Clouds of Witness (Mass Market Paperback)

~ Dorothy L. Sayers (Author) "Lord Peter Wimsey stretched himself luxuriously between the sheets provided by the Hotel Meurice..." (more)
Key Phrases: diamond cat, conservatory door, noble client, Lady Mary, Sir Impey, Duke of Denver (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Review

'She brought to the detective novel originality, intelligence, energy and wit.' -- P. D. James 'D. L. Sayers is one of the best detective story writers.' -- E. C. Bentley, Daily Telegraph 'I admire her novels ... she has great fertility of invention, ingenuity and a wonderful eye for detail' -- Ruth Rendell --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Description

Rustic old Riddlesdale Lodge was a Wimsey family retreat filled with country pleasures and the thrill of the hunt -- until the game turned up human and quite dead. He lay among the chrysanthemums, wore slippers and a dinner jacket and was Lord Peter's brother-in-law-to-be.His accused murderer was Wimsey's own brother, and if murder set all in the family wasn't enough to boggle the unflappable Lord Wimsey, perhaps a few twists of fate would be -- a mysterious vanishing midnight letter from Egypt...a grieving fiancee with suitcase in hand...and a bullet destined for one very special Wimsey.

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Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 288 pages
• Publisher: HarperTorch (April 20, 1995)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0061043532
• ISBN-13: 978-0061043536
• Product Dimensions: 6.6 x 4.2 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (28 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #74,565 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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• This is item 2 in The Lord Peter Wimsey Series.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

19 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars I Am My Brother's Keeper, February 23, 2002

By	Marc Ruby™ "The Noh Hare™" (Warren, MI USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 50 REVIEWER)

Dorothy Sayers' second Lord Peter Wimsey novel comes in on a more serious note. Wimsey, just returned from a long rest in Corsica, finds himself embroiled in a murder far closer to home. While staying at a hunting lodge with friends Peter's brother Gerald has gotten tangled up in a murder, and has become the chief suspect. To make matters more complicated, the victim is their sister Mary's ex-fiancée. Very recently ex, as a matter of fact. The murder was done shortly after Gerald has thrown him out of the house as a card cheat.

When an alibi is demanded, Gerald refuses to give one, and so is charged with the crime. As he is the Duke of Denver, Gerald's case will not be heard in court, but before the House of Lords. Lord Peter is confronted with a case in which the accused seems bound and determined to get himself hung. Gerald offers no help to his brother, the police, or even Impey Biggs, his barrister. Peter and his long time friend Inspector Parker, are left with only faint clues and surmises as the basis for building a defense.

It quickly becomes apparent that there is guilt everywhere. Denis Cathcart, the victim, had lived a suspicious life in Paris, Lady Mary has complicated ties to the British socialist movement, and Gerald, if he wasn't killing Cathcart, had to be doing something he didn't want to reveal. Wimsey and Parker find a surplus of suspicious behavior, in England and abroad, but the puzzle refuses to be unlocked. Worse, those mysteries they can solve do nothing to help Gerald. Time marches inexorably on, and Lord Peter must make a last minute race against time in an effort to solve the mystery.

Despite the seriousness of this case, with all its lurking tragedies, Lord Peter retains his sarcastic style, providing both comic relief and the insights of the master detective. This time however he does reveal more of serious side, leaving behind his facetious exterior as he displays new depth. Sayers, of course, continues to write brilliantly, providing finely grained characters and a wonderful sense of place. An unexpected side romance shows signs of beginning, which will delight the readers, as Inspector Parker leaves behind theology long enough to embarrass himself.

The Wimsey novels can be read in any order, although the latter part of the series does have some thematic material with develops over several volumes. The early novels are independent tales, and I exhort the reader to start with whatever is at hand. In little time you will find yourself addicted to an England that never really was, but certainly should have been.

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars The ideal introduction to Wimsey and his world, December 16, 2000

By	Michael Rawdon (Silicon Valley, CA USA) - See all my reviews

This is one of my three favorite Lord Peter Wimsey novels (the other two are The Unpleasantness at the Bellona Club and Murder Must Advertise), and unless you plan to read the entire series (in which case you should start with Unnatural Death), it's the best introduction to Wimsey and his world, as it revolves around his brother Gerald, the Duke of Denver, being accused of murdering their sister Mary's fiance. It also features Wimsey's friend Chief Inspector Parker, as well as introducing several recurring characters.

Unlike Unnatural Death, where Wimsey seems more devil-may-care and speaks in more slang-y sentences, this book shows a more mature Wimsey who's fully aware of his duties to his family and the responsibilities of his position in life (an occasional theme in the series), and we see that Wimsey is far from being merely a man about London.

The mystery itself is one of the more clever ones in the series, revolving around holes in Gerald's testimony which Wimsey must investigate, as well as the background of the murder victim, although the final resolution seems not to completely justify the build-up. (This is common in Sayers' mysteries; the setting and characters tend to be stronger than the puzzle driving the plot.) Overall, though, it's an entertaining book, featuring more moments of dramatic suspense than in the later novels, making it perhaps the most well-rounded Wimsey adventure.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars It's understandable..., December 1, 1999

By	C. Gilbert "frumiousb" (Amsterdam, the Netherlands) - See all my reviews (TOP 100 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

...That Dorothy Sayers was in love with her own fictional detective. I'm half in love with him myself. This wasn't my favorite Peter Wimsey novel, but even in being my not-favorite, it was satisfying and enchanting.

Sayers reminds me of GK Chesterton in this novel in the way she uses the form to gently deflate the radical political ideas of the day without losing the plot. The trial procedure for the peer of a realm contrasted with the romances of Wimsey's sister Mary neatly highlight the decaying class system in which these characters move. It's full of priceless moments, such as the one where a character is told witheringly that while he could be forgiven being a murderer, he can't be forgiven for being an ass.

The book suffers a bit from an overly complicated plot that only becomes overly complicated three-quarters of the way through and Sayers accidentally makes several of the red herring characters more interesting than the really pertinent ones. Most importantly, I felt like the character of the murdered man was not illuminated as well as she has done in some of her other novels-- despite all the details provided, he felt curiously unfinished or stock.