Euro Pass Challenge. This week we're making a stop in Greece. I had full intentions to read the book I'm going to highlight this week--but Wilkie Collins and his Hide & Seek (and a weekend campout with the Scouts) sort of derailed those plans. So--rather than a review, here's a synopsis of The Shortest Way to Hades by Sarah Caudwell.

HELL IS OTHER HEIRS...

It seemed that Cantrip, Selena, Timothy , Julia and Ragwort, that redoubtable team of barristers, have devised the perfect way to avoid three million in taxes on a five-million-pound estate: just make a few changes to the trust arrangement. The entire family seems agreed to support the heiress, ravishing raven-haired Camilla Galloway, in her court petition--well, all except that stick-in-the-mud Cousin Deirdre, who demands a small fortune in exchange for her signature. Then Deirdre had a terrible accident.

The team of barristers summon their Oxford friend Professor Hilary Tamar to Lincoln's Inn because Julia thinks it's murder. But Hilary isn't so sure. Why didn't the heiress die? But when the accidents escalate and they learn of the naked lunch at Uncle Rupert's, Hilary the Scholar embarks on the most dangerous quest of all: a search for the truth....She winds up taking a cruise through the Greek isles--heading for Corfu. While there she will uncover the missing clue--a clue that's classic in more ways than one.

{Have now reviewed this: HERE}

3 comments:

Liz said...

Suggest http://www.jeffreysiger.com/

Kerrie said...

Looks interesting Bev. Thanks for the contribution. Amazing how taking on one more thing can derail what you usually do isn't it?

J F Norris said...

Had Sarah Caudwell lived longer she would be very well known today I'm sure of it. Probably would'be won a few awards, too. What great books. Really very different from the stuff that was being published at the time. They still stnad out from the crowd, I think. Julia is a wonderful character. And I love that we never know the sex of Hilary!