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thepaperbackplanner's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
3.0
At last, we come to the end of Lord Peter Wimsey and Harriet Vane’s take of murder and romance. It’s bittersweet because I will miss Harriet as a narrator, but the conclusion of their romance was (spoilers ahead) quite satisfying. I love that their story didn’t end at the proposal — it’s much more interesting to see how Peter and Harriet are changed by marriage. All told, I would happily recommend these four Wimsey mysteries to fans of the genre and/or a great love story (with a hearty warning to beware of, I guess, period-typical bigotry and language).
calfaile's review against another edition
lighthearted
mysterious
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
thenovelbook's review
5.0
Re-read, November 2021: I maintain my theory that reading the Lord Peter books in order is almost a mistake...I think if I had started with the very first one, I would not have felt a strong inclination to read any more. No, it's in the quartet of books featuring Harriet Vane that Peter develops into a complex human. And the process of finding his fragile, painful, extraordinary balance with Harriet is the thing that actually matters.
Busman's Honeymoon is an exquisitely written story of the beginning of a marriage of two equal minds. It's unique and it's thought-provoking.
---------------------
Original review:
This is either a love story with detective interruptions, or the other way round. Either way, one is certain to prefer one part of it over the other, and I definitely prefer the interludes between Lord Peter and his new bride. Not only are they very much in love, they are incredibly honest, communicative, and generous with each other about the adjustment that married life means. They have both found rest from the weary world, in each other.
Here's one of my favorite of their exchanges:
"Harriet," he said, suddenly, "what do you think about life? I mean, do you find it good on the whole. Worth living?"
(He could, at any rate, trust her not to protest, archly: "That's a nice thing to ask on one's honeymoon!")
She turned to him with a quick readiness, as though here was the opportunity to say something she had been wanting to say for a long time:
"Yes! I've always felt absolutely certain it was good--if only one could get it straightened out. I've hated almost everything that ever happened to me, but I knew all the time it was just things that were wrong, not everything....It seems like a miracle to be able to look forward--to--to see all the minutes in front of one come hopping along with something marvelous in them, instead of just saying, Well, that one didn't actually hurt and the next may be quite bearable if only something beastly doesn't come pouncing out--"
"As bad as that?"
"No, not really, because one got used to it--to being everlastingly tightened up to face things, you see. But when one doesn't have to anymore, it's different--I can't tell you what a difference it makes."
Harriet's line has stayed with me ever since I first read it years ago, and I sometimes say it to myself--"It's just things that are wrong, not everything." I find it profound.
That Dorothy Sayers really has a gift for words.
Just a note on the text: There are a ton of classical allusions here, most of which I don't get, as I'm not good on Latin and my knowledge of poetry is patchy. Doesn't affect my enjoyment. There are also a few passages in French. But that's what Google Translate is for.
On re-reading this in 2021, I found an absolutely invaluable site here where someone has done a beautiful job with annotations and translations chapter by chapter.
Busman's Honeymoon is an exquisitely written story of the beginning of a marriage of two equal minds. It's unique and it's thought-provoking.
---------------------
Original review:
This is either a love story with detective interruptions, or the other way round. Either way, one is certain to prefer one part of it over the other, and I definitely prefer the interludes between Lord Peter and his new bride. Not only are they very much in love, they are incredibly honest, communicative, and generous with each other about the adjustment that married life means. They have both found rest from the weary world, in each other.
Here's one of my favorite of their exchanges:
"Harriet," he said, suddenly, "what do you think about life? I mean, do you find it good on the whole. Worth living?"
(He could, at any rate, trust her not to protest, archly: "That's a nice thing to ask on one's honeymoon!")
She turned to him with a quick readiness, as though here was the opportunity to say something she had been wanting to say for a long time:
"Yes! I've always felt absolutely certain it was good--if only one could get it straightened out. I've hated almost everything that ever happened to me, but I knew all the time it was just things that were wrong, not everything....It seems like a miracle to be able to look forward--to--to see all the minutes in front of one come hopping along with something marvelous in them, instead of just saying, Well, that one didn't actually hurt and the next may be quite bearable if only something beastly doesn't come pouncing out--"
"As bad as that?"
