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mcfoster's review against another edition
5.0
I have read this so many times but I don't get tired of it - and I even read the cipher section with delight the first time round (I'll confess to skipping it now).
Here, DLS shifts her focus from Wimsey to Harriet Vane, the accused in Strong Poison. She is the protagonist here, as she is in Gaudy Night, and she is off on a walking holiday when she discovers the body of a young Russian dancer on a lonely rock with his throat cut. It looks like suicide, except for a few small details...
The developing relationship between Peter and Harriet is anything but boring - and it's cleverly written so that the reader can see that Harriet has feelings for Peter but her past bad experiences and self-esteem issues get in the way. The scene where Harriet eyes him up on the beach and when riding a horse are fun.
It's rather interesting to approach this (on the umpteenth reading) as a social commentary on feminism in the 1930s, though this theme is less obvious than it is in Gaudy Night. I've noticed a pattern that all the rich old ladies in DSL's books violate social norms for women in one way or another, whether it's Lady Dormer in Unpleasantness at the Bellona Club defying her family and eloping or Mrs Weldon in this book wanting to marry a much younger man.
I still have questions about the solution and would love to talk to a doctor about it; however, it was probably based on the best forensics of the day, so I can forgive any glitches.
Here, DLS shifts her focus from Wimsey to Harriet Vane, the accused in Strong Poison. She is the protagonist here, as she is in Gaudy Night, and she is off on a walking holiday when she discovers the body of a young Russian dancer on a lonely rock with his throat cut. It looks like suicide, except for a few small details...
The developing relationship between Peter and Harriet is anything but boring - and it's cleverly written so that the reader can see that Harriet has feelings for Peter but her past bad experiences and self-esteem issues get in the way. The scene where Harriet eyes him up on the beach and when riding a horse are fun.
It's rather interesting to approach this (on the umpteenth reading) as a social commentary on feminism in the 1930s, though this theme is less obvious than it is in Gaudy Night. I've noticed a pattern that all the rich old ladies in DSL's books violate social norms for women in one way or another, whether it's Lady Dormer in Unpleasantness at the Bellona Club defying her family and eloping or Mrs Weldon in this book wanting to marry a much younger man.
I still have questions about the solution and would love to talk to a doctor about it; however, it was probably based on the best forensics of the day, so I can forgive any glitches.
jon288's review against another edition
lighthearted
mysterious
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
4.0
Charming and twisty
midwifereading's review against another edition
3.0
A lot more dialogue in which Lord Peter and associates parse out the details, and a lot less action. Still, quite a fun read!
sherrahb's review against another edition
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
chrisscorkscrew's review
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Blood
bookishfelix5's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
4.25
lelia_t's review against another edition
4.0
Another good one by Sayers. I love the books with Harriet Vane. She’s such a bright spot, plus Sayers has fun playing with the conventions of detective fiction by having Harriet point out the plot devices she would use if she were writing the mystery we’re reading. My only complaint about this book is there’s a lot of hashing out who was where when - and then rehashing it. I understand this is an important part of solving a mystery but in this case it gets pretty tedious, as do the pages and pages of secret code cracking.
shareen17's review against another edition
2.0
I didn't like the previous Lord Peter Wimsey book I read but for some reason wanted to give the series one more try. Now I know I really don't like it. If you like a mystery with intricate detail of every bit of the investigation then this might be for you. I found it tedious. Also, even given some allowance for the era it was written in, it has a lot of racist content.
nianyigexiaodu's review
mysterious
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