Have His Carcase (1932)

I had no idea what was going on for most of this book. The relationship between Peter Wimsey and Harriet Vane was delightful -- some of their conversations made me grin from ear to ear in a most undignified way, and I love the character of Harriet. But the mystery... so much complication, and the pages on pages of discussion of how to crack the code didn't help.

Bunter gets a chance to shine too, which I liked a lot. Of course, there was very little of Parker, which balanced that pleasure. I love all the recurring characters!

More interesting than Five Red Herrings, to me, by virtue of being more emotionally engaging. But both mystery plots were a wee bit impenetrable, with the missing information in each of them. ( )

I really loved rereading this one. I knew I would, when I revisited the opening lines...

The best remedy for a bruised heart is not, as so many people seem to think, repose upon a manly bosom. Much more efficacious are honest work, physical activity, and the sudden acquisition of wealth. After being acquitted of murdering her lover, and indeed, in consequence of that acquittal, Harriet Vane found all three specifics abundantly at her disposal; and although Lord Peter Wimsey, with a touching faith in tradition, persisted day in and day out in presenting the bosom for her approval, she showed no inclination to recline upon it.

The way Harriet and Peter interact is brilliant (and oh, how good it is to have Harriet saying no to Peter so determinedly, neither falling in love with him instantly because he's that perfect, nor agreeing to him to stop him pestering her which it is implied she did with her previous lover, nor playing him for a fool: she is as honest as she can be about how she feels and doesn't feel, and he doesn't expect or want to play on the clichés of gratitude and so on either), and their (sometimes strained) partnership as a crime-solving duo is awesome. Bunter gets some very good moments too, and the whole scenario is satisfyingly convoluted.

Granted, if you've read it before, you do get the urge to shake Peter for making certain assumptions, and the code-breaking part becomes even more boring, but overall, it stands up well to a second (or third) reading. ( )

I wonder if I should create a cosy or comfy shelf? For the e-books, anyway. I know where I keep my comfort hard copies.

I find I skip the technical parts of detective stories like this (the railway timetable sections - though in this one it's several pages of deciphering secret letters) much as I used to skip the technical descriptions in Golden Age science fiction. Oh, Doc Smith, you were always a fast read!

Anyway, long passages of detail aside, there's the slow progress of a witty romance and a mystery I thought I'd got but there was always another ludicrous twist. ( )

A glorious return to form after the painful Five Red Herrings nearly halted my obsessive devouring of this series. Alas! No Miss Climpson, but we've got Harriet Vane to make up for it. I like the Vane/Wimsey duo because it adds an interesting element of actual character development to the detective romping. The mystery element of the books is also stronger with Miss Vane present because she serves as a sounding board for Lord P.--there's a lot less of the climactic "all is revealed!" explication of the crime; through Harriet's interactions with Peter Sayers actually shows a bit of the thought process behind the detecting, which is much more fun.

I desperately want the next book after so thoroughly enjoying this one but it is not to be found anywhere in Western Colorado. I may have to break down and order from the internet. These books are the best kind of comfort reading: witty and wonderful, light enough to decrease stress but intelligent enough to give sustenance. ( )

My least favorite Lord Peter. This one verged on boring at times. Sayers did infinitely better in her other books. ( )