Murder of a Mermaid

I’ll admit, I rolled my eyes at first when the victim was described as a ‘mermaid’—it screamed *trying too hard*. But Shapiro sells it. The victim’s staged death isn’t just a gimmick; it’s a psychological hook that forces the detectives (and the listener) to question whether they’re hunting a killer or unraveling a myth. The partnership between Redmond and Haze crackles with tension: Redmond’s aristocratic disdain for ‘common’ investigative methods clashes brilliantly with Haze’s dogged empiricism. Their verbal sparring is one of the audiobook’s joys, especially when Lee’s narration makes Redmond sound like he’s perpetually on the verge of sneering. That said, the pacing stumbles in the middle. A subplot involving a blackmail scheme feels tacked on, and Shapiro’s habit of withholding key details until the final act borders on frustrating—though the payoff *mostly* justifies it. Lee’s performance never wavers, though; his ability to voice a dockworker’s Cockney slur one moment and a lady’s hushed scandal the next keeps the energy high even when the plot meanders. The real standout? The audio production’s use of silence. In a genre where every pause can feel loaded, the beats after a revelation land with genuine weight. If you love procedurals with a dash of the macabre—and narrators who can make a raised eyebrow audible—this is your next listen. Just brace yourself for a few eye-rolls at the contrived folklore bits.