The Shortest Way to Hades by Sarah Caudwell (1985)

A client of one of the barristers at New Square has died accidentally, or did she? Professor Hilary Tamar investigates once again, and must travel to Greece where danger awaits.

Book Review:  Sarah Caudwell's The Shortest Way to Hades, the second in her Hilary Tamar series, is another cleverly written cozy mystery, blending humor, law, heirs, London, friendship, cricket, Greece, wills, and much, much more. If you enjoyed Caudwell's first book (Thus was Adonis Murdered) you can't help but enjoy this, it's more of the same and just as good. First, there is Caudwell's wonderful writing, which seemed to flow a touch more easily in this than the first book: "A town, one can hardly deny it, in every sense provincial; but with the faded, rather sluttish elegance of a provincial beauty who a long time ago spent a season in the capital." There is also the continuing friendship between Julia and Selena in The Shortest Way to Hades, which warms the cockles of my heart. Here, Selena sails the Greek coast and an overconfident Professor Tamar ("I am a scholar, ... Few mysteries are impenetrable to the trained mind.") travels there to investigate the mystery. Again, some of the story is told by letters from abroad, but not quite so much as in Adonis. There is a little less focus on all the barristers, but more on Selena in this one. Typically, I unhaul books as I read them (I want all my books to be my TBR), but the four books in the Hilary Tamar series are such treasures (and perhaps hard to find) that I'm going to keep them. Well, enough said. If this sounds like your cup of tea, go read Thus was Adonis Murdered. Then, if you enjoyed Adonis, you're sure to enjoy The Shortest Way to Hades, enjoy! [4 Stars]