Rating: 
Summary: not anywhere near the original, but a decent try
Review: As a long time Dorothy L. Sayers fan who has read her books again and again over the years, I found this attempt by Jill Walsh to carry on the life and times and Lord and Lady Peter Wimsey somewhat disappointing. It is fun to see the re-appearance of almost every major and minor character from the canon, but the tone and character depiction is but a pale copy of Miss Sayers' penetrating and witty prose. The plot is moderately interesting and the mystery is not terribly difficult to solve, but Sayers fans are usually more interested in the writing and characterizations. Ms Walsh has brought 90s attitudes to the 30s and has wisely elminated some of Sayers' less attractive views. However, to bring in for a cameo appearance Lord Peter's former mistress, the Viennese opera singer and have her turn out to be a Jewish refugee would give Miss Sayers a heart attack. In spite of these complaints, all Lord Peter readers still will have a lovely time with this book.
Rating: 
Summary: Interesting but not ecstasy-producing
Review: It is quite a thrill to read a new Lord Peter book; I only wish he could have been there instead of the pale imitation who wears his shoes. Jill Paton Walsh has written a fine book, but has missed out on what I love Lord Peter and Harriet for: the wit and quotations. This book feels awfully serious compared to the flights of fancy in Busman's Honeymoon. I agree with the reviewer who objects to the "feel" of the book; it's too politically correct for the '30s or Dorothy Sayers. I felt that Walsh captured the Dowager Duchess and Uncle Paul quite well, but many of the characters are too obvious, too direct, too clear in their dialogue. Sayers's dialogue usually reveals more levels upon rereading; I doubt that Walsh's will. However, I am extremely grateful that someone finished this novel and gave us a chance to meet the characters again.
Rating: 
Summary: A dream come true!
Review: I have a recurring dream in which I am reading a new book by one of my favorite authors, now unfortunately deceased. Not only do I have the complete text, but there are also several hundred new books that I have not yet read. Naturally when I wake up I can no longer remember the stories involved. Jill Paton Walsh has made my dream come true! I notice that at the end of Thrones, Dominations there is a rounding off of the characters later lives. I hope that doesn't mean that she will not make an effort to come up with her own Wimsey novels in the future? If anyone could do it Walsh could. Now if only someone could do a true Georgette Heyer my teenage dreams would come true! Linda Shoare, Head Librarian Salem Free Public Library
Rating:
Summary: It's not quite the real thing, but you should still read it.
Review: Just as a forged painting is ultimately recognized as a product of its own time, every completion or pastiche of a dead author's work reveals itself as of our time. "Thrones, Dominations" is no exception. A few examples: There are too many mentions of genuine 1930's historical figures, something Dorothy Sayers rarely did. The language slips occasionally; would Lord Peter really say that London is not someone's "scene"? Jill Paton Walsh also doesn't take the class system of prewar England seriously enough; I doubt if Lord Peter would ask any young actor to call him "Peter" on the strength of a few minutes' acquaintance. Nonetheless, for a fan who has read Dorothy Sayers again and again over the last 30 years, this book is far better than nothing - certainly closer to the real thing than I had imagined anyone getting. And it does have some wonderful things. Best new idea: That Bunter is a high Anglican. Best new character: Mango. Best capturing of the "real voice": The Dowager Duchess. If you are a Dorothy Sayers fan, you should read it. If you are not yet a fan, don't start with this. Try "Whose Body" or "Murder Must Advertise". But get around to this one.
Rating:
Summary: A welcome addition to the Wimsey canon
Review: Jill Paton Walsh has done an excellent job of completing the fragment left by Dorothy Sayres. It is very difficult to "see the join" and having read the novel, I would enjoy seeing what was original Sayres and what was created by the talented Ms. Walsh. The tone is very good and the crime and its solution very much in keeping with previous Lord Peter plots. Well done!
Rating:
Summary: Thoroughly enjoyable and, if anything, too short!
Review: Seamlessly constructed and true to Sayers' touch, this novel is a welcome addition.
