Review: Clouds of Witness by Dorothy L. Sayers

Clouds of Witness (Lord Peter Wimsey #2)
By: Dorothy L. Sayers
Publisher: Harper Mystery
ISBN: 0-06-104353-2

Review:

Lord Peter Wimsey, amateur sleuth, is leisurely wending his way back home to London from a much-needed vacation abroad when his indefatigable valet, Bunter, stumbles upon some astonishing news in the Paris papers. Gerald, Peter's elder brother and the oh-so-proper Duke of Denver, has been arrested on suspicion of murdering their sister Mary's husband-to-be. Of course the idea of Gerald murdering anybody is completely ridiculous, but Wimsey cannot resist the siren song of a promising case and the chance to put his flair for investigative work to use on behalf of the very brother who has in past bemoaned his sibling's unfortunate involvement in police work. Faced with the hangman's noose, Gerald refuses to provide himself with an alibi, and his case is remanded to the House of Lords for what promises to be the trial of the decade. With a brother who seems determined to hang and a sister who proves to be uncommonly un-helpful, Peter dives with relish into the conflicting reports that make up the account of the fateful night that Mary's fiance met his untimely end, determined to save his family from ruin in spite of themselves.

I love classic mysteries which spotlight quirky, memorable protagonists, and with the cultured, devilishly smart Wimsey, Sayers has crafted an amateur sleuth sure to delight the heart of any Anglophile. Clouds of Witness is only the second full-length novel to feature Wimsey (following 1923's Whose Body?), and when compared to its predecessor it is a more polished offering, playing to Sayers's greatest strength -- Wimsey's intelligent, sarcastic charm. I love this novel's increased focus on Wimsey vis-a-vis his family relationships. Clearly aware of his various family members' respective affinity for the ridiculous, Wimsey is keenly aware of their short-comings but fiercely loyal -- and seeing Wimsey dance between his roles as brother, son, and friend test the sleuth's perspective and focus, adding tension to the narrative and layers to a character who at first blush could be mistaken for little more than a society fop.

As Wimsey's second full-length outing, the plotting is more polished than his debut. The focus on his family dynamic adds a welcome personal focus to the narrative, raising the personal stakes for Peter since it it isn't just pride of accomplishment at stake, but his brother's very life. Where, however, this novel loses points is the narrative's reliance on transcripts of police interrogations or trials. The lengthy passages and chapters devoted to prose of this ilk bring the narrative to a screeching halt, slowing the investigation's momentum. Sayers's dense, packed prose is as always a delight, but her sidetracks into sarcastic, social commentary fall flat unless filtered through Wimsey's incisive point-of-view -- and in this case, he is almost wholly absent from such chapters.

Despite the novel's occasionally uneven tone, Sayers's sleuth and his circle of acquaintance are, as always, an absolute delight. Between the ever-loyal Bunter, whose friendship and service to Peter began in the trenches of World War I France, to the loyal, easily exasperated Detective Parker, loathe to admit that he's begun to develop feelings for his best friend's sister, Wimsey's closest compatriots are as skillfully rendered as the shining star at the center of Sayers's work. While not Sayers's best work, Clouds of Witness is a solid example of a masterful writer honing her craft, providing a critical chapter in the development of one of literature's most enduring and memorable sleuths.

About the book:

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.

Let Them Eat Cake Tour!

Today I'm thrilled to participate in the blog tour celebrating the release of Sandra Byrd's French Twist series as e-books! I haven't had the chance to read this series yet, but I've heard fantastic things about the books and plan on moving them to the top of my to-be-read pile soon! :) Here's a bit about the first book in the series, Let Them Eat Cake:

Lexi Stuart is at a critical crossroads. She’s done with college but still living at home, ready to launch a career but unable to find a job, and solidly stalled between boyfriends. 

When a lighthearted conversation in French with the manager of her favorite bakery turns into a job offer, Lexi accepts. But the actual glamour is minimal: the pay is less than generous, her co-workers are skeptical, her bank account remains vertically-challenged, and her parents are perpetually disappointed. Her only comfort comes from the flirtatious baker she has her eye–but even may not be who he seems to be!

So when a handsome young executive dashes into the bakery to pick up his high profile company’s special order for an important meeting–an order Lexi has flubbed–she loses her compulsion to please. Something inside Lexi clicks. Laissez la révolution commencer! Let the revolution begin! Instead of trying to fulfill everyone else’s expectations for her life, Lexi embarks on an adventure in trusting herself and her God with her future–très bon!

