4 stars
I only recently became aware of these books that are a continuation of the Peter Wimsey mystery novels. OK, I've read a few of the original Sayers novels, but I was never a huge Peter Wimsey fan and do not really remember them well enough to assess how well Walsh's books stand up against them. So my review is based on the book in itself and not a comparison to the original stories.
I'm a bit of a sucker for murder mysteries set in academia (I am very sad that I have only one of the excellent Inspector Lewis TV mysteries, a police procedural set in Oxford, to watch!) and that's what attracted me to this book. I was a bit surprised by how much it felt like "Inspector Barnaby, Peer of the Realm, Goes to Oxford in 1952," with people dying left and right and our investigators nonchalantly out of their depth much of the time. And there was this weird detective-on-vacation thing going on: Hey, somebody just died...look, it's a gorgeous day to go punting, have lunch at a lovely little inn, and then go see some old building! Fundamentally, the story was ludicrous, but it was entertaining.
I've heard that graduate school in the UK is very easy compared to the US, and here's an extreme example (easy if you have money, of course):
"I didn't know you had an MA," Paul [Harriet's son] said.
"You just leave your name on the books, and pay the fees for five years, and then your BA becomes an MA," Harriet admitted.
The best lines in the book occur when Peter asks Harriet:
"Can I go haring around after bodies without shaving first?" he asked her.
"Certainly not, Peter," she said. "There is an implication of inattention in an unshaven man that gives the impression of intellectual weakness."
I would give them kudos for the "haring" term but at one point this evil couple eat roast r***** at one of the myriad restaurants they visit during their investigation-vacation. THUMP!
Day 12: Play Dress Up -- Tuesday, 11/18/14
I did not think wearing a black academic gown a la an Oxford don would be appropriate for work, but I did base my outfit on the color black. My initial version of this outfit used a sleeveless black dress and tights instead of the sweater and pants, but the onslaught of winter made my original version unworkable. But we will not compare this new version to the original but will instead examine it on its own merits. It's not really in seasonally appropriate colors, but I didn't want to wait until spring, and a tuxedo jacket is about as dressy an item as I want to wear to work. One of my co-workers liked its spring/summer quality -- I suppose it did bring a bit of brightness to a dreary day.
Black sweater (thrifted, Liz Claiborne)
Black striped pants (thrifted, JCP)
*Black/floral "Monet" print tuxedo jacket (thrifted, Target) -- the print just reminds me so strongly of a Monet painting
Purple gumdrop necklace (Target)
Black buckle flats by Me Too
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