Rating:
Summary: Two good old friends back for a visit
Review: Jill Paton Walsh is to be congradulated. She has resurrected Harriet and Lord Peter and done an excellent job of it. The quotes are a little off and she makes Harriet just a shade too helpful and warm/fuzzy, (also I don't care AT ALL for the sideline about Bunter) but on the whole they live again and readers are in for a wonderful time. The plot has the authentic touch of Sayers grue, and hinges on a well seasoned red herring. THUMBS UP!
Rating:
Summary: LORD PETER IS BACK
Review: After decades of having to re-read the Lord Peter canon, it was a real treat to come upon this new tiltle, a continuation of the Peter Wimsey saga. This book takes place following Busman's Honeymoon. It is GREAT! I highly recommend it not only to fans of Dorothy Sayers, but to all mystery fans. I hope Ms. Walsh will continue the series.
Rating:
Summary: A MUCH Better book than reviewed so far
Review: I'm giving this book five stars not because it's any rival to "Crime and Punishment", but because the critical reviews are so completely off base. Paton Walsh's writing style is in many ways an improvement on Sayers, who too often in her later books allowed her characters to natter on ad nauseam in an annoyingly twee, look-how-learned-I-am fashion. In terms of Wimsey-Vane character development and plotting, "Thrones, Dominations" is head and shoulders above "Have His Carcase" and on a par with "Strong Poison", if not "Gaudy Night" which admittedly stands alone. Paton Walsh also skillfully and entertainingly weaves in pre-WW II British and European politics -- e.g. the death of George V, the fascinating dilemmas posed by Edward VIII, etc. -- which Sayers herself referred to only vaguely, most often as a way to get Lord Peter out of the country and delay the solution of the mystery du jour. One suspects Sayers was bored by the events of the day; Paton Walsh is anything but, and the new dimension adds richness and interest. Oh yes -- the mystery itself isn't half bad (LOVE that walk through the London sewers!)
Rating: 
Summary: A Pale Reunion in an Unmemorable Book
Review: The true measure of any attempt to produce a book "in the style of" a famous author is believeabilty. Thrones, Dominations has none of that. Although this book contains many faint echoes of Dorothy Sayers, it also contains an enormous quantity of Jill Paton Walsh. Walsh makes her heavy-handed touch felt in every element of the book. The plot, while perhaps resembling a Sayers plot in broad outline, has none of her subtle twists and layered clues. Anyone can read the book and guess the murderer in the first twenty pages, which is especially sad because that is something Sayers talked about, jokingly, in several of her previous novels. The characters, too, are greatly lacking. Those introduced for the first time in this novel seem one-dimensional; Walsh lacks Sayers' ability to make people come alive. And those that are continued from other novels - and Walsh digs up and drags out virtually *every* character from the previous novels - are shades of themselves. It's like watching Harriet and Peter, plus assorted supporting characters, played by teenagers in a high school play. However, for those truly desperate for a Wimsey fix, this book does serve something of the function of a class reunion - you get to see everyone again, even if they aren't quite like you remembered them. The style is not nearly as intelligent or quietly elegant as in Busman's Honeymoon, Gaudy Night, or any of the earlier books. Walsh's dialogue, in particular, at times sounds like a parody of Sayers'. Even more unfortunately, Walsh has chosen to make up for several of her lacks - lack of character, dialogue, description, and plot - by introducing a great deal of crystal ball prediction of the future. As we read, we are constantly reminded that this was written by a modern author who did her research; after a while, I found myself suspecting that perhaps she included such repeated, heavy-handed references to events to come to prove that she did her research. Unfortunately, she does not manage to make either the characters or the plot any more intelligent by imbuing them with this totally inappropriate awareness of what is to come. This is a book to read only if you are a true fan of Sayers. If you love the Wimsey stories, this will be the closest you will ever come to an update on their lives. You will get to attend the Sayers Class Reunion, which has a certain value, and you will be able to comfort yourself with the occasional passage that does ring true to Sayers. Fortunately, since no part of this book is especially memorable, you can read it once for its dubious pleasures and allow it to fade from your mind, leaving only the better memories of Sayers' real works behind.
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