Starting yesterday (seriously, I meant to post this on the 10th!), the e-book version of Let Them Eat Cake is free for Kindle through February 14th! And it gets even better, as the subsequent two books in the series are on sale from through the 14th as well for just $0.99! Click here to purchase Bon Appetit and Piece de Resistance. 

Happy Reading! :)

The Bletchley Circle - coming in April!

I stumbled across some exciting news this morning via Facebook -- PBS is bringing The Bletchley Circle to the States, starting on April 21st. With the show's premiere, the PBS Sunday night line-up will consist of Call the Midwife's second season, the premiere run of Mr. Selfridge, and this -- talk about a packed evening. :)

Here's a bit about the show:

THE BLETCHLEY CIRCLE follows Susan, Millie, Lucy and Jean, ordinary women with extraordinary ability to break codes, a skill honed during World War II when they worked undercover at Bletchley Park, site of the United Kingdom’s main decryption establishment. Now, in 1952, the four have returned to civilian life, keeping their intelligence work secret from all, including family and friends. A series of ghastly murders targeting women, however, reunites the team as they set out to decode the pattern behind the crimes.

Two-time BAFTA award-winner Anna Maxwell Martin (“South Riding,” “Bleak House”) stars as Susan, now a housewife with two children, who has collected data on a series of murders and tried, unsuccessfully, to convince the police that another is imminent. Rachael Stirling (“Women in Love,” “Boy Meets Girl”) is Millie, the feistiest of the bunch, conversant in 14 languages, worldly and street smart. RADA graduate Sophie Rundle plays Lucy, a young woman equipped with a photographic memory. Julie Graham (“Lapland,” “Doc Martin”), oldest of the four, is the former head of the Bletchley Park unit.

And a trailer:

Review: Circles of Time by Phillip Rock

Circles of Time (The Greville Family Saga #2)
By: Phillip Rock
Publisher: William Morrow
ISBN: 978-0-06-222933-5

Review:

While the "war to end all wars" came to its official conclusion in 1919 with the signing of the Treaty of Versailles, two years later the effect of that devastating conflict is still to be found rippling through the lives of the survivors. American Martin Rilke, who gained worldwide acclaim for his dispatches from the frontlines, returns to London to work as a news bureau chief -- but leaves a piece of his heart buried forever in a Flanders grave. His Greville cousins have their own wartime scars -- Alexandra has returned to Abingdon, bringing with her a young son, the only remnant of a passionate love affair and all-too-brief marriage, cut short by her husband's untimely death. Her long-time affair with the tortured Irish doctor -- and their barely legitimized child -- have left her parents, particularly the earl, scandalized by the changing moral values of post-war society. Meanwhile her brother Charles, the heir, shell-shocked and amnesiac, is a painful reminder of what the war robbed from the Greville family -- a past some would rather see stay buried than risk the heartbreak of unfulfilled hope. And family friend Fenton faces painful repercussions from the army for his role in refusing to bury the truth of Charles's tragic breakdown -- an honorable act that may cost him his family, if not his very life.

Each member of this family, tied to Abingdon Pryory by right of birth or friendship, must grapple with not only the impact of the war on their lives but also the rapidly changing social and political more of society that have blossomed in its aftermath. For traditionalists such as Anthony, the Greville family patriarch, the loosening of morals signals the beginning of the end for a long-held and dearly cherished way of life. Faced with change demanded by the war's indelible impact on each of his children's lives, Anthony and his wife must decide if they can accept the new in order to maintain the dearest tradition of all -- familial bonds. Charles's restoration and slow recovery is a stunningly poignant example of the "unseen" costs of conflict (and, in many respects, mental illness in general -- a medical field whose treatment and research expanded as a necessary by-product of the war), as the horror of war left him a prisoner of shell shock and memory. The family's initial reluctance to address and come to terms with his condition, followed by their tentative steps in accepting, treating, and seeking to reincorporate him into their lives rather than denying his survival is a moving portrayal of reconciliation, hope, and healing in extraordinarily difficult circumstances.

While Martin remains by far my favorite character in this sprawling family epic (more on him in a moment), Alexandra's storyline was perhaps this volume's greatest surprise. Transformed by the war from a flighty, superficial society miss into a somber nurse and long-time married man's lover, by the traditional standards of her aristocratic origins she is "spoiled goods." But the war and its aftermath added great depth and compassion to her character, and the way in which this dedicated mother and mourning widow finds a second chance from a most unexpected quarter made my heart soar. And this is the beauty of Rock's carefully crafted characters -- while, from a conservative, traditional viewpoint, many of their choices are, at the very least, questionable, they are always very honest to the individual and his or her circumstances. Each individual that makes up this world is gloriously, beautifully, messy, flawed, and authentic. I love these characters -- not only for Rock's sterling sense of time and place and authenticity, but because they are each so fully realized. I can't help but celebrate their triumphs and mourn with them in their pain -- vibrant, flesh-and-blood characters all that bring the tumult of the Jazz Age to technicolor life on the page.

