Reviews

The Nine Tailors by Dorothy L. Sayers

plinktin's review against another edition

Boring; took too long for the action to start for such a short book, especially when it’s considered the author’s best book. 

justasking27's review

adventurous mysterious slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.75

alliepeduto's review

2.0

This is a classic, so while I don’t regret reading it, I really didn’t love it. I barely even stayed awake to finish it, which considering I listened to the BBC production of this (complete with the damn bells), is saying a lot.

The plot just seemed really cluttered and the middle was entirely unnecessary from my point of view. Still, considering Dorothy L. Sayers was a literary icon, I would still recommend any avid mystery fans to check her out.

rowanjo's review against another edition

mysterious medium-paced

3.75

wraps up pretty fast but I didn't find it fully satisfying

proust_mobile's review against another edition

5.0

After a number of punchy openings, I was caught off guard by the curious and somber start to this later entry in the Lord Peter series. There's a lot of gorgeous stage-setting and no murder to speak of for quite a while, and I slowly realized that this was Dorothy L. Sayers' way of rolling up her sleeves to deliver her masterpiece.

While I normally complain about the slow decrease in humor in this series, its absence here makes a lot of sense. In its place is a deep respect for an ancient craft and an overflowing of empathy for its practitioners and for the residents of this small town, even for the criminals. Sayers had done deep dives into obscure cultures and societies before, and she outdoes herself here. Through her patient reverence, the art of liturgical bell-ringing is fascinating and never feels forced. And with regards to the mystery itself, she's firing on all cylinders, concocting an addictive and engrossing story that slowly spirals into a final terrifying point. Her care and passion has never been more apparent.

eleaax's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.25

talina's review against another edition

mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.5

katiewhocanread's review against another edition

adventurous funny mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Ableism, Death, Violence, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, and Death of parent

Minor: Sexism, Car accident, Antisemitism, Child death, and War

piqnick14's review against another edition

mysterious medium-paced

4.0

Liked it, but wasn't totally captivated by the main character (Lord Wimsey) and sidekick (Bunter) as I would have liked. Still a worthwhile read and really interesting insight into change ringing

coops456's review against another edition

2.0

The ninth title featuring Lord Peter, this is not one of the best Wimseys; there was far too much esoterica about bell-ringing for me. The actual plot was pretty good although, unusually for Sayers, the ending felt a little trite.