"No, not really, because one got used to it--to being everlastingly tightened up to face things, you see. But when one doesn't have to anymore, it's different--I can't tell you what a difference it makes."
Harriet's line has stayed with me ever since I first read it years ago, and I sometimes say it to myself--"It's just things that are wrong, not everything." I find it profound.
That Dorothy Sayers really has a gift for words.
Just a note on the text: There are a ton of classical allusions here, most of which I don't get, as I'm not good on Latin and my knowledge of poetry is patchy. Doesn't affect my enjoyment. There are also a few passages in French. But that's what Google Translate is for.
On re-reading this in 2021, I found an absolutely invaluable site here where someone has done a beautiful job with annotations and translations chapter by chapter.
naluju's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
justasking27's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? Yes
4.5
amyingomar's review
emotional
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
kathydavie's review against another edition
5.0
Eleventh and last in the Lord Peter Wimsey vintage mystery series (but not last in Lord Peter’s new married life) and revolving around a noble amateur sleuth. The couple focus is on the newlywed couple on their homegrown honeymoon.
My Take
It is so sweet how much the duchess adores Harriet, lol. Such a contrast with the hideous Helen.
Sayers is using third person global subjective point-of-view, as we hear the thoughts of a number of characters. Naturally Peter, Harriet, and Bunter have the primary perspectives, but we also hear from Mrs Ruddle, the crowd in the pub, and the police.
Hmm, Peter is full of manly wisdom, such as always to remember in the morning who you took to bed. I wonder if that’s a tip from Uncle Paul?
It’s an interesting revelation for Harriet when she realizes she’s “married England”. That Peter not only fits in, in London, but also in the village. Then again, “feelings are a privilege of the upper classes”? Poor Peter. It provides Kirk the opportunity to bemoan the passing away of a squire who understood how things worked in the country.
I’ve always loved how people can remember lines, quotes, from a book and apply them to a situation, and Peter and Harriet are aces at this game. And they pull Superintendent Kirk into the play.
I do feel for Foster, not understanding why he’s always passed over for promotion — he always does everything absolutely correct.
Lord Peter is in a unique situation: for the first time it matters what his relationship with his lover will be. It is funny how Harriet is suddenly the confident one with Peter unsure of himself, and Bunter playing his own guessing games. Ohh, more sweetness. Peter has been collecting cuttings about Harriet for the past six years.
Poor Aggie Twitterton. So many hopes and dreams that’ll bring everything down. Bunter has his own problems not least of which is Mrs Ruddle’s interfering dusting — the port!! — along with little furniture, no foodstuffs other than the Fortnum and Mason hamper, and nothing set up for the house.
That Frank. Oy. What a user!!
There are a number of revelations about Lord Peter, not least of which is the duchess noting that he doesn’t like responsibility. Not after what he went through during World War I. The duchess also provides back history on Bunter! He’d been a footman at Sir John Sanderton’s before the war.
Busman's Honeymoon is a lot of cooing and introspection as Peter, Harriet, and Bunter struggle to adjust to their new reality as the three of them work to solve this new mystery.
“I love you — I am rest with you — I have come home.”
The Story
Society’s eligible women are in mourning. Lord Peter Wimsey has married at last, having finally succeeded in his ardent pursuit of the lovely mystery novelist Harriet Vane. The two depart for a tranquil honeymoon in a country farmhouse but find, instead of a well-prepared love nest, the place left in a shambles by the previous owner.
His sudden, deadly appearance, only prompts more questions. Why would anyone have wanted to kill old Mr Noakes? What dark secrets had he to hide?
It's a busman's honeymoon as Lord Peter and Harriet Vane start their investigations. Suspicion is rife and everyone seems to have something to hide, from the local constable to the housekeeper. Wimsey and his wife can think of plenty of theories, but it’s not until they discover a vital fact that the identity of the murderer becomes clear.