As the novel progresses, Martin once again takes center stage as his work as a reporter and passion for bringing the truth to the press gives him a front-row seat to witness the impact of the world's desire to crush Germany for her transgressions -- and in that quest for reparations are sown the seeds of the conflict to come. I have a tremendous passion for World War II history and the interwar years of political, social, and economic unrest that served as a prelude to coming war. Seeing those early seeds of discord find fertile ground through Martin's ever-perceptive eyes, both horrified and powerless to bring the full impact of the brewing anarchist movement in Germany to light -- since it could never happen again, it wasn't more than "they" deserved, it would all "work itself out" -- is a masterful example of the power and potential of historical fiction. Rock is one of those rare historical authors with the power to shock with their work. By restoring the vibrancy and life to a time and place, the birth of National Socialism and the rise of Hitler becomes more than just dates and times. Through Martin's eyes the chilling implications of Hitler's Beer Hall Putsch, the socio-economic realities that fostered his rise and the embrace of his rhetoric possible come to life, resulting in one of the rare instances where a fictional recreation of history fostered within an electric, visceral response. That sense of living history once again, of witnessing the world, in its desperation to recover from one war sow the seeds for a second, is an extraordinary experience.

Starting Circles of Time I was nervous, sure that there was no way it could live up to just how much I loved its predecessor -- but I couldn't have been more wrong. With his second outing exploring the intricacies of the lives of the Grevilles and their circle, Rock has delivered a sequel that is the equal, and perhaps in some respects, arguably the better, of its forerunner. Within the greater framework of a society, a world, left reeling by a devastating war, Rock explores through characters like Martin, Alexandra, and Charles, the thousand little ways in which their world -- indeed, their very identities -- were torn down by the conflict, leaving them to face a brave new world in which to remake themselves and their hope of a future if not free from war's shadow, than one not wholly dictated by the horrific effects of that conflict. In many respects this is an incredibly life-affirming novel, as each of the characters that I've grown to love over the course of two novels discovers their true mettle. It speaks to the powerful resiliency of the human spirit, as Martin, having just met the evil of National Socialism first-hand, can still speak to hope -- "Oh God...let the  marching always be to glad song -- to tidings of comfort and joy." And like our fictional counterparts, no matter how dark the day, may we never lose sight of the promise of a coming dawn.

About the book:

A generation has been lost on the Western Front. The dead have been buried, a harsh peace forged, and the howl of shells replaced by the wail of saxophones as the Jazz Age begins. But ghosts linger -- that long-ago golden summer of 1914 tugging at the memory of Martin Rilke and his British cousins, the Grevilles.

From the countess to the chauffeur, the inhabitants of Abingdon Pryory seek to forget the past and adjust their lives to a new era in which old values, social codes, and sexual mores have been irretrievably swept away. Martin Rilke throws himself into reporting, discovering unsettling political currents, as Fenton Wood-Lacy faces exile in faraway army outposts. Back at Abingdon, Charles Greville shows signs of recovery from shell shock and Alexandra is caught up in an unlikely romance. Circles of Time captures the age as these strongly drawn characters experience it, unfolding against England's most gracious manor house, the steamy nightclubs of London's Soho, and the despair of Germany caught in the nightmare of anarchy and inflation. Lives are renewed, new loves found, and a future of peace and happiness is glimpsed -- for the moment.

My heartfelt thanks to TLC Book Tours for the review opportunity!

• Read my review of The Passing Bells, the first novel in The Greville Family Saga

Grimm - Late Night Crisis

The final installment of the Monroe/Rosalee Grimm webisode series has been released! THEY ARE SO CUTE. :)

March 8th cannot come soon enough...

I mean, SERIOUSLY:

Downton Abbey Series 3, Part 5

This week's installment of Downton Abbey was in many respects all about recovery, as inhabitants both upstairs and down attempt to recover from the reeling blow of Sybil's sudden death. As such in many respects this episode is arguably as emotionally difficult to watch as its predecessor, as family members respond to grief in different ways -- either bringing them closer, or threatening to fracture once-strong bonds. But peppered throughout the episode are moments of unexpected warmth and humor, a welcome solace as each character strives to find their footing once more.

