Information
Goodreads: Strong Poison
Series: Lord Peter Wimsey #6
Age Category: Adult
Source: Library
Published: 1930
Summary
Harriet Vane's lover has been murdered. And in just the way she was researching for her latest mystery novel. The jury seems convinced that she did it. But Lord Peter Wimsey is determined to prove her innocence.
Review
Lord Peter Wimsey and his associates are in fine form in Strong Poison! With the life of an innocent woman hanging in the balance, Wimsey calls forth Bunter to woo the local servants and Miss Climpson and her army of formidably capable women to gather clues and find the real culprit behind the murder of Harriet Vane's former lover. What I enjoy most about the series is the characters, so I liked seeing a wide array of them get to shine.
The mystery itself is perhaps one of Sayers' easier ones to decipher (at least for me), but that in no way hindered my enjoyment of the story. I had a guess early on as to the culprit and one or two ideas as to the method, but really delighted in seeing Wimsey and Co. set to work trying to discover evidence. Particularly delightful is one of Miss Climpson's women going undercover as a typist--never underestimate a skilled administrative assistant! There is just something really satisfying about the way Sayers uses Miss Climpson's enterprise to highlight the ways in which women's talents are not appreciated in society, and in the ways women can use that knowledge to their advantage.
I did feel a bit mixed about the romance. Wimsey and Vane seem well enough suited to each other, and their banter is a joy to read. However, I found it difficult to feel invested in a romance where the two parties do not actually know anything about each other. Talk about love at first sight! Since the two seem like a good match, I am interested in seeing the relationship progress through the series (and maybe seeing Harriet take a turn at detecting!). But the whole, "I saw you at a trial and now am in love with you and am proposing marriage" speech is a bit ridiculous ever for Lord Peter Wimsey, paragon of ridiculousness.
Still, if a reader has made it this far in the series, they are likely committed to Lord Peter and his sleuthing. I found it one of the stronger mysteries so far and am looking forward to future installments.
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