My fifth Peter Wimsey book, and the first one with Harriet vane in it.

Also, by happenstance, the first one I am writing a review of.

Coincidence? Not quite.

Despite the fact that this is the series' first love-tension filled book, this is not the first book where Sayers branches out of the normal mystery detective framework to occupy a somewhat broader niche. She began doing that much earlier, in Clouds of Witness, and certainly did so in the previous installment: The Unpleasantness at the Bellona Club, with her commentary about PTSD (then known as shellshock).

This is the first book, however, where Wimsey's character undergoes a true and profound change. That in and of itself is atypical of the standard mystery and detective story, though certainly not unheard of. That is to say, in this day and age. Previously, though, as can be witnessed in the example of the great Sherlock Holmes, great detectives tended to remain a bit static, and pursue their investigation in more or less a similar manner.

I am not going to pick sides on the great rift between Wimsey fans - yes Harriet, no Harriet - at this point, as we've really seen very little of said Harriet, but I do find it interesting to see Wimsey in this somewhat new light. I also find it interesting, albeit I much prefer Wimsey to his spinster assistants - to see that not even the Noble Sleuth can do everything on his own. The fact that Sayers chooses him to employ assistants and allows his investigations to take some time is a point to her credit, especially as she did it before so many others had.

I also confess that, on the sheer level of emotional engagement and writing, I felt this book gripped me less than the previous one had - mostly perhaps because my own romantic struggles are more or less over, but my fascination with The Great War historically, and the topic of PTSD psychologically - remains. I felt, perhaps, a similar sort of emotion in the author who seemed to infuse more energy into the psychiatric than the romantic, but this quibble, which is personal anyway, doesn't detract much from the book. I still swallowed it in a few days.

I plan to restrain myself from further Sayers for the near future, mostly because she tends to take rather largish bites out of my schoolwork, both in terms of time and in terms of inclination. However, I will likely return to her with all due impatience before long, by finding some sort of convenient and pleasant-sounding excuse to take a break.