"Walsh once more succeeds in emulating and extending her late inspiration’s unusual mixture of drama and foolishness, poetry and prattle, local color and grim undercurrents.” Wall Street Journal
Description
Lord Peter Wimsey and his detective novelist wife Harriet Vane return in Jill Paton Walsh’s brilliant new continuation of Dorothy L. Sayers’s classic mysteries.
When a dispute among the fellows of St. Severin’s College, Oxford University, reaches a stalemate, Lord Peter Wimsey discovers that as the Duke of Denver he is “the Visitor”—charged with the task of resolving the issue. It is time for Lord Peter and his detective novelist wife Harriet to revisit their beloved Oxford, where their long and literate courtship finally culminated in their engagement and marriage.
At first the dispute seems a simple difference of opinion about a valuable manuscript that some of the fellows regard as nothing but an insurance liability, which should be sold to finance a speculative purchase of land. The voting is evenly balanced. The warden would normally cast the deciding vote, but he has disappeared. And when several of the fellows unexpectedly die as well, Lord Peter and Harriet set off on an investigation to uncover what is really going on at St. Severin’s.
With this return to the Oxford of Gaudy Night, which many readers regard as their favorite of Sayers’s original series, Jill Paton Walsh revives the wit and brilliant plotting of the golden age of detective fiction.
Praise
"Walsh once more succeeds in emulating and extending her late inspiration’s unusual mixture of drama and foolishness, poetry and prattle, local color and grim undercurrents.” Wall Street Journal
“Walsh’s pitch-perfect re-creation of the charismatic leads is a delight. Sayers fans can only hope for more.” Publishers Weekly (starred review)
“Delicious.” Booklist (starred review)
“An entertaining and convoluted puzzle for readers who enjoy Golden Age mysteries.” Library Journal
“Fans will eagerly welcome back their beloved sleuth and enjoy seeing Harriet hold her own in a thoughtfully constructed mystery.” Kirkus Reviews
Details
| Language | English |
|---|---|
| Release Day | May 4, 2015 |
| Release Date | May 5, 2015 |
| Number in Series | 9 |
| Series Display String | The Lord Peter Wimsey and Harriet Vane Mysteries |
| Release Date Machine | 1430784000 |
| Imprint | Blackstone Publishing |
| Provider | Blackstone Publishing |
| Categories | Mystery, Thriller & Suspense, Mystery, Women Sleuths, Private Investigators, Traditional Detectives, Fiction - All, Fiction - Adult, Bestselling Mysteries, Bestselling Mystery |
Author Bio
Jill Paton Walsh was born in London and educated at St. Michael’s Convent, North Finchley, and at St. Anne’s College, Oxford. In 1996 she received the CBE for services to literature and was elected a fellow of the Royal Society of Literature. An award-winning author, she lives in Cambridge with her husband John Rowe Townsend.
Narrator Bio
Matthew Brenher, originally from London, is an award-winning actor of stage, film, and television and an accomplished voice-over artist.
Overview
Lord Peter Wimsey and his detective novelist wife Harriet Vane return in Jill Paton Walsh’s brilliant new continuation of Dorothy L. Sayers’s classic mysteries.
When a dispute among the fellows of St. Severin’s College, Oxford University, reaches a stalemate, Lord Peter Wimsey discovers that as the Duke of Denver he is “the Visitor”—charged with the task of resolving the issue. It is time for Lord Peter and his detective novelist wife Harriet to revisit their beloved Oxford, where their long and literate courtship finally culminated in their engagement and marriage.
At first the dispute seems a simple difference of opinion about a valuable manuscript that some of the fellows regard as nothing but an insurance liability, which should be sold to finance a speculative purchase of land. The voting is evenly balanced. The warden would normally cast the deciding vote, but he has disappeared. And when several of the fellows unexpectedly die as well, Lord Peter and Harriet set off on an investigation to uncover what is really going on at St. Severin’s.
With this return to the Oxford of Gaudy Night, which many readers regard as their favorite of Sayers’s original series, Jill Paton Walsh revives the wit and brilliant plotting of the golden age of detective fiction.
Reviews
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