The episode opens with the last of the mourners motoring away from Downton, leaving the family alone in their grief and struggling to adapt to this "new norm." The icy chill that developed between Robert (Hugh Bonneville) and Cora (Elizabeth McGovern) following the former's insistence on acquiescing to the dictates of the aristocratic doctor, who in the end misdiagnosed Sybil, has only grown more pronounced. Robert is basically a mess this season. I really do believe that at his core he is a good and decent man, but where that frustrates, and where things go wrong, is in those very qualities that made me fall in love with him in the first place. Robert's goodness and decency spring from a deep-seated love for and adherence to TRADITION...and in a rapidly changing world, and on multiple fronts, Robert is constantly being assaulted with the demand to change, which he resists with all his might -- which I think in his mind probably involves lowering his standards. In that respect I think Fellowes has successfully scripted the Earl as very much a product of his times -- a good man caught between his desire to uphold tradition, honor the past, and grappling with a shattering, unspoken fear of change.

Cora has never seemed more quintessentially American to me than this season, where she regularly reveals a warmth and a proclivity and willingness to adapt to life -- qualities that, if she'd been allowed her way, possibly could have saved her child. While given the time in which Sybil lived and her advanced symptoms rendered survival unlikely, even if Dr. Clarkson (David Robb) had been able to perform a C-section, that is of course small comfort to a broken-hearted mother. What is SO difficult to watch play out in this episode is how Cora and Robert's split impacts their family, leaving Mary and Edith (Laura Carmichael) in particular grieving not only a sister but a severe rupture between their parents. To Robert's credit he recognizes that there is just cause for Cora's feelings -- and Bonneville broke my heart with his quiet acceptance every time Cora spurned a tentative overture.

Help for Cora and Robert's marriage comes from a surprising quarter -- Violet (Maggie Smith), more well known for her sarcastic comments instead turns her keen eye and considerable influence in an attempt to mend her son's marriage. I absolutely LOVED the scene where Robert seeks his mother's advice -- it is the closest we've ever come to seeing Violet as a caring, vulnerable parent. And while there were no hugs or tears on either side (heaven forbid!), the restrained emotion of the moment was brilliantly played by both. Violet turns to Dr. Clarkson, basically telling him that Robert's marriage problems were his fault (didn't it feel that way?) -- but her instincts were right on target. Recognizing that Robert and Cora need each other if they are to survive this, she instructs Clarkson to research Sybil's condition, hoping that the unlikelihood of her survival will remind both Robert and Cora that they had rather unite and share their grief than take sides over what-ifs.

Branson (Allen Leech) is reeling in the aftermath of Sybil's funeral, which only exacerbates his outsider status. Branson has some (to my mind) completely reasonable plans for his daughter's immediate future, the first being naming her after her mother and the second having her baptized a Catholic (seeing as he is one, this makes sense) -- both of which scandalize Robert to no end. The name thing I don't get AT ALL and honestly it felt more than a little crass to have Robert raising objections on that score. The tendency to view Catholics as second-class citizens, however, was a very real issue during this time period. I loved how Robert invites the vicar to dinner in some sort of misguided attempt to sway the family to his side, and EVERYONE ELSE takes Branson's side and calls the vicar out on his prejudiced views. That was fun...and really, at this point, let's try to have some perspective here, Robert -- at least your son-in-law has some sort of faith and value system he's attempting to adhere to when it comes to his child.

There are rather vague mentions of Branson "doing something" in Liverpool, which we all know is total bunk, right? Because if Leech decides to leave the show at some point I am pretty sure the odds are 2-to-1 that Branson will die instead of just, say, emigrate to Australia or something. But WHATEVS, because I have the PERFECT PLAN for him! While rambling around Downton with Matthew (Dan Stevens), Branson reveals some surprising FARMING related knowledge! All this while Matthew is bemoaning the lack of tenants who will properly see to the upkeep of the land & buildings! But NO ONE puts two and two together here and thinks GOLLY! WE SHOULD GIVE BRANSON A DOWNTON FARM! That will keep him close by and give him something useful to do but GET HIM OUT OF THE HOUSE! Wins all around, right??? *wink*

In other news, Anna (Joanne Froggatt) is still working her darnedest to exonerate her beloved Bates (Brendan Coyle), hoping that Vera's BFF will admit she lied in her testimony to Robert's lawyer. I love Anna and Bates, but the whys and wherefores and hows of him still being in prison, and this random guard and his cell mate and Vera's BFF all working together to keep him there...I just don't care anymore. Did I quit caring too soon and miss something that explains HOW these three know each other? And why this guard would care enough to try and make Bates's incarceration even more miserable? For the LOVE this storyline has gone on too long. The only redeeming factors in this episode are 1) the moment when Bates unleashes his inner bad-ass and lays down the proverbial LAW for his cellmate and 2) the look on Anna's face as she shares the news that her husband is FINALLY COMING HOME. (Side note: I really love how Mary repeatedly asks about the progress on Bates's case...I really don't think that would've even been a blip on first-season Mary's radar. Also, how SWEET was that scene where Mary and Matthew reaffirm their never-ending love for each other?! Adorbs!)

