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3.9 AVERAGE
3.9 AVERAGE
adventurous
emotional
funny
informative
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Loved this, another strong mystery novel from Dorothy Sayers. This one was more suspenseful than others of hers I’ve read, possibly because I actually read it in pretty big chunks vs in 20-minute increments over a longer period of time. It is very heavy on the change-ringing lore and if you’re unfamiliar I’d recommend reading or watching a bit about that first so you know what she’s talking about. The pace dragged a little bit toward the end and there were a couple of times I wanted to shout “get on with it!” But overall the book moved well and was well worth the read!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Violence
Moderate: Ableism
Feel free to disregard this rating, as, halfway through, I lost the book for a few months and, by the time I found it again, had permanently lost the flow.
adventurous
funny
mysterious
relaxing
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
It’s an awkward process to rate a novel that I didn’t enjoy reading that much but which I considered very satisfying once completed. First, it’s nearly 90 years out, and a mystery to boot (not my favorite genre). But I was won over into reading the book when my local librarian waxed enthusiastically about it, and intrigued by the subject matter: campanology. I have a nephew who is a devotee of the art, and feel I gained some insight into its appeal. The last three chapters really were a fun frolic.
Wimsey is a charming and witty protagonist but this one is definitely not a “cozy” mystery. There was a bit at the end where I wasn’t sure whether Wimsey himself would actually figure out the solution, and the whole tone made me think again of noir novels. It’s a good logic puzzle the whole way through that holds together and keeps the pages turning (metaphorically, since I read in ebook) but without all the complete comforts of things being put to right by being solved. Or maybe I’m just in a morose mood. I definitely enjoyed a lot of the bit characters. I wonder if all the bits about printing presses from the previous book would be as inscrutable to most readers as all this bell-ringing stuff was to me.
This is my favorite Sayers mystery- unless it's Busman's Honeymoon. I doubt I'll ever settle that debate to my own satisfaction.
Sayers is brilliant, if not exactly to my taste. She wrote at a time where authors expected their readers to work at reading. I will confess that I like to be catered to as a reader, and found the lack of accessibility off-putting. Between the bells, bells, BELLS, and the Britishisms, well-- if I had started looking up everything I didn't know, i'd still be reading the book. But the plot is quite clever, the characters well-drawn, and the setting well-captured. I'll try another Sayers that will hopefully be bell-free before I make up my mind about her.