I thought this book was fantastic, it pulled me in right away and kept me glued. Unfortunately the author felt the need at the end of the book to recap, step by step, the circumstances surrounding the crime. On the audiobook this lasted a full 25 minutes! It's as if the author was so concerned that readers grasp the full extent and intricacies of the plot that she couldn't just trust us to remember what had happened, but instead had to beat us over the head with a monologue summary. It absolutely left a bad last impression of an otherwise great book. Docking 2 full stars out of supreme irritation. ( )

Clouds of Witness. (The Lord Peter Wimsey Mysteries Book 2). Dorothy Sayers. This is the first Lord Wimsey book I have read, and I loved how very British it was. The asides and snide comments made me laugh out loud at times-especially comments about the French. Lord Peter’s brother is accused of murdering his sister’s fiancé, and Peter is sets out to prove his innocence. And he does, of course. The courtroom scenes were somewhat tedious, but over all I enjoyed the book and will read more of them. ( )

When the Duke of Denver is arrested for murdering his sister's fiancé, Lord Peter rushes home to do a bit of detecting. Apart from the delightful humour, one of the most appealing elements of Sayers' mystery novels is that she always incorporated commentary of social conditions and happenings of the day. In this story, Wimsey takes a flight across the Atlantic to secure a witness statement to clear his brother, a trip that sounds almost innocuous until it is remembered that this was in 1920. In the open plane, pilot and passenger were soaked in a rainstorm on the return journey! The Duke's dramatic trial in the House of Lords was an excellent display of the pomp and pageantry associated with that institution. Favourite characters here are police Chief Inspector Parker who overcomes his timidity in a Paris shop to buy lingerie for his sister; Wimsey naturally; and Bunter at the top of the list. As always, Sayers is eloquent and entertaining. ( )

paperback

A true comfort read--or rather, re-read. ( )