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3.78 AVERAGE
3.78 AVERAGE
mysterious
medium-paced
Okay, but not great. After the more expansive take on the mystery genre in [b:Clouds of Witness|192888|Clouds of Witness (Lord Peter Wimsey, #2)|Dorothy L. Sayers|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1287510321l/192888._SY75_.jpg|1576206], this volume returns to more standard fare a la [b:Whose Body?|192893|Whose Body? (Lord Peter Wimsey, #1)|Dorothy L. Sayers|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1387573241l/192893._SY75_.jpg|1090544], even starting off with a visitor telling a long personal story detailing the core mystery like in many Sherlock Holmes stories. It's a good read, but more of a "how and why was it done?" than a whodunnit.
Note: there's a lot of implied lesbianism in this book, some of it positive, but a great deal of it veering towards the depiction of the lesbian as dangerously disordered. And there are some discussions of race (including the use of slurs) that would be distinctly unwelcome in modern fiction. In many ways, the story was more fascinating for me as a window on Sayers' views than as a piece in itself.
Note: there's a lot of implied lesbianism in this book, some of it positive, but a great deal of it veering towards the depiction of the lesbian as dangerously disordered. And there are some discussions of race (including the use of slurs) that would be distinctly unwelcome in modern fiction. In many ways, the story was more fascinating for me as a window on Sayers' views than as a piece in itself.
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
adventurous
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
adventurous
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
3.5★
It would be nice when reading a new, favourite author if there was a steady arc of improvement, but I don't like this one quite as much as I liked [b:Clouds of Witness|192888|Clouds of Witness (Lord Peter Wimsey, #2)|Dorothy L. Sayers|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1287510321s/192888.jpg|1576206]. I still enjoyed it, but there were places where the story became quite bogged down and Sayers had characters voicing their disapproval of both blacks & Roman Catholics. My usual disclaimer; I still prefer to read uncensored.
I think Sayers was probably struggling a bit with censorship herself - it was obvious that two of the characters were
I guessed the main twist well before the end, but this was still a satisfying read & I hope to tackle another Sayers before the end of the year.
It would be nice when reading a new, favourite author if there was a steady arc of improvement, but I don't like this one quite as much as I liked [b:Clouds of Witness|192888|Clouds of Witness (Lord Peter Wimsey, #2)|Dorothy L. Sayers|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1287510321s/192888.jpg|1576206]. I still enjoyed it, but there were places where the story became quite bogged down and Sayers had characters voicing their disapproval of both blacks & Roman Catholics. My usual disclaimer; I still prefer to read uncensored.
I think Sayers was probably struggling a bit with censorship herself - it was obvious that two of the characters were
Spoiler
lesbian but it was never directly stated. I found Sayers way of handling this both clever and interesting.I guessed the main twist well before the end, but this was still a satisfying read & I hope to tackle another Sayers before the end of the year.
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
3.5 stars, 3 for how much I enjoyed it and 4 for stellar plot and writing.
(Don't be deceived by the fact that I laughed while reading this book; it is far closer to a thriller than to a comedy. Miss Alexandra Katherine Climpson is just marvelous, that's all.)
(Don't be deceived by the fact that I laughed while reading this book; it is far closer to a thriller than to a comedy. Miss Alexandra Katherine Climpson is just marvelous, that's all.)
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
N/A
Loveable characters:
N/A
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes