04.14.09
The Sara Selkirk Mysteries (by Morag Joss)
I stumbled upon Sara Selkirk in the library not that long ago. I was first drawn to the Roman-looking cover of the first book in the series, Funeral Music. Reading the back cover, I realized I was holding a British mystery in my hands. The plot sounded intriguing, but the author’s name was the clincher: How could I have respected myself if I passed up an author named Morag Joss? And so Funeral Music went home with me, I began reading, and within a few pages I had a new writer for my list of favorites.
Sara Selkirk is a world-renowned cellist living near Bath, England. Her career as an amateur detective begins when she discovers a body in an ancient Roman bath. Conveniently, Sara’s student and love interest (unfortunately married) is Detective Chief Inspector Andrew Poole, so she has access to inside information on the investigation. I won’t go into the plot more than that, but I will tell you that Sara survives and her adventures continue in Fearful Symmetry and Fruitful Bodies, with the usual false starts and deadly peril. All three books are also laced with a dry wit that often had me laughing out loud.
I now have a definite soft spot for Ms. Selkirk. In fact, I would like to be invited to her house for tea. Even better, I would watch her beautiful house for her while she goes on tour. It would be nice to think that Joss will write more Sara Selkirk books, but the end of Fruitful Bodies felt like a definite end to Sara’s detecting days (and no, I won’t tell you what happens).
Morag Joss has created a fun series, with just the kind of murder I enjoy (the kind I enjoy reading about, I mean). There are no homicidal lunatics tearing children limb from limb or sexually torturing their victims in a complicated manner that is vividly described. I have read a few too many violent, bloody thrillers in my career, and not by choice. For relaxation, I’m looking for an escape, something with interesting characters, an inviting setting, and enough tension to keep me turning pages. Something delightfully written, with unexpected humor. Something like a Sara Selkirk mystery.