The Characters
Lady Peter, a.k.a. Harriet Vane that was, is happy. Miss Bracey is Harriet’s secretary from whom Harriet had to borrow 10 bob. Lord Peter Wimsey has been a carefree bachelor for many years, let alone the years he spent hoping for Harriet’s yes. Well, and ignoring the PTSD he still suffers. Bunter is Lord Peter’s personal man of all things.
Honoria Lucasta, the Dowager Duchess of Denver, is Peter’s mother looking like a “small eighteenth century marquise”. Franklin is the duchess’ maid. Ahasuerus is the duchess’ cat. Gerald is Peter’s older brother and the duke. Jerry is Gerald’s son and heir. Uncle Pandarus “can cram more cynical indelicacy into a letter of good advice”. Jenkins is the lodgekeeper. Bill is Jenkins’ son who got his sergeant’s stripes. Morton and Bates are footmen. Mrs Sweetapple is the housekeeper. Mr Leggatt seems to be a family lawyer. Cousin Matthew, a third cousin, tends to the library. Mr Liddell. Willy Bodgett is one of the children attending the service in the church. Old Gregory, Uncle Roger, and Lady Susan are family ghosts.
Talboys is . . .
. . . a house in Paggleham that Harriet remembers from her childhood. William Noakes is the owner. The twittery Aggie Twitterton, an old maid, is Noakes’ niece who keeps hens. (Aggie’s dad, Dick Twitterton, was Ted Baker’s cowman who married Noakes’ schoomistress sister.) Mrs Warner had had such terrible rheumatism in her hands. Mrs Ruddle cleans the house for Noakes. Bert, her husband, had once worked for Mr Vickey at Five Elms. Another Bert is her son. Mrs Hodges is a friend of Mrs Ruddle; Susan is Mrs Hodges’ daughter. Mr Hodges delivers logs to Talboys. Puffett is a builder who can clean chimneys. Jinny is Puffett’s wife, and George is their son. George Willis appears to own the local grocery; Jimmy is one of his employees. The Home and Colonial is supposedly cheaper. Frank Crutchley mostly drives hire cars for Mr Hancock but also does the gardening at Talboys. He sleeps above Hancock’s garage along with their other chap, Williams. Polly Mason is Frank’s flighty girlfriend. The Reverend Simon Goodacre is the untidy vicar with a love for plants — he’d gone to Magdalen at Oxford. Miss Moody. Carter Paterson has delivered the heavy luggage. Willy Abbot is the milkman. Elsie is the stationmaster’s daughter. The Batesons had been a dear old couple. Mrs Sweeting had kept pigs. Joe Sellon is the local police constable. George Withers. Old Blunt.
The Pig and Whistle is in Pagford. Mr Roberts keeps the Crown. And so does Mr Gudgeon it seems. Katie, Polly, and Ted Puddock are both patrons. Tom Dudden had an auction on furniture. Bill Skipton seems to be a poacher. Mr Raikes is complaining about his birds. Datchett has a farm. Mr Trevor is the local squire who knows nothing about country life. Mr Moffatt has a tractor with a barn. Mr Giddy has a field that’s useful for parking. Mr and Mrs Sowerton, the Jenkinses, and Miss Grant were some of the funeral attendees.
Law enforcement in and around Paggleham
Joe Sellon is a police constable (PC) with a terrible secret. And his wife is pregnant again. Arthur is one of the Sellons’ children. The book-loving Superintendent Sam Kirk (Mrs Kirk likes a good Edgar Wallace). Sergeant Foster, a strict Plymouth Brethren, may not be the best supervisor for Sellon. More sergeants include Blades, Jakes, and Hart. PCs Jordan and Norman. Inspector Goudy. Davidson.
Dr James Craven. George Lugg is the undertaker. I think Harry is Lugg’s assistant. John Perkins is a lawyer and one of His Majesty’s coroners.
