Sarah Caudwell

I have no idea who makes this kind of decision, but whoever decided that the late, great Edward Gorey should provide the cover art for Sarah Caudwell's books was an absolute genius. Their styles are perfectly matched. Half mystery, half comedy of manners, Caudwell's tax law mysteries have become cult favorites thanks to their hyper-stylized language and absurd characters. If you're looking for a complex, layered novel with believably multidimensional characters... you'll need to look elsewhere. But if you're looking for a Poirot-by-way-of-P.G. Wodehouse-style farce (and who isn't?) Caudwell's series is a surefire bet.

Note: For those of you who enjoy Rebecca-style affectations: please note that Caudwell never identifies the gender of her narrator, Legal History Tutor Hilary Tamar.


Aftertaste:
Just that she died at age 60 of cancer, leaving behind only the four books mentioned above.

Availability:
Everywhere.

Other Recommendations:
Anything by Edward Gorey

Anything by P.G. Wodehouse

The mysteries of Georgette Heyer