The story is narrated by a pompous, pedantic and self-regarding Oxford Law Professor who is joined by four barristers in the investigation of a murder in Venice of which Julia, a rather hapless colleague, is accused. We spend very little time in Venice itself, but rely on Julia’s (extremely funny) letters to the group in their London chambers and other second-hand accounts.
The resulting correspondence and conversation plus the narration is genuinely funny. There is a good deal of amusing use of lawyer-speak, plus some flights of courtroom-style rhetoric applied to the everyday, which I loved. As an example of the narrative voice, one of the colleagues says that Julia is going on holiday "after a bit of the other." The narrator explains that "It is a Cambridge expression signifying, as I understand it, the pursuit of erotic satisfaction." Well, it made me laugh.
In short, this is a delight; it is funny, erudite and engaging. I can recommend it very warmly indeed.
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