MacBride is with Macdonald & Abrahams and has come to deliver a writ. Levy, Levy & Levy. Mr “Solly” Solomons of Moss & Isaacs has a bill of sale on furniture. Bill, Jack, and George are the movers.
In Lopsley, Bill Muggins notes a beautiful base for a sundial while Jim Hawtrey knows a man selling chimney pots. Joe Dudden and Harry Gates constructed the sundial.
The Dowager Duchess’ friends include Mirabelle, Countess of Severn and Thames. Other society ladies include Mrs Chipperly James; the Honorable Mrs Trumpe-Harte, who had had plans for her daughter Monica; Mrs Dalilah Snype; Miss Amaranth Sylvester-Quicke, who had tried hard for Peter; and, Marjorie, Lady Grummidge, all have something to say. Lord Wellwater from the Foreign Office gave an unexpected speech. The Belchesters’ home in Audley Square will be taken. Murbles is the Wimsey family lawyer. Abrahams is the jeweler Peter saw. Worth is/was a famous fashion house. Merryweather was an old poacher on the Denver estate. Philip Boyes had been Harriet’s nauseating writer boyfriend (Strong Poison, 5). George Joseph Smith was a serial killer. Salcombe “Sally” Hardy is a journalist and sometimes friend to Lord Peter. Hector Puncheon is with the Morning Star. Harriet has a married friend who had confided in her about her own honeymoon. Mr Robert Templeton is the hero of Harriet’s detective books. Impey Biggs is a King’s Counsel and a friend of Peter's. Thipps is an architect with real feeling for period stuff (Whose Body?, 1). Miss Climpson runs a typing bureau for Lord Peter. Simcox is the real estate agent.
The Cover and Title
The cover has a soft gray background with the partial torso dressed in a button-down shirt of navy blue vertical stripes against a cream background. Between the stripes are vertical rows of burgundy dots. The round-pointed collar is white. The blue tweed vest uses a herringbone pattern with black buttons. At the very top is the series info in black. The title is in white and is framed on the left by Lord Peter’s monocle swinging up in an arc. The author’s name is below the torso in black.
The title is true enough for Lord Peter is having a Busman's Honeymoon.
My Take
It is so sweet how much the duchess adores Harriet, lol. Such a contrast with the hideous Helen.
”Peter had only said it was the first time his features had ever been prized above rubies.”Considering how nasty Helen is, you will LYAO as you read of Helen’s plans for Peter and Harriet’s wedding and then the reality of it. Tu m’envires (you get me drunk)? That's different, *grin*. You have got to read the letters at the very beginning to get the background on how Peter's mother and various society ladies view Peter's marriage.
Sayers is using third person global subjective point-of-view, as we hear the thoughts of a number of characters. Naturally Peter, Harriet, and Bunter have the primary perspectives, but we also hear from Mrs Ruddle, the crowd in the pub, and the police.
Hmm, Peter is full of manly wisdom, such as always to remember in the morning who you took to bed. I wonder if that’s a tip from Uncle Paul?
It’s an interesting revelation for Harriet when she realizes she’s “married England”. That Peter not only fits in, in London, but also in the village. Then again, “feelings are a privilege of the upper classes”? Poor Peter. It provides Kirk the opportunity to bemoan the passing away of a squire who understood how things worked in the country.
I’ve always loved how people can remember lines, quotes, from a book and apply them to a situation, and Peter and Harriet are aces at this game. And they pull Superintendent Kirk into the play.
I do feel for Foster, not understanding why he’s always passed over for promotion — he always does everything absolutely correct.
Lord Peter is in a unique situation: for the first time it matters what his relationship with his lover will be. It is funny how Harriet is suddenly the confident one with Peter unsure of himself, and Bunter playing his own guessing games. Ohh, more sweetness. Peter has been collecting cuttings about Harriet for the past six years.
