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3.94 AVERAGE
3.94 AVERAGE
3.5/5 (sorry ms. sayers 3) but I rounded up. Points off because, while I think Harriet plays a great leading role in this, it's just pretty boring especially in the middle.
I love this one. Characters - excellent. Plot - excellent with a couple of lovely twists. Writing - excellent as always. DLS really pulls it back after the shambles that was Five Red Herrings!
Whimsy and Harriet Vane work together to solve another murder she's stumbled upon. I love their conversations, which are both natural and incredibly witty. There are some misunderstandings between them, but it is so obvious that they belong together that I squee whenever they're on the same page. Contains some great quotes about relationships, including "But you must remember that one may have an important love for an unimportant person." As to the mystery, I had the key fact figured out within like 10 pages, so eh. Sayers, get more ingenius!
It has been a long time since I read this book, but I remember it fondly, mostly for the interplay between Lord Peter and Harriet Vane. Sayers is a smart, stylish writer, and her mysteries set in the thirties have a polish that would be hard to duplicate. By shifting much of the focus to Harriet in this book, it keeps the series fresh. It may not be a jewel like Gaudy Night, but it is well worth reading. I enjoyed it immensely.
"How in the world," demanded Harriet, "did you get here?"
"Car," said Lord Peter, briefly. "Have they produced the body?"
"Who told you about the body?"
"I nosed it from afar. Where the carcase is, there shall the eagles be gathered together. May I join you over the bacon-and-eggs?"
"By all means," said Harriet. "Where did you come from?"
"From London—like a bird that hears the call of its mate."
"I didn't—" began Harriet.
"I didn't mean you. I meant the corpse. But still, talking of mates, will you marry me?"
"Certainly not."
Most of my favorite parts of the book were little scenes like this between Peter and Harriet. That being said, the mystery itself was entertaining, but perhaps lacking a bit in realism.
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
It's remarkable how many of the gender issues are so well handled even from a 21st century viewpoint. Also, striking how much the scenes of casual anti-imigrant sentiments are displayed as closed minded and preventing insight. On the downside, this dragged a bit for me as a book.
Delightfully enjoyable! I loved the interpersonal stuff (nearly forgot to get off my bus three times in one week, generally when Harriet Vane and Lord Peter were bantering and emoting). The mystery was a little convoluted for me, and I didn't passionately love the ending, but the book was delicious nonetheless.
The whole case was so complicated that I felt vaguely smart for getting one thing by the end, even if it was something I should have worked out sooner. I definitely need to read more of these books though, partly for the characters but also because I've watched so many crime and detective dramas that it's oddly nice to not know who did it within five minutes for once. Maybe it'll help improve my brain as well as the code at the end of this book alone made my head ache with trying to follow it.