From the Bookshelf of Reading the Detectives…

Thus Was Adonis Murdered (Hilary Tamar, #1)

Sarah Caudwell

Start date: November 13, 2021

Finish date: December 7, 2021

Discussion: Buddy reads

Why we're reading this: Several group members wanted to read this together.
[close] Several group members wanted to read this together.

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Buddy reads

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What Members Thought

Nov 10, 2021 Susan rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Published in 1981, this threw me right back to London during those years. It revolves around the Chambers of 62 New Square, where the junior members reside in the 'nursery' and spend much time in wine bars. Julia Larwood embarks on a trip to Venice to recover from being hhounded by the Inland Revenue. As she is known to be easily lost, forgetful and unable to cope with practical matters, she has joined a tour of art lovers on a holiday and sends lots of letters back to her colleagues, Selena, Ti ...more

9 likes · Like · see review

May 23, 2012 GeraniumCat rated it it was amazing

Shelves: crime, mystery, favorites

I adore this series, absolutely unreservedly. Love all the characters, the witty acerbic writing - just perfection.

7 likes · Like · see review

Nov 20, 2021 Carolien rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: 2021, english-mystery, legal-crime

Completely over the top in language and characters, I loved this legal mystery. A young lawyer goes to Venice on holiday and finds herself the main suspect in a murder. In London, her colleagues with the help of Professor Hilary Tamar set out to solve the crime. The Venice part of the story is told through a series of letters and phone calls, we never meet Julia in person. Such absolute fun!

6 likes · Like · see review

Jun 19, 2020 dmayr rated it it was amazing

Shelves: five-star-stellar-reads, best-of-the-author, crime-detective-series, chuckleworthy-books, kept-me-hooked, quirky-characters, doppelgangers-double-identities, murder-on-holiday, murder-in-lodging

The hapless Julia Larwood takes a vacation in Venice to escape the persecution of the Inland Revenue only to find herself in love, or more likely in lust, with a Revenue collector, who ends up murdered with Julia as prime suspect. The whole book consists of Julia's correspondence to Selena regarding her luckless travels and the bar room conferences and attempts of the gang of 62 New Square to prove Julia innocent. With a historian and solicitors as main characters, I initially shied away from th ...more

1 like · Like · see review

Oct 24, 2021 Jill rated it liked it

This was a weak three star for me. It felt for almost half the book that I was eavesdropping on people, and to be honest, if that were the case, I would have walked away. The characters were all so over-the-top, "hurrah Henrys" Are people like this anymore? It was first published in 1981, so from what I remember people had moved on by then. I suppose the fact that the people working out the mystery whilst being in a different country, was an unusual twist. Also they were basing their knowledge o ...more

1 like · Like · see review

Nov 21, 2021 Frances rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: mystery-series

This was the first in a small series of mystery novels set within a social circle of young barristers in London along with their friend of unknown gender Professor Hilary Tamar of St George's College, Oxford. Witty, fast-paced, and slightly silly, this first novel was a fun meander back to a time when people sent letters and telegrams (and therefore divulged clues in a way that could be reread) and took coffee breaks and long wine-filled lunches with friends to discuss cases and life in general. ...more

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