Poor Aggie Twitterton. So many hopes and dreams that’ll bring everything down. Bunter has his own problems not least of which is Mrs Ruddle’s interfering dusting — the port!! — along with little furniture, no foodstuffs other than the Fortnum and Mason hamper, and nothing set up for the house.
That Frank. Oy. What a user!!
There are a number of revelations about Lord Peter, not least of which is the duchess noting that he doesn’t like responsibility. Not after what he went through during World War I. The duchess also provides back history on Bunter! He’d been a footman at Sir John Sanderton’s before the war.
Busman's Honeymoon is a lot of cooing and introspection as Peter, Harriet, and Bunter struggle to adjust to their new reality as the three of them work to solve this new mystery.
“I love you — I am rest with you — I have come home.”
The Story
Society’s eligible women are in mourning. Lord Peter Wimsey has married at last, having finally succeeded in his ardent pursuit of the lovely mystery novelist Harriet Vane. The two depart for a tranquil honeymoon in a country farmhouse but find, instead of a well-prepared love nest, the place left in a shambles by the previous owner.
His sudden, deadly appearance, only prompts more questions. Why would anyone have wanted to kill old Mr Noakes? What dark secrets had he to hide?
It's a busman's honeymoon as Lord Peter and Harriet Vane start their investigations. Suspicion is rife and everyone seems to have something to hide, from the local constable to the housekeeper. Wimsey and his wife can think of plenty of theories, but it’s not until they discover a vital fact that the identity of the murderer becomes clear.
The Characters
Lady Peter, a.k.a. Harriet Vane that was, is happy. Miss Bracey is Harriet’s secretary from whom Harriet had to borrow 10 bob. Lord Peter Wimsey has been a carefree bachelor for many years, let alone the years he spent hoping for Harriet’s yes. Well, and ignoring the PTSD he still suffers. Bunter is Lord Peter’s personal man of all things.
Honoria Lucasta, the Dowager Duchess of Denver, is Peter’s mother looking like a “small eighteenth century marquise”. Franklin is the duchess’ maid. Ahasuerus is the duchess’ cat. Gerald is Peter’s older brother and the duke. Jerry is Gerald’s son and heir. Uncle Pandarus “can cram more cynical indelicacy into a letter of good advice”. Jenkins is the lodgekeeper. Bill is Jenkins’ son who got his sergeant’s stripes. Morton and Bates are footmen. Mrs Sweetapple is the housekeeper. Mr Leggatt seems to be a family lawyer. Cousin Matthew, a third cousin, tends to the library. Mr Liddell. Willy Bodgett is one of the children attending the service in the church. Old Gregory, Uncle Roger, and Lady Susan are family ghosts.
Talboys is . . .
. . . a house in Paggleham that Harriet remembers from her childhood. William Noakes is the owner. The twittery Aggie Twitterton, an old maid, is Noakes’ niece who keeps hens. (Aggie’s dad, Dick Twitterton, was Ted Baker’s cowman who married Noakes’ schoomistress sister.) Mrs Warner had had such terrible rheumatism in her hands. Mrs Ruddle cleans the house for Noakes. Bert, her husband, had once worked for Mr Vickey at Five Elms. Another Bert is her son. Mrs Hodges is a friend of Mrs Ruddle; Susan is Mrs Hodges’ daughter. Mr Hodges delivers logs to Talboys. Puffett is a builder who can clean chimneys. Jinny is Puffett’s wife, and George is their son. George Willis appears to own the local grocery; Jimmy is one of his employees. The Home and Colonial is supposedly cheaper. Frank Crutchley mostly drives hire cars for Mr Hancock but also does the gardening at Talboys. He sleeps above Hancock’s garage along with their other chap, Williams. Polly Mason is Frank’s flighty girlfriend. The Reverend Simon Goodacre is the untidy vicar with a love for plants — he’d gone to Magdalen at Oxford. Miss Moody. Carter Paterson has delivered the heavy luggage. Willy Abbot is the milkman. Elsie is the stationmaster’s daughter. The Batesons had been a dear old couple. Mrs Sweeting had kept pigs. Joe Sellon is the local police constable. George Withers. Old Blunt.
