Rating: 
Summary: The further adventures of Lord Peter
Review: Lord Peter needed to get away after the stresses he encountered solving a case a few weeks earlier (Whose Body?). He and Bunter went to the wilds of Corsica to relax. On their way back to civilization they discover that while they were gone the fiance of Lord Peter's sister, Lady Mary was murdered. Worse, the murder took place at a shooting party hosted by their older brother, Gerald the Duke of Denver. Worse still Gerald is the prime suspect!
Peter and Bunter hurry home to try to solve the crime only to find that there are many mysteries about what happened that night. Why isn't Mary more upset about the death of her fiance? Why was their engagement called off that very night? Where exactly was Gerald that evening? Who left a suitcase in the conservatory?
Gradually Peter begins to find answers to the various questions and raise a few more along the way. He and Bunter of course eventually save the day but not before having a few adventures along the way.
This is an exciting mystery, it is well plotted and fairly laid out, all the clues are there for the reader. There are a few coincidences but nothing that overly strains possiblities. For fans of the series we are treated to a lot more insight into that wonderfully eccentric Wimsey family.
So why four stars instead of five? First the book does tend to drag just a bit in places. Compared to later books in the series this is one of the lesser works. If you are a fan of the series this is a must read. I would also recommend it if you are a fan of mysteries of the '20's and '30's definitely read this one.
Rating: 
Summary: Lord Peter helps his brother...
Review: Lord Peter Wimsey must find the evidence to clear his older brother, Gerald, the Duke of Denver from the charge of murder. The victim is the fiancé of Gerald and Peter's sister, Lady Mary Wimsey.There is much conflicting testimony amongst the witnesses, and Lord Peter, ably assisted by his faithful manservant Bunter and Inspector Parker, does his best in an effort to save his brother. The book is well written, and well paced. There is a trial in the House of Lords, something most readers have perhaps heard of, but never have read about in any great detail. We read of the Wimsey family (Lord Peter, the Dowager Duchess, Lady Mary, and the Duke of Denver), and their friends (the Arbuthnots and others), in an excellent depiction of what life was life in the upper-crust families after World War I. I'd recommend this book, and any of the Lord Peter Wimsey series. Also recommended is the TV adaptation starring Ian Carmichael as Lord Peter.
Rating:
Summary: Lord Peter helps his brother...
Review: Lord Peter Wimsey must find the evidence to clear his older brother, Gerald, the Duke of Denver from the charge of murder. The victim is the fiancé of Gerald and Peter's sister, Lady Mary Wimsey. There is much conflicting testimony amongst the witnesses, and Lord Peter, ably assisted by his faithful manservant Bunter and Inspector Parker, does his best in an effort to save his brother. The book is well written, and well paced. There is a trial in the House of Lords, something most readers have perhaps heard of, but never have read about in any great detail. We read of the Wimsey family (Lord Peter, the Dowager Duchess, Lady Mary, and the Duke of Denver), and their friends (the Arbuthnots and others), in an excellent depiction of what life was life in the upper-crust families after World War I. I'd recommend this book, and any of the Lord Peter Wimsey series. Also recommended is the TV adaptation starring Ian Carmichael as Lord Peter.
Rating:
Summary: If only they'd let Petherbridge read more...
Review: Sayers is one of my favorite mystery authors, and Petherbridge's portrayal of Whimsey one of my favorite childhood memories -- it was the series starring him on Mystery that got me reading Sayers in the first place. I snapped up this audio the instant I found it, and only wish that they had allowed him to do it unabridged. Fans of the show will appreciate Petherbridge's ability to mimic his co-stars voices with unobtrusive smoothness. Newbies will enjoy the fact that he is one of the few male narrators who can read a female character without a single grate on the nerves; he somehow feminizes his voice without sounding false or fakey. I recommed any audio he narrates.
Rating:
Summary: Outstanding! Sayers is a mystery-writing genuis!
Review: Sayers was truly one of the greatest mystery writers of our century and reading this book will confirm it for the skeptic. Her characters are stunning and fascinating and the story line is just out-of-this world!
Rating:
Summary: Wimsey's a Winner
Review: The entire Denver clan's good name is at stake when Lord Peter Wimsey's older brother is accused of murdering their sister's fiancee one fine October night. The task is made no easier since Lord Peter is on vacation at the time and since he returns to find the pig-headed Duke providing very little assistance to his own defense. Sayers does a fine job of balancing family tensions, differing testimony, and various attempts at hiding the truth in this entertaining second novel in the Wimsey series. The multi-layered motivations of her characters and the several sharp and plausible twists in the plot keep the pages turning. Sayers' writing is always textured and witty, and her Riddlesdale Lodge is just the type of country house an Anglophile mystery reader will enjoy spending a few days. After three Wimsey mysteries I am undeniably hooked, but will spread out my reading of the other eight or nine so as to savor them over a long period.
