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kmjkelsi's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
5.0
applegnreads's review against another edition
5.0
at times an English farce, at times merely the humanization of our characters.
bookishfelix5's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
5.0
lelia_t's review against another edition
4.0
This is the first Dorothy Sayers/Peter Wimsey book I've read and I don't quite know what to make of it. The mystery is fairly straightforward and wouldn't take more than twenty pages, but much of the book is made up of Wimsey and his new wife Harriet Vane adjusting to married life. Every scene is full of comings and goings, interruptions,distractions and conversational digressions that are sometimes entertaining and sometimes tiresome. I would say I don't need to read more of Sayers' books, but Peter Wimsey is actually an engaging character. A detective who feels remorse and pity for the convicted killer is a new one for me. So, I plan to go back to the beginning of the Wimsey mysteries, which is where I should have started, and find out more about Lord Peter Death Bredon Wimsey.
***
Having read through most of the Wimsey mysteries now, I picked this one up again and loved it. I’d read somewhere that Harriet Vane’s character is disappointing as she dwindles into wifehood. But I thoroughly enjoyed the Wimseys' adjustments to married life. One of Sayers’ strengths is the way she continued to add depth and nuance to her characters with each book. She seems to have delighted in her characters' company, quirks and all, and I do too.
***
Having read through most of the Wimsey mysteries now, I picked this one up again and loved it. I’d read somewhere that Harriet Vane’s character is disappointing as she dwindles into wifehood. But I thoroughly enjoyed the Wimseys' adjustments to married life. One of Sayers’ strengths is the way she continued to add depth and nuance to her characters with each book. She seems to have delighted in her characters' company, quirks and all, and I do too.
roseleaf24's review against another edition
4.0
Lord Peter Wimsey and his new bride, Harriet, try to go on their honeymoon and find a murder to solve. While I wasn't surprised by the conclusion, it was really interesting to see how they figured it out and proved it. These characters are fun and engaging. This one included a lot of French quotes, so I was a little lost at times, but really enjoyed the read. I especially liked the epilogue -- I hadn't thought of how a crime solver would feel upon the punishment of the criminal they feel responsible for, and this was great insight into both Wimsey and Harriet.
shalini_gunnasan's review against another edition
4.0
Didn't enjoy this as much as others, but Sayers had predicted that some of her readers' wouldn't, for the exact reason she mentions - too much romance! I suppose it's because Sayers is directing the romance preaching to those who need it, but it's tiresome to those who already believe in her views. Like preaching to a dog rescuer on the benefits of adopting. Heh. The mystery part was true to form, although don't like the class stereotypes and things. It seems exaggerated, but that's the way in that era, I suppose.
melissa_who_reads's review against another edition
4.0
Good, old-fashioned locked room mystery. Mostly though, it's the story of Lord Peter and Harriet Vane's marriage and honeymoon -- lots of romantic quotes, and a fair amount of speaking French to each other (and getting letters in French). I skipped much of the French, my French being quite rusty at this point ... but it was a good read.
Lord Peter has bought a house in the country, sight unseen, because Harriet loved it as a child. Bunter can't get down to oversee the preparations, as he is tied up in London with bamboozling the newspaper reporters who want to report on the wedding ceremony - and so when they arrive, at night, they find the house locked and the owner absent. They manage to get in, and Bunter manages to get them somewhat comfortable - and it isn't until the next day that they find the body of the former owner in the basement. The police come, and Harriet learns to navigate a murder investigation with Lord Peter while on honeymoon. And it goes past the "who done it" part into the trial and execution, and the toll it takes on Lord Peter and on Harriet.
Still, one feels with such an unlikable selfish murderer, that the crime was well solved and those left behind were lucky to have escaped with their lives, however revolted they were to their proximity to a murderer.
Lord Peter has bought a house in the country, sight unseen, because Harriet loved it as a child. Bunter can't get down to oversee the preparations, as he is tied up in London with bamboozling the newspaper reporters who want to report on the wedding ceremony - and so when they arrive, at night, they find the house locked and the owner absent. They manage to get in, and Bunter manages to get them somewhat comfortable - and it isn't until the next day that they find the body of the former owner in the basement. The police come, and Harriet learns to navigate a murder investigation with Lord Peter while on honeymoon. And it goes past the "who done it" part into the trial and execution, and the toll it takes on Lord Peter and on Harriet.
Still, one feels with such an unlikable selfish murderer, that the crime was well solved and those left behind were lucky to have escaped with their lives, however revolted they were to their proximity to a murderer.
cmx's review against another edition
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
1.5
Audible free, perhaps others might like this but I found it annoyingly detailed and frivolous to the point of distraction. A decent murder mystery short story fluffed up into a full book and it was painful. There were vestiges of a whimsy mystery engulfed by lots of detritus
karinlib's review against another edition
4.0
I love the way this series has grown on me. The Characters have quite become friends.
katharine_whitfield's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0