The Sibyl in Her Grave [Hardcover]

This installment centers on Julia Larwood's aunt Regina, who lives in the innocent-sounding town of Parsons Haver, West Sussex. This being Caudwell and not Christie, however, the town is populated with the same kind of oddball, interesting characters the rest of her books are (for instance: the town's newest resident is a psychic who keeps a flock of ravens and a vulture in her drawing room). Regina needs advice from Julia on a tax question; she and some friends have made quite a bit of money investing in shares in different companies and they are now being asked to pay a large capital gains tax. Strangely, their investment plan was identical to that of someone apparently involved in insider dealing at the bank of one of Selena's clients. But what is the connection? That's what this band of amateur sleuths sets out to discover.

As in Caudwell's other books, much of the action is explained through correspondence, in this case mostly letters from Regina to Julia, although other characters do take up the pen. The device works well; it allows the reader to see the story from several first-person perspectives at the same time and to get a better understanding of each of the characters who write. The book isn't all letters and no action, of course; several trips are made to Parsons Haver, Regina comes to London, and action on the bank connections sends characters to locations ranging from Cannes to Scotland. Stones fly through windows, ..things are stolen, and Selena, in an attempt to remodel the law offices at 62 New Square, must deal with those nefarious creatures known as builders. And, although this book does not end in the kind of showdown some of Caudwell's other books do, the ending is satisfying just the same.

The best thing about Sarah Caudwell's novels is the tone, the style. The characters couldn't be anything but British, but they are decidedly modern. Ragwort's trip to Cannes, complete with a dominatrix neighbor and a cross-dressing companion who serenades diners at a local restaurant, would be out of place in many novels, but it fits into Caudwell's world perfectly. Her humor is understated but effective; Cantrip, describing his attempts to discover whether another character is involved with the Parsons Haver business, says that upon his mention of the town, the man became very agitated. When Hilary remarks that this seems significant, Cantrip replies, "Yes, that's what I thought. But it turned out he'd just been stung by a bee, so I suppose it's a bit inconclusive." Caudwell's sense of humor also shows in her decision not to reveal Hilary's sex; the reader may attempt to deduce it, but the clues, such as they are, lead nowhere. The Sibyl in Her Grave lives up to Caudwell's other books in style and in substance. Readers will enjoy this last trip to 62 New Square.

Sarah Caudwell is a kind of Austenian mystery writer (a comparison others have made, I think). She satisfies the need for good writing, while satisfying the desire for entertainment. Implausible plot? Of course, but no less plausible than the coincidences sprikled throughout Pride and Prejudice.

The novel starts slowly, but once the characters and events get moving (albeit, postally) the mind of any mystery lover will be astir with conjecture. So much fun! The last novel I read during my winter vacation and completely gratifying.

It's hard to know how to help someone decide whether they would like this book (or the other three the author wrote before she died last year). I'd say that if you like Wodehouse, you will probably like this (but I hate Wodehouse myself). People who like Benson's Lucia books will likely enjoy these. And, oddly, if you are one of the people who loves Pamela Dean's _Tam_Lin_, you will no doubt find these mysteries engaging.

The books are full of improbable plots, which at least don't fall apart until you reflect on them later. The plots are as tangled as a pile of extra-long spaghetti, which makes it all the more fun when the professor untangles them. If you want realism, look elsewhere. If you want beautiful lanugage, interesting characters and acerbic humor, and you are willing to take that wrapped up in a mystery, you'll love these books.