Down the road from Downton, Isobel (Penelope Wilton) continues to bring scandal to the neighborhood by employing THAT EX-PROSTITUTE THAT CAN'T EVEN COOK, a.k.a. Ethel (Amy Nuttall). Now, hear this well because I don't know that I'll ever be able to repeat it...I actually kinda liked Ethel in this episode. Isobel was her usual smug, annoying self, but Ethel on the other hand -- she seems to be embracing this second chance at respectability with everything in her. Seeing her go to Mrs. Patmore (Lesley Nicol) for cooking "tutoring" was smart and funny, particularly when Carson (Jim Carter) discovers that Mrs. Patmore has flouted his orders and she responds by saying something to the effect of he's nuts if he thinks she's corruptible. *wink* Anyone else think Carson was going to have an apoplexy when he realized that when it comes to Ethel, Mrs. Hughes (Phyllis Logan) isn't on his side? This episode is all about girls uniting isn't it, lol!

The Robert/Cora "feud" comes to a head when he discovers that every female member of his family is eating lunch at Isobel's, EXPOSING THEM TO SCANDAL (dude, remember the Turk? your family doesn't have to leave the house to get scandalous). To the credit of every single Crawley woman, they refuse to shun Isobel and Ethel by leaving -- it isn't a question of accepting her past choices, but of offering a second chance -- THANK YOU CORA AND VIOLET. Personally I suspect Violet was secretly relishing any potential scandal, hmmm? *wink* If Ethel continues along this path of holding her head high and refusing to be cowed, of smartly seeking ways to better herself and her chances...girl, we could become friends. I'm just sayin'.

My favorite storyline in this episode involved Daisy (Sophie McShera) and the romantic will they/won't they entanglements brewing among the younger members of the downstairs staff. Alfred (Matt Milne) is still crushing on Ivy (Cara Theobold), while she keeps making eyes at Jimmy (Ed Speleers). Quick side note here -- the way O'Brien (Siobhan Finneran) keeps encouraging Thomas (Rob James-Collier) to make romantic overtures toward Jimmy is just AWFUL. This cannot end well. *sigh* Anyways, back to the fun drama -- I had a thought, when Mrs. Patmore tells Daisy & Co. that they are all in love with the wrong people, do we think there might be a possibility that Jimmy has eyes for Daisy? I'm wondering if this is a possibility, since he seems rather *ahem* attentive when she compliments him on his piano playing, and seems rather eager to demonstrate the fox trot for Alfred by dancing with Daisy. Thoughts? If this is a possibility I could sort of get behind this...

But Daisy has other decisions to make besides romantic ones -- her father-in-law, Mr. Mason (Paul Copley), once again invites her to his farm for the day. While there he surprises her by sharing that he would like to make Daisy his heir, leaving her his tenancy, farm equipment, and savings. Between the land and a side business cooking she could do quite well for herself. I LOVE how Mr. Mason has adopted Daisy since William's death, as goodness knows she needs some family and sound advice. This is a fantastic opportunity for her, and while I would hate to see the dynamic duo that is Mrs. Patmore and Daisy broken up, I love the fact that she has this chance. :)

Looking forward, I cannot wait to see how Ethel's writing pursuits play out. :) And I LOVED Mary in this episode -- she seems to finally be striking a balance between protecting and idolizing her father and realizing that some change is necessary, inevitable, and even good. This was a very strong installment for Daisy and Ethel, and a fantastic showcase for the inimitable Maggie Smith's dramatic range, as she revealed the all too rarely seen softer side of Violet. Please chime in with your thoughts! :)

• Read my recap/review of Series 3, Part 4
• Read my recap/review of Series 3, Part 3
• Read my recap/review of Series 3, Part 2
• Read my recap/review of Series 3, Part 1
• Purchase Series 3 on Blu-ray/DVD
• For a limited time, watch Part 5 online at PBS

Honest Trailers: Skyfall

Apologies to anyone offended by Honest Trailers (they can sometimes be a little crass), but this one for Skyfall has cracked me up -- Judi Dench's never-ending frowns! The loooonnnnngggggg scenery shots! The villain who doesn't appear until SEVENTY MINUTES into the film! Bond and ART APPRECIATION! *wink*