Customer Reviews: Read 18 more reviews...
 A most enjoyable mystery with delightful characters! August 1, 2008
"Clouds of Witness" was a very delightful book! In both the mystery and the characters, I thought Sayers came through brilliantly!
Lord Peter Wimsey (the main character and detective) is truly a humorous, clever, thoughtful, and lovable character! He breezes through life, always seeing the amusement and humor in situations, but doesn't lack the ability to understand people and events for the gravity they may hold.
Wimsey himself was a delightful enough character to hold my interest through the book, but add to this his good friend (and partner in crime-solving) Mr. Parker (adorable friends!) and Mr. Bunter (another more "proper" counterpart to Wimsey) and you have an entire book set to amuse!
Oddly enough, Sayers doesn't use a lot of description. In a way it reminds a bit of Jane Austin (though the feel of the books is not similar!), in her ability to convey the characters in their uniqueness and completeness through dialogue.
The mystery also is most interesting. And while I could have felt "cheated" by the ending, I didn't because of the various sub-mysteries that were occurring throughout the book. It is, in a way, three or four mysteries all revolving around one.
Additionally, the mystery centers around Wimsey's own family, which adds another element to Wimsey's character, and the mystery itself.
A note: the book does contain a few slightly graphic descriptions of the murder, but I stress the word slightly. I have read some Agatha Christie, and think that it's probably on par with those. I am quite the queasy reader, and I had few qualms.
The only thing I regretted - if it could be called a regret - was the prevalent use of French. I can't blame or criticize Sayers on this front, only myself for not having a better grasp of the language. That said, while a times I was dismayed because I did not understand every detail or clue, for the most part everything was eventually (and in a timely manner) translated or explained.
I really enjoyed this read! And am very much looking forward to picking up another Lord Peter Wimsey mystery!!
 Not the best of Sayers, but interesting June 12, 2008
If you are a Dorothy L. Sayers fan, this is an important piece of the Wimsey family history--particularly that of Lady Mary and Chief Inspector Parker. I had put off reading this and several other novels for a long time because (1) they didn't include Harriet Vane, and (2) I felt Sayers later works were better than her early stories. I still feel the latter is true, although that should not dissuade the reader from perusing these earlier mysteries.
I give Clouds of Witness four stars only because five stars has to go to her crowning work Gaudy Night.
Somewhere in the lower-middle of Sayer's works February 27, 2008
4 out of 4 found this review helpful
Here we have another Lord Peter Wimsey mystery, (before his marriage to Harriet), where his brother, The Duke of Denver, is brought to trial for murder. And it is an unusual trial indeed since members of the British nobility who were charged with murder, during the era of Lord Peter Wimsey, had to be tried, not at the Old Bailey, but rather by the full House of Lords!
The Duke of Denver, ("Jerry" to his friends), has purchased a small hunting lodge on the edge of the moors and his guests are in for some bird shooting. But on a cold, rainy night, the Duke's prospective brother-in-law, Lady Mary's dubious gold-digging fiance, ultimately becomes the victim of an apparent murder.
At the inquest, one lie after another is proffered by the Wimsey family and the jury brings in a murder indictment against the Duke for his clear skullduggery in the matter. Lord Peter is away on an extended vacation to the European continent but rushes to his brother's aide when he hears of the fiasco. Lord Peter then teams up with his Scotland Yard pal, Inspector Parker, to find the real killer and thus free his brother -- but Lord Peter gets shot for his trouble!
WARNING TO READERS -- SEMI-SPOILER AHEAD!!!
Now, the most compelling caveat of this Sayers entry is the fact that, in this one, the stogy Duke of Denver (Jerry) is having an affair with the wife of a very nasty character, a farmer who also happens to be the Duke's neighbor! If that were not enough, Lord Peter and his lawyer make every effort to get the Duke off the hook without disclosing to his wife that she's been cheated on, and they SUCCEED in that devious endeavor!!! I mention this as Sayers treats this indiscretion in a notably cavalier manner and many women readers might not exactly savour this particular caveat of the book. These days, we are not surprised by similar writings but, in the 20s, Sayers was clearly breaking new ground, sort of in an anti-feminist way.
I enjoyed the book, all around, but it's far from being Sayers' best work. If you are new to this renowned author of British mysteries, you might want to read either "Whose Body?" or, "The Unpleasantness at the Belonna Club" first. They are her two best, in my opinion.
Cloudy "witness" February 10, 2007
The worst nightmare for a detective is having a solid case... against a member of your own family. Dorothy Sayers imagined such a story for Lord Peter Wimsey in her second mystery novel, "Clouds of Witness," a solid, twisting whodunnit full of lies, affairs and deception
Peter is on vacation when he finds out that his brother, The Duke of Denver (informally "Gerald"), is on trial for murder -- he had a blowup with his sister Mary's fiancee, Denis Cathcart, upon learning that Cathcart was a former cardsharper. The next morning, Cathcart was found shot through the heart by Gerald's gun, with Gerald bending over the body. The Duke stubbornly refuses to explain why he was out in the rain at three in the morning.
Peter is determined to solve the case, and quickly finds plenty of clues and odd little details, including the fact that Mary keeps lying -- and changing her lies. There are too many clues, and not enough logical motives. Now to save his brother, Peter must unravel plenty of lies and red herrings, and discover who wanted to do away with Denis Cathcart -- and why.
"Clouds of Witness" is an excellent whodunnit, with lots of quirky characters and a very twisty murder mystery -- in fact, it's not even clear whether it's even a murder. And Sayers seemed to be more at ease in this mystery, since it unfolds in a more gradual manner, as if she were more sure of herself than in "Whose Body."
If there's a flaw, it's that her writing can be slightly uneven -- we get lots of descriptions of Mary, but I still have no idea what Bunter looks like. But Sayers can craft a spectacular plot, with lots of red herrings and odd twists, especially since most of the people involved are telling lies, usually about romantic affairs.
The general feeling is unusually taut even for a mystery, since Peter is trying to help his stuffy brother. But Sayers also sprinkles in some comedic moments to lessen the tension, such as when Peter dines with a flaky, chic socialist who thinks it's thrilling when the police raid them. The dialogue is also enjoyably quirky, especially when Peter is doing the talking ("I should be crucified upside down for anemia of the brain!").
The cast is made up of all sorts -- weaselly socialists, flaky socialites, the stuffy Gerald and his equally stiff wife, and the rambling yet clever Dowager. And Peter is the center of all this, a detective who acts like Bertie Wooster and thinks like Hercule Poirot -- he has loads of brains and reasoning ability, but you'd never guess it by how he acts.
"Clouds of Witness" is a clever, twisty murder mystery with a likably eccentric hero, and one of Dorothy Sayers' best mystery novels. Definitely a good, solid read with a colourful cast.
Really Enjoyable January 13, 2007
The story is a good one, but it is the dialogue that makes this a really great story.
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