Rating:
Summary: Wimsey's a Winner
Review: The entire Denver clan's good name is at stake when Lord Peter Wimsey's older brother is accused of murdering their sister's fiancee one fine October night. The task is made no easier since Lord Peter is on vacation at the time and since he returns to find the pig-headed Duke providing very little assistance to his own defense. Sayers does a fine job of balancing family tensions, differing testimony, and various attempts at hiding the truth in this entertaining second novel in the Wimsey series. The multi-layered motivations of her characters and the several sharp and plausible twists in the plot keep the pages turning. Sayers' writing is always textured and witty, and her Riddlesdale Lodge is just the type of country house an Anglophile mystery reader will enjoy spending a few days. After three Wimsey mysteries I am undeniably hooked, but will spread out my reading of the other eight or nine so as to savor them over a long period.
Rating:
Summary: There Will Always Be An England
Review: This is a Lord Peter not to be missed! We have him in the bosom of his family when eldest brother Gerald, Duke of Denver, is accused of murdering his sister's ex-fiancé. (The sister in question had not yet been told she was an "ex" before the murder took place). The Dowager Duchess Mary makes an appearance and is all things to her hard-luck daughter and two so-different sons. The setting is a hunting lodge in Yorkshire where Gerald has invited a group for shooting. Though they are clearly roughing it, servants and surface propriety abound. The time is in the early '20s and much emphasis is placed on the bravery and experiences of the Great War. Gerald is discovered at 3 am standing over the body of the late Denis Cathcart, Mary's erstwhile fiancé. Mary exclaims "O God! You've killed him!" in front of guests Col. and Mrs. Marchbanks, and Mr. and Mrs. Pettigrew-Robinson. (Those names made me feel as if I was playing a game of Clue!) Lord Peter is wired to come home from Corsica in hopes he can clear up the matter. Lord Peter's task is made more difficult because clearly, no one is giving a true account of either the happenings or their alibis. Mary, a formerly healthy girl, takes to her bed in a suspicious case of nervous hysterics. Gerald believes it is enough that he has told officials he is "innocent." It is no one's business but his own where he was at the time of the murder. It is important to keep in mind that among this aristocratic family "honor" to one's family, a lady's reputation, or a promise may be more important than life itself. Somehow they all think they will muddle through. There is much tramping about in the cold and the wet, marching over moors to not much effect. Lord Peter has a marvelous exchange with a dour Yorkshire farmer as if Lord Peter had walked into a Thomas Hardy novel. The uncouth and brutal farmer has a beautiful terrified wife. Peter keeps up a lively conversation trying to stay ahead of the dogs being set upon him. The climax of the novel is the Duke's trial. A Duke cannot be tried by just anyone. The King must appoint a Lord High Steward, and he must be judged by his peers. This involved all the peerage of England getting out their ermines and robes to participate in the trial. It is richly described and a delight. The conclusion is somewhat a letdown to the reader, but Lord Peter and family are quite satisfied that their little spot of trouble is over, even if all the questions are not answered. Of course, I need not even say that Bunter was flawless.
Rating:
Summary: The ideal introduction to Wimsey and his world
Review: This is one of my three favorite Lord Peter Wimsey novels (the other two are The Unpleasantness at the Bellona Club and Murder Must Advertise), and unless you plan to read the entire series (in which case you should start with Unnatural Death), it's the best introduction to Wimsey and his world, as it revolves around his brother Gerald, the Duke of Denver, being accused of murdering their sister Mary's fiance. It also features Wimsey's friend Chief Inspector Parker, as well as introducing several recurring characters. Unlike Unnatural Death, where Wimsey seems more devil-may-care and speaks in more slang-y sentences, this book shows a more mature Wimsey who's fully aware of his duties to his family and the responsibilities of his position in life (an occasional theme in the series), and we see that Wimsey is far from being merely a man about London. The mystery itself is one of the more clever ones in the series, revolving around holes in Gerald's testimony which Wimsey must investigate, as well as the background of the murder victim, although the final resolution seems not to completely justify the build-up. (This is common in Sayers' mysteries; the setting and characters tend to be stronger than the puzzle driving the plot.) Overall, though, it's an entertaining book, featuring more moments of dramatic suspense than in the later novels, making it perhaps the most well-rounded Wimsey adventure.
Rating: 
Summary: Not worth it.
Review: This is the first book I have read by Dorothy L. Sayers. I'm sorry I read it. It is slow moving and unbelievable. I couldn't even finish reading it because it was so terrible. Not a good mystery.
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