Source: Purchased
Description: The wealthy Agatha Dawson is dead--a trifle sooner than expected--but there are no apparent signs of foul play. Lord Peter Wimsey, however, senses that something is amiss and refuses to let the case rest--even without any clues or leads. Suddenly, he is faced with another murder: Agatha's maid. Can super-sleuth Wimsey find the murderer and solve the case before he becomes the killer's next victim?The intricate trail of horror and senseless murder leads from a beautiful Hampshire village to a fashionable London flat and a deliberate test of amour.
Genre: Mystery - Classic
Why I Picked This Book: Sayers is a classic mystery author that I have seriously neglected so I'm slowly reading through her booklist.
My Impression: I thoroughly enjoyed the 75% of this book and was all set to give this at least a 4 star review. Wimsey is at his slightly mad flippant best and there's a clever elderly spinster who excels at putting together information in a way that reminds me very much of Wentworth's Miss Silver. As well, the mystery is one of my favorite types in a classic mystery - the was the supposed murder even a murder where the detectives not only have to figure out the who and the why but even if it's all worth investigating. All one was going well and I was happily diving into this story every night. Until I got to the last quarter or so.
To start off with there are some racial slurs that were jarring. The first time while surprising didn't bother me too much because it reflected far more negatively on the person who was making the slur than the person who it was aimed at. But then several more were sprinkled here and there as general "observations" that really had nothing to do with the story itself. But this wouldn't have completely derailed the book for me. What derailed the book was the ending itself. It feels a bit like Sayers was writing the book and than all of a sudden realized her deadline was that afternoon and she just threw some stuff together and called it done. It was chaotic, rushed, and there were a few pieces of the mystery that were so obvious that Wimsey and Parker should be embarrassed to not have figured it out.
Would I Read More of this Series/Author? I would and hopefully the next book will be more like the first part of this book.
Would I Recommend this Book? Honestly, no. The ending was just too disappointing for me to recommend.
Would I Recommend this Book? Honestly, no. The ending was just too disappointing for me to recommend.
I read most if not all Sayer's books many, maybe even 40 years ago. I am much more sensitive to wording and slang has changed over the years. I don't remember this one though.
ReplyDeleteAnne - Books of My Heart
I'm so sorry this didn't work for you. If I read a mystery and don't like the ending, it seems like I wasted my time reading the book.
ReplyDeleteAnother author I haven't tried yet, but I want to.
ReplyDeleteUgh, bummer that the last quarter ruined the book. I've had that happen too.
ReplyDeleteToo bad it wasn't great. I really like the cover, though. 😁
ReplyDeleteWell a couple of counts against it, but at least you've read it and can sum up what you think of it and what put you off.
ReplyDelete