Murder is hardly the best way for Lord Peter and his bride, the famous mystery writer Harriet Vane, to start their honeymoon. It all begins when th...
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May 24, 2011
Madeline
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While reading this, the fifth Sayers mystery I've read so far, I was finally able to figure out just why I love her novels more than any other mystery writer I've encountered so far: I love Dorothy Sayers because she does everything wrong, but it all somehow manages to work.
There are some commonly accepted rules for novel-writing, and detective-novel-writing specifically, that authors have to follow in order for anyone to enjoy/buy their books. Dorothy Sayers looks at these rules, sc More...
There are some commonly accepted rules for novel-writing, and detective-novel-writing specifically, that authors have to follow in order for anyone to enjoy/buy their books. Dorothy Sayers looks at these rules, sc More...
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Oct 19, 2010
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers.
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Aug 05, 2011
While some find Sayers to be the ultimate mystery writer, I'm not among them. As a non-fan of most mysteries, I grabbed this book almost immediately after reading Gaudy Night, because I was intrigued by her character of Harriet Vane and was anxious to read more about her. This was Sayers' final Vane/Wimsey book, and through a beautifully written series of letters, describes their life after Gaudy Night's engagement, through the wedding, then takes up a regular narrative as they begin their hon
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Jan 15, 2012
Reds_reads
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Lord Peter and Harriet are finally married and set off on their honeymoon to their recently purchased holiday home only to (eventually) find the dead body of the previous owner in the house's cellar. This story is more about the two main characters and their developing relationship than the murder mystery, which does at times flag and feels less tightly drawn than usual, but there is compensation in a cast of village characters that are wonderfully entertaining, as well as the two main ones who
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Jan 25, 2011
It's really true that you only pick things up when you're ready for them. I used to think reading choices explained something about the kind of person I am, but if there's something to be deduced from my reading patterns I'm not sure I want to know.
I've never thought of myself as a mystery fan in the same way I think of myself as an sf/fantasy fan. I have a mainstay 'comfort list' (Doyle, Christie, Poe) and of course there are my favourite mysteries muddled with other genres (Pratchet More...
I've never thought of myself as a mystery fan in the same way I think of myself as an sf/fantasy fan. I have a mainstay 'comfort list' (Doyle, Christie, Poe) and of course there are my favourite mysteries muddled with other genres (Pratchet More...
Aug 07, 2010
Telyn
rated it: 
Rereading Dorothy Sayers is like spending time with old, much loved friends, but while I'm glad that the series ends on an optimistic note, I find "Busman's Honeymoon to be mostly icing with very little cake and, unfortunately, not much mystery, either. The novel is an odd hybrid that is part Noel Coward-eque stage play, part epistolary novel and part high quality fan fiction. For me, the letters that make up the first portion are the most fun, and read most like something that belongs in
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Jul 18, 2010
Briana
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I was plowing through the Iliad when this distracted me. But it's the last part of the Wimsey/Vane series, and those two might be my favoritest literary couple ever, so...I think it was worth it.
I really, really want to give this four stars, but for me, this was a three star book with some great four star moments. Peter and Harriet are ridiculously clever, and they're pleasantly romantic without being sappy or possessive.
The mystery and the plot came secondary for me, mo More...
I really, really want to give this four stars, but for me, this was a three star book with some great four star moments. Peter and Harriet are ridiculously clever, and they're pleasantly romantic without being sappy or possessive.
The mystery and the plot came secondary for me, mo More...
Feb 14, 2010
astried
rated it:
The best of the serie so far. Lord Peter finally found a resounding box that made his analysis open to public, thus reader can think along with him instead of swallowing the whole lump of conclusion at the end as happened in some of the serie.
Otherwise it told an interesting take on their romance, how both of their character learned to adjust itself to one another in the bound of marriage. They believed that their marriage shall not led to the typical relationship of conquest and it More...
Otherwise it told an interesting take on their romance, how both of their character learned to adjust itself to one another in the bound of marriage. They believed that their marriage shall not led to the typical relationship of conquest and it More...
Jan 15, 2010
Brandy
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Busman's Honeymoon picks up the story of Peter and Harriet on the day of their wedding. There are several amusing, and sometimes sweet, letters and journal entries at the beginning that fill in the details of the time that has elapsed from the end of Gaudy Night to the big day. Peter and Harriet leave for their honeymoon at a house they have purchased near where Harriet lived as a child. The first day there one catastrophe after another occurs, culminating with the discovery of the former owner
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Jul 05, 2009
Becky
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This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers.
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Oct 30, 2009
Jelinas
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Confession: I'm not into mystery.
I'm not just talking about handsome, brooding men with a secret past (although I'm not really into that, either. Except maybe the handsome part. Secret pasts and brooding, though: no, thank you). I'm talking about the literary genre.
To be fair, my lack of enthusiasm has more to do with my lack of exposure to the genre. I refused to read science fiction until a coworker forced me to read Ender's Game, which is now one of my favorite books More...
