Reviews

Strong Poison by Dorothy L. Sayers

floristseatfree's review against another edition

lighthearted mysterious medium-paced

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

3.0

Enjoying reading all the Harriet Vane novels. I like Lord Peter and finished all his short stories, but wasn’t hanging with the full novels til Harriet arrived on the scene. 

proust_mobile's review against another edition

4.25

I'm mourning that Lord Peter Whimsey is no longer a cartoon character by the 5th book in this series, though the transition is thoughtful and intentional. The initial fun and games of amateur sleuthing has led to quite a few real corpses, many of whom died as a result of his meddling. It all tracks, but I miss the initial humor of the series.

There's still a lot to love about this one, and Dorothy L. Sayers gets a lot of traction out of the new and comically obvious self-insert character Harriet Vane, which opens up a lot of avenues for metatextual observations on the mystery genre and sly critiques of gender roles. I also love the ludicrous and perfect way Peter's detective work has expanded, employing a crew of out-of-work women after he realizes that the overlooked 1920's spinster is uniquely suited for spycraft. It took a while to come into focus, but the ingenious ending was another home run.

miss_meg's review against another edition

4.0

Harriet Vane, a mystery novelist, has been accused of murdering her former lover with arsenic, a weapon her newest book is about. She goes to trial, but the jury cannnot come to a verdict. Lord Peter Wimsey, an amateur detective who wants to marry Harriet, is convinced of her innocence and is set on finding evidence that proves it before her next trial. Peter was quirky and humorous. The plot of the story was clever and I enjoyed reading it.

rainwombat's review against another edition

funny informative mysterious medium-paced

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

4.0

cforss's review against another edition

funny lighthearted mysterious relaxing medium-paced

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

3.5

resaspieces's review against another edition

Clever! Loved the strong character descriptions and quirky conversations.

abrswf's review against another edition

5.0

This is one of my favorites in the Wimsey series, in which Harriet Vane and a pronounced shift toward feminism are introduced. And there's arsenic poisoning, always a good basis for a mystery story. It has a sprightly tone and is one of the few in the series where you might find yourself a half step ahead of Wimsey.

we_are_all_mad_here26's review against another edition

lighthearted mysterious

4.0

 In 2023 they swipe right or left, I never remember which is which, and then text and/or speak over the phone any number of times, then maybe meet for coffee, then maybe drinks, then dinner and drinks, then eventually one moves in with the other, then they fight and break up and now one has to move out, and who gets to keep the puppy? Then they might get back together or they might not; in any case - all this, and never once is marriage mentioned.

In 1930 they spotted the accused murderess across a crowded courtroom and said, "I must marry her. Bunter, make it so." 

debjazzergal's review against another edition

4.0

While most modern day mystery fans may figure out the mystery, it's a well written fun read.

jezzajezza's review against another edition

mysterious tense fast-paced

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

4.0