ISBN: 0-312-18196-5 Order from: Amazon.com Barnes & Noble.com
An excellent novel completed by Walsh from an outline by Sayers allows another glimpse at the well-beloved Peter Wimsey series of classical English mysteries.
Reviewed by David on April 27, 1998 (rev. 2)
Genre: Mystery (Amateur Sleuth, Historical)
Synopsis: Peter Wimsey and Harriet Vane start their married life solving minor domestic problems, as well as the sudden murder of an upper-class acquaintance.
Full Review: After returning from their honeymoon, Harriet and Peter Wimsey are settling into married life, when Peter's assistance is requested by the police in solving the puzzling murder of an upper-class woman. The mystery proceeds to unfold with an almost stately grace, with some detours and distractions on the way to the conclusion. Peter Wimsey performs his usual miracles, ably assisted by his new wife, non-servile servants, and competent but somewhat plodding police. On the way, we get a full dose of the life of the rich and well-connected in the England around 1936.
This novel brings a wonderful glimpse at the Peter Wimsey world, which is one of the best creations of the classical English mystery. The interplay between Peter and Harriet is delightful, as full of warmth, wit and erudition, as in the original Sayers books. It even made a recently read and excellent To Say Nothing of the Dog by Connie Willis better (where it is referred to as a model for a romantic relationship).
The old friends, including Bunter, make their appearance and contribute to solving the crime. The atmosphere is slightly shadowed by the approaching World War II. This novel is more firmly seated in time, and clearly takes place later than most of the original novels.
The flaw in this book is that it is a bit self-indulgently nostalgic: more for the Wimsey world than for the halcyon sunset of the Empire. Almost all of the good elements and characters make their appearance. The life of the two heroes, Harriet and Peter, is suspiciously idyllic.
However, I have greatly enjoyed wallowing one more time in one of the most charming creations of Dorothy Sayers, one of the best mystery writers in the English language. If you are a fan of Wimsey, I recommend this book. If you are not, I recommend it anyway, together with the marvelous opus of the earlier, original books. Enjoy.
Overall: 6.5;
St. Martin's Press, February 1998, Cloth, 312 pages
ISBN: 0-312-18196-5 Order from: Amazon.com Barnes & Noble.com