we_are_all_mad_here26's review against another edition
lighthearted
mysterious
3.0
It's so interesting to me that in order to retrieve a letter that might be able to save the day, Lord Peter had to spend a great deal of money and time, making two trans-Atlantic journeys (in 1920, so air transportation involved the pilot getting drenched in a storm, as happened on LP's return journey) and tracking down a woman, the existence of whom he'd only recently learned. Whereas now, the whole transaction might have taken 10 minutes or less, and Lord Peter could have spent the time comfortably at his desk with a glass of very expensive port. Only three stars because the denouement, which was hardly needed at all, went on forever. And I wish that the two main characters were not named Lord Peter and Parker (as in Charles Parker, rarely referred to as anything more than his surname). I don't like it when crucial characters have names that are too similar. I did love Wimsey's mother.
kwcook's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
fast-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
5.0
kittykornerlibrarian's review against another edition
5.0
One of the earlier Lord Peter mysteries that shows the eccentric Wimsey family at its most typical... and introduces several threads that are played out in later books. Peter's elder brother, Gerald, is accused of the murder of one of his own house guests at a rented shooting manor in Yorkshire. Lord Peter is called to the scene and his work with Detective Inspector Parker eventually makes all clear, despite conflicting stories, suppressed evidence, and ulterior motives absolutely everywhere. I adore Lord Peter. That is all.
dawseyadams's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
fast-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
3.75
foxon's review against another edition
3.0
This entry in the series was a lot less charming than the last one. What I found to be the most enjoyable parts in Whose Body? was Wimsey's interactions with Bunter and we see almost none of the manservant here. The mystery was still interesting but again it felt a little lack luster (probably because we are dealing with over privileged aristocrats who just assume their rank will get them out of trouble).
I'll keep going as everyone seems to think the best books are with Harriet Vane.
I'll keep going as everyone seems to think the best books are with Harriet Vane.
sophiarose1816's review against another edition
funny
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
3.5
Hi ho, Lord Peter fans! He’s off to tackle another mystery and this time it hits close to home. Set post WWI during the exciting Roaring Twenties, Lord Peter’s personality is larger than life and was fun to see him among his family and friends rootling out the truth that both his siblings are working to hide for their own secretive reasons.
Clouds of Witness is the second book in the series and would work fine standalone.
A body is discovered near the conservatory door of the Duke of Denver’s hunting lodge where he’s hosting a hunting party. Unfortunately, Denver is discovered with the body and the coroner’s court determines to arrest him. Lord Peter hies it home from his travels in the Med to help out his brother from going to the gallows and solve it for his little sister’s sake since the deceased was her fiancé.
Loved the atmospheric York moors and the phlegmatic Yorkshire people getting to be the backdrop for this whodunit country house party murder. Sayers doesn’t limit her cast of suspects to the houseparty themselves, but include the possibility of the unknown when Peter and Parker detect clues that hint at outside night-time visitors to the lodge.
The first half of the book was light and fun and loaded with lots of Peter detecting with the help of his valet Bunter and his friend in Scotland Yard Inspector Parker. I enjoyed seeing Peter interact with the younger sister he realizes he barely knows now and his older brother, Gerald who can be pompous. The Dowager duchess is a hoot and is the source of all Peter’s personality.
But the second half around the three-quarter mark really slowed down when the court scenes began. There is a background suspense of Peter still pulling together clues as the clock is ticking. But, there were two things that were entirely superfluous and dragged the story to a grind. First, the letter read in court was read in its entirety in French and then entirely in English. It wasn’t short- it was necessary, but not two times worth. Secondly, after all the evidence and what should have been a quick wrap up, instead we got the lawyer retelling a redundant whole history of the case. All stuff the reader got from the previous pages. Then at the end, the lawyer finally hit on new details and the book wrapped up with a hilarious scene.
Mark Meadows was a solid narrator and did great with Lord Peter’s antics, the thick Yorkshire accents and the French with all the cast of characters easily distinguished.
All in all, I enjoyed this fun historical cozy murder mystery written during the Golden Age of British Mysteries. Definitely recommend when readers want a classic.
celina31's review against another edition
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
school_librarian60's review against another edition
3.0
3.5 stars. Classic British mystery and enjoyed this second Peter Wimsey book more than the first.
mschlat's review against another edition
5.0
I reread [b:Whose Body?|192893|Whose Body? (Lord Peter Wimsey, #1)|Dorothy L. Sayers|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1387573241l/192893._SY75_.jpg|1090544] and [b:Clouds of Witness|192888|Clouds of Witness (Lord Peter Wimsey, #2)|Dorothy L. Sayers|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1287510321l/192888._SY75_.jpg|1576206] (the first two Lord Peter Wimsey mysteries) in quick succession, so I thought I would do a quick comparison.
Whose Body? reads like a novella; it's a very focused work that's almost all about the peculiarities of the mystery (an unidentified naked body is found in a bathtub at the same time a rich businessman goes missing). It's not an origin story for Wimsey --- he has already started detectiving --- but it does give some background on him and his manservant Bunter, especially with regards to their experiences in the Great War. And the writing does a lot to emphasize the nuts and bolts of detective fiction, with the characters even commenting how the current case does and does not compare to Sherlock Holmes stories.
Clouds of Witness, on the other hand, focuses less on the mysterious death (there's much less of the "locked room" feel about it) and much more on Wimsey and his family. His brother is accused of the murder, his sister is deeply entangled in the goings on, and both are full fledged characters that fill out the reader's knowledge of Wimsey. If Whose Body? reads like an expanded novella, Clouds of Witness feels like a full novel. Sayers gets in not only the mystery and the family drama, but some moments of thrilling drama for Wimsey and the pageantry of a nobleman's trial. It's a deeper, richer work that still scratches the itch of mystery fiction.
Mind you, I'm a big fan of Wimsey as a character --- I've always liked the idea of the frivolous character hiding a more serious thinker --- so I love these books anyway, but I think both are well done mysteries. If you really wanted to just dip into the series, I think Clouds of Witness is more representative of Sayers's work, but there's nothing wrong with beginning with the beginning.
Whose Body? reads like a novella; it's a very focused work that's almost all about the peculiarities of the mystery (an unidentified naked body is found in a bathtub at the same time a rich businessman goes missing). It's not an origin story for Wimsey --- he has already started detectiving --- but it does give some background on him and his manservant Bunter, especially with regards to their experiences in the Great War. And the writing does a lot to emphasize the nuts and bolts of detective fiction, with the characters even commenting how the current case does and does not compare to Sherlock Holmes stories.
Clouds of Witness, on the other hand, focuses less on the mysterious death (there's much less of the "locked room" feel about it) and much more on Wimsey and his family. His brother is accused of the murder, his sister is deeply entangled in the goings on, and both are full fledged characters that fill out the reader's knowledge of Wimsey. If Whose Body? reads like an expanded novella, Clouds of Witness feels like a full novel. Sayers gets in not only the mystery and the family drama, but some moments of thrilling drama for Wimsey and the pageantry of a nobleman's trial. It's a deeper, richer work that still scratches the itch of mystery fiction.
Mind you, I'm a big fan of Wimsey as a character --- I've always liked the idea of the frivolous character hiding a more serious thinker --- so I love these books anyway, but I think both are well done mysteries. If you really wanted to just dip into the series, I think Clouds of Witness is more representative of Sayers's work, but there's nothing wrong with beginning with the beginning.
elies's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
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
3.5