From the Bookshelf of Reading the Detectives…

Strong Poison (Lord Peter Wimsey, #6)

Dorothy L. Sayers

Start date: June 1, 2016

Finish date: June 30, 2016

Discussion: Group Challenges

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Group Challenges

* 2026 Challenge
By Susan · 24 posts · 27 views

last updated Oct 17, 2025 02:23AM

* Oct 25: A Murder Is Announced (1950) by Agatha Christie
By Susan · 16 posts · 16 views

last updated Oct 16, 2025 07:31AM

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What Members Thought

Dec 06, 2015 Teri-K rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: great-to-re-read, mystery, mystery-golden-age, audio-recommended, z-permanent-bookshelf, 2025-my-book-club, 2025-physical-tbr

This is the volume where Lord Peter first meets Harriet. Peter has pretty much stopped being an idiot here, and seriously works at getting her acquitted of murdering her ex lover. (Anyone who has tried an earlier book and didn't like it should read this one. It's much more indicative of the series as a whole.) I'm not a fan of instant love, so I don't get his immediate devotion to her, but this book isn't a romance. It's definitely a mystery and one that I think works very well. There are a vari ...more

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Oct 17, 2017 Jan C rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: mystery, 2017, england, re-read, rtd-2016-sayers-challenge

This is the book where Sayers introduces us to mystery author Harriet Vane. She is about to be convicted of murdering a former lover (possibly scandalous in itself) when Lord Peter Wimsey declares his love for her. The Dowager Duchess likes her, too.

Peter commences to propose to her every five minutes and she just isn't interested. Still, he persists and tries to prove her innocence. Enlists his police friend Charles and Miss Climpson and her Cattery.

Not sure how many times I have read this one ...more

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Aug 09, 2018 P. rated it liked it · review of another edition

A wobbly 3*. The plot verges on ridiculous and sometimes plunges off the cliff, eg when our hero proposes to a presumed murderess because he likes her voice. Or when a character, into deep dark plotting, poisons himself for a YEAR, which leads to a successful outcome of his devious plan. Until of course it doesn't. ...more

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Apr 14, 2022 Jessica rated it liked it

Shelves: fiction, detective, audiobook, book-to-film, libby, golden-age-mystery

The first novel by Dorothy Sayers that I've read. It is where Lord Peter Wimsey met Harriet Vane. (I didn't understand, though, why Lord Wimsey instantly fell in love for the accused Miss Vane when he knew very little of her.)

Video: episode one, two, and three.

I read this as an audiobook downloaded through Libby. Narrated by Ian Carmichael who does a wonderful job. The book is 7 hours. ...more

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Aug 18, 2013 Ruth rated it really liked it

Shelves: mystery

A nice, comfortable mystery -- exactly what I was after.

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Dec 03, 2014 Louise Culmer rated it really liked it

Shelves: owned

Mystery writer Harriet Vane is on trial, accused of murdering her former lover. Lord Peter Whimsey believes she is innocent, and is determined to prove it, with of course the help of Bunter, Charles Parker, and others. As a mystery this is not a particularly difficult one to solve, but it doesn’t matter as it is a highly enjoyable story with interesting characters, I particularly like the ladies of the ‘Cattery’ - Lord Peter’s typing bureau which is really a network of female spies. Great fun.

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