Why Mermaids Sing
by C. S. Harris
(Obsidian/Penguin)
Why Mermaids Sing is an engaging and slightly trite mystery novel, somewhat over stylized in an attempt to mimic Victorian prose. Mostly it reads like a romance novel with some swashbuckling thrown in, which is great if you have Bruce Campbell (get yourself a case of rum and watch all 22 episodes of “Jack of All Tradesâ€), but not so good from an author who holds a PhD in European history. Look forward to treats like:
She drew in a breath that shuddered her chest. “Oh, God. Partially. But
Only partially, Devlin. You know what I am, what I have been. An actress.
A whore-â€
Still, Harris keeps you guessing, and the characters are engaging enough to keep you wanting to read to the end. If you’ve got some time to kill (a flight to Hong Kong, or a bad case of the trots) Why Mermaids Sing will keep you entertained without an unfair amount of painful thinking.
Gidalya
