Although it is more or less obvious from a very early stage whodunnit, and the character of Wimsey is extraordinary, this is a tale told with such panache that I could enjoy every moment.
There is instant development of Lord Peter, a shell-shocked ex-Major who had experienced both trench warfare and intelligence work during the First World War, and his devoted manservant Bunter, who had looked after his lordship in the trenches, and whose contributions to the sleuthing process combined photography and the ability to go downstairs and gossip with the servants. Scotland Yard policeman Parker also makes an appearance as does Peter's brother Gerald.
Some great lines:
- "On the dead face the handsome pair of gold pince-nez mocked death with grotesque elegance." (C 1)
- "Lord Peter had a funny way of talking about books ... as if the author had confided in him beforehand, and told him how the story was put together, and which bit was written first." (C 10)
August 2019; 214 pages
I have set myself the task of reading all the Lord Peter Wimsey novels (mostly again) in order. The ones I have read and reviewed in this blog so far include:
- Whose Body in which my Lord and his manservant are introduced
- Clouds of Witness in which Lord Peter must sleuth to get his brother Gerald, Duke of Denver, off a murder charge
- Unnatural Death which introduces another Wimsey sidekick: Miss Climpson
- The Unpleasantness at the Bellona Club
- Strong Poison which introduces Harriet Vane, a detective writer who becomes Lord Peter's love interest
- The Five Red Herrings; Lord Peter in Scotland
- Have His Carcase: Harriet and Peter investigate the death of a gigolo with dreams
There are also Wimsey books written since the death of DLS by Jill Paton Walsh. These include:
- The Attenbury Emeralds in which Lord Peter, in 1951, recalls the circumstances of his first case, the Attenbury Emeralds, which have gone missing again.
- The Late Scholar: in which Wimsey returns to Oxford
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