I'm not just talking about handsome, brooding men with a secret past (although I'm not really into that, either. Except maybe the handsome part. Secret pasts and brooding, though: no, thank you). I'm talking about the literary genre.
To be fair, my lack of enthusiasm has more to do with my lack of exposure to the genre. I refused to read science fiction until a coworker forced me to read Ender's Game, which is now one of my favorite books More...
Apr 18, 2011
Jill
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More an examination of the adjustments two intelligent, independent people make when they are first married than a mystery, this book takes a lot of mystery fans off balance. Sayers herself called it "a love story with detective interruptions" and notes that while the reader may find the love story to be a distraction from the mystery, the characters themselves would feel the opposite. The story was originally a stage play and I think those antecedents also show through in the writin
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Jul 18, 2010
Rosemary
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This was a re-read for me, prompted in part by viewing the 1980s Masterpiece version of Gaudy Night, another Sayers work featuring mystery writer Harriet Vane. Busman's Honeymoon is the fourth of the Vane novels, the woman that Sayers' detective, Lord Peter Wimsey, pursues and finally marries after a frustrating but compelling courtship.
Sayers herself complained about love story plots in detective novels, but once she introduced Harriet, she kept their story going over several novels More...
Sayers herself complained about love story plots in detective novels, but once she introduced Harriet, she kept their story going over several novels More...
Jun 04, 2011
Jen
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“It has been said, by myself and others, that a love-interest is only an intrusion upon a detective story,” Sayers says in the dedication. “But to the characters involved, the detective-interest might well seem an irritating intrusion upon their love-story.” And that is exactly what happens here.
Lord Peter and the new Lady Peter, previously Miss Harriet Vane, have gone off to the country on their honeymoon. Peter has purchased an old Tudor manor-house for Harriet as a wedding present More...
Lord Peter and the new Lady Peter, previously Miss Harriet Vane, have gone off to the country on their honeymoon. Peter has purchased an old Tudor manor-house for Harriet as a wedding present More...
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Mar 13, 2011
Kim
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This novel is really much more of a love story than a mystery, as Dorothy L Sayers herself acknowledged. But for readers who followed the story of Peter Wimsey and Harriet Vane through the three previous novels which featured both characters, it is a most satisfying love story and a welcome culmination to the years of Peter's patient courtship and Harriet's determined resistance. Tbere's enough of a mystery to make it worthy of being called a mystery novel, but no more than that. Apart from the
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Jul 05, 2011
Melinda
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I needed a 5 star book to read after a few dismal 1 and 2 stars.... and this book fits the ticket. One of my favorite Dorothy Sayers books, it is not really a murder mystery as a delightful romp into the complexities of joyful and wonderful marriage. I may take awhile to finish this... it is just SO delightful to read!
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Jan 04, 2010
Sarah
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Why have I not read Dorothy Sayers before? Intrigue, romance, French quotes, dry English wit, and a stern butler - what more could one ask for? I wish I would have started at the beginning of the series (did get it from the library - hopefully can get to it before school starts again) as there were many references to previous episodes in the main characters' lives. The book begins with a series of hilarious letters to and from many of the characters, a sort of "in a previous episode".
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Jan 09, 2011
The Gatekeeper
rated it:
Wow. I didn't think mysteries could get this good. Actually this book is more of a romance than a mystery, though there's plenty of detective work involved. And it's the best and rarest type of romance - the type between a married couple. The murder mystery was very interesting and kept me guessing up until the end, but what I really loved was the way the author developed the characters and made me sympathize with all of them, even the worst and most pathetic. The two main characters were of cou
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Nov 17, 2010
Brittany
rated it:
I am aware that there are people who don't particularly care for Harriet Vane. I don't understand those people. I adore Harriet, and I think she and Peter work best when they're playing off each other.
Busman's Honeymoon chronicles Peter and Harriet's effort to have a quiet wedding and an even quieter honeymoon. That goal is derailed when the landlord of their new house in the country turns up dead in the basement. Harriet and Peter negotiate both the mystery and their new relationship More...
Busman's Honeymoon chronicles Peter and Harriet's effort to have a quiet wedding and an even quieter honeymoon. That goal is derailed when the landlord of their new house in the country turns up dead in the basement. Harriet and Peter negotiate both the mystery and their new relationship More...
Dec 29, 2011
Ruth
rated it:
I think Lord Peter Wimsey and Harriet Vane make one of the greatest couples in literature. In Busman's Honeymoon, they get married and go on their honeymoon. I love how the prologue had their engagement seen through the eyes of several characters, both positive and negative, and then Chapter One have it seen through Harriet's point of view. Then the wedding and the the honeymoon, which means adjusting to married life after Lord Peter, at least, has wanted something for so long. There's a great l
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Jun 14, 2010
Ryan
rated it:
It is hard to find a better writer of mystery novels than Dorothy Sayers. Her stories don't have the most suspense or the best turns of plot, but when considered as a whole, I think they are the most enjoyable. I was actually a little bit sad upon completing this book because it was the last of the Wimsey books I got to read for the first time.
