I thoroughly enjoyed Tragedy At Law. It’s a leisurely paced mystery, but the real pleasure is in the wit of the writing and the excellent portraits of both Hare’s characters and of the legal system of 1939, after the start of World War II but before rationing and serious attacks on Britain.
The plot...well, it’s slow and revolves around a judge on an Assize circuit who receives threats and then becomes involved in a serious legal matter of his own. Oddly, no murder happens until almost the end of the book, but for me the plot was almost a side-issue. Hare writes with such hugely enjoyable wit and humour, plus a deep knowledge of the law combined with a healthy scepticism about some of its more arcane ceremonial aspects, that this, along with some highly engaging and well drawn characters kept me fully engaged.
This is a very enjoyable read and I’ll be trying more Cyril Hare before long. Warmly recommended.
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