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.
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: It's good to see the Wimseys again
Review: When I finished reading the last page of the last Lord Peter story I was sad because there weren't anymore and since Ms Sayers had died there weren't going to be anymore. I was delighted when I discovered that someone had picked up the story. Is Ms Walsh's writing just the same as Ms Sayers? No, of course not, but she does have a good feel for the subject, I enjoyed THRONES, DOMINATIONS greatly. The story picks up a few months after BUSMAN'S HONEYMOON. Lord Peter and Harriet have returned to their London residence, Harriet is still trying to adjust to her new lifestyle and both are struggling with Peter's family. A murder takes place involving a young couple with which they are acquainted. Peter and Parker solve the crime with the assistance of Harriet and Bunter. The scenes of the Wimseys' domestic life are wonderful, and well written. Harriet finally standing up to her overbearing sister-in-law is fantastic! There are many delightful journal enteries from the Dowager Duchess as well as scenes with many old friends from previous novels. The flaws I found were really more in the editing than the writing. Some passages could have been trimmed a bit, perhaps others even eliminated since fans of Lord Peter and Harriet Vane really don't need to be reminded of the back story. More details about the time period, particularly Edward and Mrs Simpson, the rise of Hitler and the changing of societal rules were added in this work than in the original stories but Ms Sayers was writing for a contemporary audience while Ms Walsh's readers are separated from the era by seventy years.
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.
Rating: 
Summary: I wish I'd never read this
Review: Disgusting. For anyone who has any respect for Dorothy Sayers' oeuvre, this is a book to stay as far away from as possible. The plot is farfetched. The prose is trashy, clunking, and altogether painful to read. Having polluted my mind with this pathetic and grotesque attempt to complete Sayers' last, unfinished novel, I can only hope the passage of time and rereading of the other Wimsey novels will eventually erase the impact of this one from my mind.
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: Seamless?
Review: No, sorry, if you know Sayers well, you definitely know where Walsh starts off.
All the same it's a nice read, and the Sayers part is, as always, worth it.
:-)
Rating:
Summary: Not bad on it's own but also not Sayers
Review: Although I'm glad to know that Sayers intended Peter & Harriet to have a happy ending. I think I knew that without reading this book. I wonder if Sayers notes weren't very extensive. The mystery seemed to be an after thought and didn't even begin untill the book was half over. I was annoyed by the fact that this author felt the need to work nearly every other character we've ever met in Sayers books in to this one. I found the introduction of a charachter that was bassicaly a femaly Bunter redundant. I'm also of the opinion that Bunter himself would have been appauled at the attempt to tie him up like a lose end. I don't want to say the book was all bad. I enjoyed it while I read it but I think other fans of Sayers works might find themselves dissapointed.
Rating: 
Summary: Not quite Dorothy Sayers
Review: I picked this book up at the library not noticing the second author until I was almost finished. When I discovered the second author it answered a lot of the questions I had about the book. It has a lot of quirks that just don't seem true to Sayers. The personal side of Harriet and Peter drive this book, not the mystery. The book did satisfy my curiosity about what happened to the characters but the mystery was sub-par. I don't think I ever figured out a Sayers mystery as quickly as I figured out this one. The book was still enjoyable, and I think I enjoy it more knowing it wasn't pure Sayers. I would like to see the second author try another Wimsey/Vane story, maybe there are some more Sayers' notes lying around the Fleming estate.
Rating:
Summary: Sayers Set It Aside for a Reason
Review: This book was, I think, never really meant to happen. I have nothing but the highest respect for Sayers herself. I have also recently reread the "real" stories in the Wimsey-Vane series. And _Thrones and Dominations_ (T&D) just doesn't fit. One thing some folks fail to realize is that _Busman's Honeymoon_ (BH) started out as a play (for the BBC, if memory serves). The later book treatment not only greatly fleshed out the story, it thoroughly analyzed the new relationship between the two main characters. Most importantly, it bared aspects of Wimsey's soul in gut-wrenching ways--most importantly, the personal price he had to pay for the work he chose to do. It was clear that, in the end, the relationship was solidified in mutual understanding, acceptance, and love. T&D takes a giant step *backward* from that point, almost from the first page. Instead of having the magnificent, hard won resolution of the earlier book, we are told we need to fight similar battles all over again--and much less well than Sayers herself did. That alone doesn't square with my assessment of the levels of intelligence of the characters and Sayers. I wonder about the timing of Sayers' unfinished draft relative to BH. Could it be that she set T&D aside quite deliberately, either replacing it with the novelization of BH or dropping the idea of yet another novel simply because the story had almost all been told? (The subsequent short stories involving their sons are, in contrast, charming and entertaining, a family whole and content with itself.)
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