Busman's Honeymoon takes place after Peter Wimsey has married detective novelist Harriet Vane, the woman he has been pursuing for years. Th More...
Busman's Honeymoon takes place after Peter Wimsey has married detective novelist Harriet Vane, the woman he has been pursuing for years. Th More...
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Jun 29, 2011
Abbey
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Subtitled: “A Love Story, with detective interruptions”, this is a classic, romantic cosy. Lord Peter and Harriet marry, and find a corpse in the basement during their honeymoon in an old house in a small village. Very quiet story, with a wonderful setting. If you’re not already a fan of Lord Peter, and accustomed to Sayers’ elliptical style, the pace may seem slow, and there’s an exceedingly romantic, almost sentimental air surrounding everything in this last novel.
Its genesis was a More...
Its genesis was a More...
Nov 11, 2011
Rainer
rated it:
Weakest of the series, in my opinion. Sayers is much more concerned with the new marital status of her protagonists than with the crime. Well, this worked okay in "Gaudy Night", but here it is often boring, because there is no conflict whatsoever between Harriett and Peter. They are so perfect as human beings and as spouses, that the long dialogues between them (partly in french) and the explanations of their married life aren't very interesting to read.
But it is nice to have a cl More...
But it is nice to have a cl More...
Jan 19, 2011
Elena
rated it:
I think I read this one before a few years ago when I was trying to read everything I could by Dorothy Sayers. But it's still great--full of insights about married life as well as the murder mystery angle. I especially liked the final chapters that showed Lord Peter W's reactions and actions after he catches the killer. He's surprisingly compassionate and stays connected to the murderer until the end. While I enjoyed the quotes throughout, I could have done with a little less French and I wo
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Nov 27, 2011
Bev
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This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers.
To view it, click here
May 06, 2011
Terra
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Her Forward sums things up pretty nicely: "It has been said, by myself and others, that a love-interest is only an intrusion upon a detective story. But to the characters involved, the detective-interest might well seem an irritating intrusion upon their love-story. This book deals with such a situation." And I add: when the love interest is Harriet and Lord Peter, you actually CARE about said love interest. All that, and also totally reasonable sleuthing-related angst! I had no idea t
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May 10, 2011
robyn
rated it:
The postlude to Gaudy Night, and what happens after the Happy-Ever-After.
Just as good as Gaudy, in a different vein; the title is a play on the phrase, "busman's holiday," which means a vacation in which you do the same thing you do every day at work. A bus driver, in other words, who goes driving on his break. And since Peter's chosen profession is murder, it's no mystery how the honeymoon is going to go.
The opening sequence, wherein the whirlwind courtship (we More...
Just as good as Gaudy, in a different vein; the title is a play on the phrase, "busman's holiday," which means a vacation in which you do the same thing you do every day at work. A bus driver, in other words, who goes driving on his break. And since Peter's chosen profession is murder, it's no mystery how the honeymoon is going to go.
The opening sequence, wherein the whirlwind courtship (we More...
Sep 07, 2010
Marilou
rated it:
One hates to call this a tea cozy, though I think it meets the criteria. I found the story of Lord Peter Wimsey and Harriett Vane's marriage and eventful honeymoon very touching. Yes, it is unrealistic and sentimental. Does anyone love this sacrificially - this purely? No, I could not understand any of the many outpourings of Lord Peter in French. But, I like the residents of Paggalum and I love Peter, Harriett and Bunter. I never knew the story of Peter's WWI days and recovery. Bunter em
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Nov 15, 2008
Maureen
rated it:
I finally finished Busman's Honeymoon by Dorothy Sayers. It's the very last in the Lord Peter Wimsey series. I warn you here and now, this review will include spoilers for both Busman's Honeymoon and Gaudy Night so if you want to avoid those, this review is not for you.
To be honest, this book is a bit of a let-down for me. It's not that there is something wrong with the book itself. In fact, it's a perfectly respectable book in a very good series. But it comes direc More...
To be honest, this book is a bit of a let-down for me. It's not that there is something wrong with the book itself. In fact, it's a perfectly respectable book in a very good series. But it comes direc More...
Sep 07, 2008
Anne
rated it:
The Wimsey-obsessed friend who told me to read these books said that Busman's Honeymoon was pure fluff, and that she skimmed over the mystery parts to read the Peter/Harriet banter.
But I thought this one was splendid. There were a few sections in the middle that I could have done without--whole chapters without Peter, Harriet or Bunter. But the great thing about this particular mystery, while it wasn't really that exciting or meaningful in itself, was the strain it put on everybody More...
But I thought this one was splendid. There were a few sections in the middle that I could have done without--whole chapters without Peter, Harriet or Bunter. But the great thing about this particular mystery, while it wasn't really that exciting or meaningful in itself, was the strain it put on everybody More...
