Scan barcode
A review by proust_mobile
Clouds of Witness by Dorothy L. Sayers
4.75
The second book in the Lord Peter Wimsey series, and hi hello I am officially in love. I've read that the outright nonsense of these characters gets toned down in the later books, which is sad to hear because this one nails the balance between high society farce and serious airtight storytelling. I truly love this idiot, I literally cheered when he showed up at the end after a brief absence. This is also the most I've laughed with a novel probably ever.
My initial sense that this character was written as the anti-Sherlock seems to be confirmed here, not just because of the many wily references to that other series, but also because of the fundamentally different approach to detective work. Instead of a man with an infallible sense of detection that is treated like a superpower, this series argues that solving mysteries requires nothing more than thoroughness and persistence, something that anyone can do, including the helpless Lord Peter.
My initial sense that this character was written as the anti-Sherlock seems to be confirmed here, not just because of the many wily references to that other series, but also because of the fundamentally different approach to detective work. Instead of a man with an infallible sense of detection that is treated like a superpower, this series argues that solving mysteries requires nothing more than thoroughness and persistence, something that anyone can do, including the helpless Lord Peter.