The Pig and Whistle is in Pagford. Mr Roberts keeps the Crown. And so does Mr Gudgeon it seems. Katie, Polly, and Ted Puddock are both patrons. Tom Dudden had an auction on furniture. Bill Skipton seems to be a poacher. Mr Raikes is complaining about his birds. Datchett has a farm. Mr Trevor is the local squire who knows nothing about country life. Mr Moffatt has a tractor with a barn. Mr Giddy has a field that’s useful for parking. Mr and Mrs Sowerton, the Jenkinses, and Miss Grant were some of the funeral attendees.
Law enforcement in and around Paggleham
Joe Sellon is a police constable (PC) with a terrible secret. And his wife is pregnant again. Arthur is one of the Sellons’ children. The book-loving Superintendent Sam Kirk (Mrs Kirk likes a good Edgar Wallace). Sergeant Foster, a strict Plymouth Brethren, may not be the best supervisor for Sellon. More sergeants include Blades, Jakes, and Hart. PCs Jordan and Norman. Inspector Goudy. Davidson.
Dr James Craven. George Lugg is the undertaker. I think Harry is Lugg’s assistant. John Perkins is a lawyer and one of His Majesty’s coroners.
MacBride is with Macdonald & Abrahams and has come to deliver a writ. Levy, Levy & Levy. Mr “Solly” Solomons of Moss & Isaacs has a bill of sale on furniture. Bill, Jack, and George are the movers.
In Lopsley, Bill Muggins notes a beautiful base for a sundial while Jim Hawtrey knows a man selling chimney pots. Joe Dudden and Harry Gates constructed the sundial.
The Dowager Duchess’ friends include Mirabelle, Countess of Severn and Thames. Other society ladies include Mrs Chipperly James; the Honorable Mrs Trumpe-Harte, who had had plans for her daughter Monica; Mrs Dalilah Snype; Miss Amaranth Sylvester-Quicke, who had tried hard for Peter; and, Marjorie, Lady Grummidge, all have something to say. Lord Wellwater from the Foreign Office gave an unexpected speech. The Belchesters’ home in Audley Square will be taken. Murbles is the Wimsey family lawyer. Abrahams is the jeweler Peter saw. Worth is/was a famous fashion house. Merryweather was an old poacher on the Denver estate. Philip Boyes had been Harriet’s nauseating writer boyfriend (Strong Poison, 5). George Joseph Smith was a serial killer. Salcombe “Sally” Hardy is a journalist and sometimes friend to Lord Peter. Hector Puncheon is with the Morning Star. Harriet has a married friend who had confided in her about her own honeymoon. Mr Robert Templeton is the hero of Harriet’s detective books. Impey Biggs is a King’s Counsel and a friend of Peter's. Thipps is an architect with real feeling for period stuff (Whose Body?, 1). Miss Climpson runs a typing bureau for Lord Peter. Simcox is the real estate agent.
The Cover and Title
The cover has a soft gray background with the partial torso dressed in a button-down shirt of navy blue vertical stripes against a cream background. Between the stripes are vertical rows of burgundy dots. The round-pointed collar is white. The blue tweed vest uses a herringbone pattern with black buttons. At the very top is the series info in black. The title is in white and is framed on the left by Lord Peter’s monocle swinging up in an arc. The author’s name is below the torso in black.
The title is true enough for Lord Peter is having a Busman's Honeymoon.
kstephensreads's review against another edition
5.0
I love this book so much. It’s literate and smart and romantic and it doesn’t matter that I just read it a year ago and remembered the ‘’who done it’... It’s not about the murder mystery for me as much as the complexities of the characters. I want to be the Dowager Dutchess when I grow up.
phoebemurtagh's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
mysterious
reflective
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
Wow!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder
Minor: Misogyny and Antisemitism