- Hardcover: 384 pages
- Publisher: Hodder & Stoughton (7 Nov 2002)
- Language English
- ISBN-10: 0340820659
- ISBN-13: 978-0340820650
- Product Dimensions: 23.4 x 15.8 x 3.6 cm
- Average Customer Review: 3.3 out of 5 stars See all reviews (22 customer reviews)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 43,702 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
A Presumption of Death: The new Lord Peter Wimsey Novel
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Product Description
Review
'Jill Paton Walsh has...given us a Lord Peter story in the true Sayers' style and tradition' (Norma Major - The Week on Thrones, Dominations )
‘An engrossing, intelligent and provocative novel in the guise of a conventional mystery.’ (Joyce Carol Oates, New York Times Book Review )
‘Could this be the best book Dorothy L. Sayers never wrote? She has done a splendid job - certain to please the legions of Sayers loyalists as well as readers new to the Wimsey canon . . . Lord Peter has been made much more human and interesting by marriage. . . and the story is full of twists and connivance.’ (Chicago Tribune on THRONES, DOMINATIONS )
'A must for all Wimsey lovers...an entertaining read which offers some longed for insight into the lives of the Wimseys after their marriage' (Northern Echo (Presumption of Death) )
'Vintage whimsey ... Wimsey lives on in delicious familiarity in this triupmh not just of one writer's art, but of two' (Huddersfield Daily Examiner (Presumption of Death) )
'Jill Paton Walsh excels as Ms Sayers' posthumous voice. As before the two authors blend seamlessly and the intricately woven plot would grace anything from the golden age of detective writing' (Norfolk Journal (Presumption of Death) )
'Satisfying and impeccably researched' (Mystery Woman )
'An admirable page-turner with some fascinating detail' (Publishing News )
'Writing of the time with a nice authentic touch, Paton Walsh offers a leisurely read, especially for Lord Peter Wimsey fans' (The Irish Times )
‘An engrossing, intelligent and provocative novel in the guise of a conventional mystery.’ (Joyce Carol Oates, New York Times Book Review )
‘Could this be the best book Dorothy L. Sayers never wrote? She has done a splendid job - certain to please the legions of Sayers loyalists as well as readers new to the Wimsey canon . . . Lord Peter has been made much more human and interesting by marriage. . . and the story is full of twists and connivance.’ (Chicago Tribune on THRONES, DOMINATIONS )
'A must for all Wimsey lovers...an entertaining read which offers some longed for insight into the lives of the Wimseys after their marriage' (Northern Echo (Presumption of Death) )
'Vintage whimsey ... Wimsey lives on in delicious familiarity in this triupmh not just of one writer's art, but of two' (Huddersfield Daily Examiner (Presumption of Death) )
'Jill Paton Walsh excels as Ms Sayers' posthumous voice. As before the two authors blend seamlessly and the intricately woven plot would grace anything from the golden age of detective writing' (Norfolk Journal (Presumption of Death) )
'Satisfying and impeccably researched' (Mystery Woman )
'An admirable page-turner with some fascinating detail' (Publishing News )
'Writing of the time with a nice authentic touch, Paton Walsh offers a leisurely read, especially for Lord Peter Wimsey fans' (The Irish Times )
Review
'Jill Paton Walsh has...given us a Lord Peter story in the true Sayers' style and tradition' -- Norma Major - The Week on Thrones, Dominations 'An engrossing, intelligent and provocative novel in the guise of a conventional mystery.' -- Joyce Carol Oates, New York Times Book Review 'Could this be the best book Dorothy L. Sayers never wrote? She has done a splendid job - certain to please the legions of Sayers loyalists as well as readers new to the Wimsey canon ... Lord Peter has been made much more human and interesting by marriage... and the story is full of twists and connivance.' -- Chicago Tribune on THRONES, DOMINATIONS 'A must for all Wimsey lovers...an entertaining read which offers some longed for insight into the lives of the Wimseys after their marriage' -- Northern Echo (Presumption of Death) 20021112 'Vintage whimsey ... Wimsey lives on in delicious familiarity in this triupmh not just of one writer's art, but of two' -- Huddersfield Daily Examiner (Presumption of Death) 20021221 'Jill Paton Walsh excels as Ms Sayers' posthumous voice. As before the two authors blend seamlessly and the intricately woven plot would grace anything from the golden age of detective writing' -- Norfolk Journal (Presumption of Death) 20021201 'Satisfying and impeccably researched' -- Mystery Woman 20030302 'An admirable page-turner with some fascinating detail' -- Publishing News 20030302 'Writing of the time with a nice authentic touch, Paton Walsh offers a leisurely read, especially for Lord Peter Wimsey fans' -- The Irish Times 20030222
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
46 of 48 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
This book is a must for all Wimsey-lovers as we are reunited with Peter and Harriet in the first two years of the Second World War. Peter makes his appearance late in the novel but Harriet is as engaging as ever taking centre stage. Her longng for her husband keeps Lord Peter firmy in the reader's consciousness. He may not appear quite enough for everyone's taste, but his reappearance at all more than makes up for it.
