Scan barcode
codexmendoza's review against another edition
2.0
Not her best effort, but it is funny that Peter’s brother had an affair.
jess_mango's review against another edition
3.0
"Clouds of Witness" is the first novel by Dorothy Sayers that I have read. I was an avid Agatha Christie fan in junior high and high school and haven't really read much of the mystery genre since. However, I was recently recommended "Clouds of Witness" so I picked it up.
"Clouds of Witness" follows Lord Peter Wimsey, an amateur detective who lives in Britain, as he tries to clear his brother Gerald, the Duke of Denver, of murder charges that have been brought against him. The victim is their sister Lady Mary's fiancé Captain Denis Cathcart. Cathcart is found shot to death one night in the garden of Riddlesdale Lodge where the Duke of Denver, Lady Mary, and a group of others are staying. Gerald refuses to supply an alibi for the time of the murder and becomes the prime suspect and his sister's testimony does nothing to help him. Wimsey, with the help of his "confidential man and assistant sleuth" Bunter and his friend Detective Inspector Parker gather clues and follow leads in an attempt to discover who killed Cathcart. To solve the mystery, Wimsey must discover exactly what his brother was up to at the time of the murder and what it is that his sister is hiding. Along the way there are lots of red herrings and twists and turns in the investigation.
The writing in "Clouds of Witness" was good with great descriptions of the Duke of Denver's trial. There were a lot of British colloquialisms in the text that in my opinion helped establish the atmosphere.
Overall, I enjoyed the book, although I find it a bit hard to get into. I would've preferred for the plot to have a quicker pace. It just didn't pull me into the story immediately. The plot was suspenseful and wasn't predictable, which is very good for a mystery novel since you don't want to guess "who-dun-it" within the first few pages. However, the resolution was a slight disappointment.
"Clouds of Witness" follows Lord Peter Wimsey, an amateur detective who lives in Britain, as he tries to clear his brother Gerald, the Duke of Denver, of murder charges that have been brought against him. The victim is their sister Lady Mary's fiancé Captain Denis Cathcart. Cathcart is found shot to death one night in the garden of Riddlesdale Lodge where the Duke of Denver, Lady Mary, and a group of others are staying. Gerald refuses to supply an alibi for the time of the murder and becomes the prime suspect and his sister's testimony does nothing to help him. Wimsey, with the help of his "confidential man and assistant sleuth" Bunter and his friend Detective Inspector Parker gather clues and follow leads in an attempt to discover who killed Cathcart. To solve the mystery, Wimsey must discover exactly what his brother was up to at the time of the murder and what it is that his sister is hiding. Along the way there are lots of red herrings and twists and turns in the investigation.
The writing in "Clouds of Witness" was good with great descriptions of the Duke of Denver's trial. There were a lot of British colloquialisms in the text that in my opinion helped establish the atmosphere.
Overall, I enjoyed the book, although I find it a bit hard to get into. I would've preferred for the plot to have a quicker pace. It just didn't pull me into the story immediately. The plot was suspenseful and wasn't predictable, which is very good for a mystery novel since you don't want to guess "who-dun-it" within the first few pages. However, the resolution was a slight disappointment.
calfaile's review against another edition
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
kerliaz's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Loveable characters? Yes
4.0
thesporkidentity's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
fastasashark's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
informative
lighthearted
mysterious
relaxing
fast-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
4.25