The worst nightmare for a detective is having a solid case... against a member of your own family. Dorothy Sayers imagined such a story for Lord Peter Wimsey in her second mystery novel, "Clouds of Witness," a solid, twisting whodunnit full of lies, affairs and deception
Peter is on vacation when he finds out that his brother, The Duke of Denver (informally "Gerald"), is on trial for murder -- he had a blowup with his sister Mary's fiancee, Denis Cathcart, upon learning that Cathcart was a former cardsharper. The next morning, Cathcart was found shot through the heart by Gerald's gun, with Gerald bending over the body. The Duke stubbornly refuses to explain why he was out in the rain at three in the morning.
Peter is determined to solve the case, and quickly finds plenty of clues and odd little details, including the fact that Mary keeps lying -- and changing her lies. There are too many clues, and not enough logical motives. Now to save his brother, Peter must unravel plenty of lies and red herrings, and discover who wanted to do away with Denis Cathcart -- and why.
"Clouds of Witness" is an excellent whodunnit, with lots of quirky characters and a very twisty murder mystery -- in fact, it's not even clear whether it's even a murder. And Sayers seemed to be more at ease in this mystery, since it unfolds in a more gradual manner, as if she were more sure of herself than in "Whose Body."
If there's a flaw, it's that her writing can be slightly uneven -- we get lots of descriptions of Mary, but I still have no idea what Bunter looks like. But Sayers can craft a spectacular plot, with lots of red herrings and odd twists, especially since most of the people involved are telling lies, usually about romantic affairs.
The general feeling is unusually taut even for a mystery, since Peter is trying to help his stuffy brother. But Sayers also sprinkles in some comedic moments to lessen the tension, such as when Peter dines with a flaky, chic socialist who thinks it's thrilling when the police raid them. The dialogue is also enjoyably quirky, especially when Peter is doing the talking ("I should be crucified upside down for anemia of the brain!").
The cast is made up of all sorts -- weaselly socialists, flaky socialites, the stuffy Gerald and his equally stiff wife, and the rambling yet clever Dowager. And Peter is the center of all this, a detective who acts like Bertie Wooster and thinks like Hercule Poirot -- he has loads of brains and reasoning ability, but you'd never guess it by how he acts.
"Clouds of Witness" is a clever, twisty murder mystery with a likably eccentric hero, and one of Dorothy Sayers' best mystery novels. Definitely a good, solid read with a colourful cast.