The mystery itself is not particularly thrilling; most of your suspicions or hunches will prove to be right. The book compensates for this with a delightful development of the relationship between Peter and Harriet and with a real sense of period. The fear of the early was years is vividly brought home and the uncertainty felt will strike a chord with society after September 11. This is not enough to make it a great read for those unfamiliar wth Wimsey - the Wimsey uninitiated would be well advised to start elsewhere - but Jill Paton Walsh has tied the book carefully with the Wimsey Papers published in The Spectator in 1939-1940 and sets the stage more clearly for the short story Talboys (in "Striding Folly"). As with Dorothy L Sayers books, the characterisation is endearing.
Jill Paton Walsh may not have produced another work like "Thrones, Dominations", (her completion of Dorothy L Sayers unfinished Wimsey novel) but it is nevertheless an entertaining read which offers some longed for insight into the lives of the Wimseys after their marriage.
16 of 17 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
This book takes place mainly in a small village in the countryside of England. The time, Wartime England, covering the end of 1939 through early 1940. While the village has its first air-raid practice, a crime is committed. They return to the streets to find a young lady murdered.
Lord Peter Wimbsy is off on a Secret Mission for his country. Leaving the short-handed police to turn to his wife for assistance, Writer and amateur detective Lady Peter Wimsey, known before her marriage as Harriet Vane.
We follow Harriet as she tries to solve this mystery. The story is well woven and just when we figure out who did it, we are thrown a curious twist. The cast of characters in the village makes for a fun read. We are also given a good look at life in England during the early part of World War II.
Lord Peter Wimbsy is off on a Secret Mission for his country. Leaving the short-handed police to turn to his wife for assistance, Writer and amateur detective Lady Peter Wimsey, known before her marriage as Harriet Vane.
We follow Harriet as she tries to solve this mystery. The story is well woven and just when we figure out who did it, we are thrown a curious twist. The cast of characters in the village makes for a fun read. We are also given a good look at life in England during the early part of World War II.
50 of 56 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
There is an excerpt of this book on Amazon. You might read it and think "Good heavens, this catches the tone of Sayers perfectly!". Well, of course it does. That's because the excerpt is lifted directly from Sayers' short story "The man who knew how" with just names and a few details changed and then inserted into this new book. The rest of the book doesn't live up to the writing of Sayers by a long chalk and this sort of underhand marketing ploy to make the reader think they're getting something they're not really ticks me off, especially when it is my money that they're taking.
Sayers had a delightful gift for characterisation and dialogue which few authors can manage. Jill Paton Walsh deserves credit for trying, but ultimately the fact that the publishers knew they had to run original Sayers dialogue to promote the book tells the potential buyer all they need to know.
Sayers had a delightful gift for characterisation and dialogue which few authors can manage. Jill Paton Walsh deserves credit for trying, but ultimately the fact that the publishers knew they had to run original Sayers dialogue to promote the book tells the potential buyer all they need to know.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
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if you are a fan of ms sayers writing do not buy this book. the quality of writing is poor. i dislike her characterisation of harriet. Read more
Published 10 days ago by ali brighton
Wonderful new fix for Wimsey fans!
This is a terrific book, set during World War 2. Jill Paton Walsh has caught Sayers tone exactly, but has a lightness of touch that is very engaging. Read more
Published 21 days ago by Clancy
A good successor
This novel makes interesting use of material in Dorothy Sayers's own novels, and in 'The Wimsey Papers'. Read more
Published 11 months ago by Egomet
Are Your Wimseys Really Necessary?
A Presumption of Death
Here we have a detective novel in its own right. The second in the Jill Paton Walsh series utilising Sayers, and one which this time doesn't... Read more
Here we have a detective novel in its own right. The second in the Jill Paton Walsh series utilising Sayers, and one which this time doesn't... Read more
Published 13 months ago by George Stevenson
Readable
On the basis of reviews here I decided not to buy the book; partly because it was more about Harriet than Peter, and partly because of the criticism of Jill Paton Walsh's style,... Read more
Published 16 months ago by Gail
A fair addition
Whilst not as classic a Lord Peter adventure as the Nine Tailors or Murder Must Advertise, this is a novel to compare with Dorothy Sayers own Gaudy Night as a good Harriet Vane... Read more
Published 16 months ago by Benj R
well thought through addition to the canon
Jill Paton Walsh has clearly given a lot of thought as to how best to tie this novel back to the body of work left by Wimsey's creator. Read more
Published 16 months ago by Graham R. Hill
Worth a read
I'm a long time fan of the originals, and very fussy about writing/language quality. I thoroughly enjoyed this 'extension', which leans on knowing the the originals a bit, but is... Read more
Published 16 months ago by young grans
what news?
I read in my daily paper about Jill Paton Walsh taking on the mantle of Dorothy L Sayers and decided to try out the new book. Read more
Published 19 months ago by greengardener
Dorothy L. Sayers fans beware!
In particular, if you are a dyed-in-the-wool fan of Harriet Vane and Peter Wimsey (and extended family) you might want to forego Ms. Walsh's mostly vain endeavors to reanimate Ms. Read more
Published 20 months ago by fairywearsboots
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