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heresyourletter's review against another edition
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
jenniferavignon's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
kathydavie's review
5.0
Fifth in the Lord Peter Wimsey vintage mystery series and revolving around an amateur sleuth in the England of the 1920s. It's all about the timing of General Fentiman’s and Lady Dormer’s deaths.
My Take
It’s damned hard coming home from war, and part of the focus of this tale is the trials of being a disabled veteran. I do feel for Fentiman and his inability to hold a job.
It’s a convoluted story about time of death, wills, fraud, and murder all seen through third person global subjective point-of-view.
There isn't much of a look into Peter's life except for Bunter's expertise. Nor is there much between Wimsey and Parker, other than that embarrassing moment when Peter suddenly see Parker as a cop. The brief peek we get into artists' lives was interesting while the betrayal was a nasty surprise. Not what I was expecting . . .
The theme is greed and infests both side of the argument. There isn’t a lot of action, as it’s mostly talking and investigating with a peek into peoples’ lives and characters.
A good read with insight into the time period’s culture and mores.
The Story
Old General Fentiman has died in his chair at his club. Peacefully. In his sleep. Now there’s a question of when he really died for an inheritance hangs in the balance.
It’s a puzzle since the great man's knee swung freely when the rest of him was stiff with rigor mortis.
The Characters
Lord Peter Wimsey is a second son with a fascination for mysteries. Mervyn Bunter is his valet/butler/photographer who takes care of anything Lord Peter needs. Mr Murbles, the solicitor for the Wimsey and Fentiman families, lives at Staple Inn.
Detective-Inspector Charles Parker is with Scotland Yard and is one of Wimsey’s best friends. Mr Collins is an expert at handwriting analysis. Dykes seems to be a constable. Detective Maddison. Sir James Lubbock is a well-known analyst. Saunders and Dr Horner are Lubbock’s assistants.
Captain George Fentiman is a wounded veteran and Wimsey's friend; Sheila is his overworked wife, and who had started up tea-shop that went belly-up. Mrs Crickett is their housekeeper. Joe and Primrose Munns appear to be the landlords of Fentiman’s place. Cummins is a nosy neighbor.
General Arthur Fentiman, long disgusted with his brother-in-law, is George's ancient grandfather. Major Robert Fentiman, George’s brother, is staying in the Club; Woodward is Robert’s man. Colonel Frobisher is Robert Fentiman’s superior. Felicity, Lady Dormer, is the general’s sister. She shocked her family by marrying a prosperous manufacturer of buttons, Dormer, who became Sir Henry Dormer, Bart. The belligerent Miss Ann Dorland, a poor distant relative and okay painter, lives/lived with Lady Dormer as her ward. Pritchard had been the Dormers’ family solicitor. Mrs Mitcham is Lady Dormer’s housekeeper. Nellie is the housemaid. Nurse Armstrong had been tending Lady Dormer and goes on to a nursing home in Great Wimpole Street. William is the footman.
The Bellona Club is . . .
. . . a gentlemen’s club. Captain Culyer is the secretary of the club. Fred and James are some of the employees. Rogers is the commissionaire at the club. Matthews was sick, and Weston was on the door that morning. Briggs had retired when he inherited his uncle’s fish shop. Babcock is the wine steward.
Members of the club include Dick "Tin-Tummy" Challoner, who is another vet. Wetheridge. Colonel Marchbanks’ son was killed at Hill 60. Grainger is unlikely to last the winter. Dr Walter Penberthy, a retired Army surgeon with a consulting room in Harley Street, attends many of the members. Anstruther is single.
Marjorie Phelps is an artist with insight on Ann Dorland. Bobby Hobart is a ghastly painter but still well liked. The Rushworths prefer science; Naomi is their daughter and engaged to Penberthy. He, Professor Sligo, and Dr Voronoff (he's anxious to start a clinic) know all about glands. The bad-tempered Olga Shlitzer and her husband had a terrible argument and have separated but not physically. Ulric Fiennes is a sculptor and the third party in this argument. Father Whittington is a slum padre. Ambrose Ledbury is a powerful painter and a professional heart-breaker who left for Poland with Natasha. Komski is another artist with a lost-dog manner that disappears once he has you.
Dougal MacStewart is from an old Scottish family who forces his acquaintance (and money) on people. Jerry is a nickname for the Germans. Merrit’s is the undertaker. Mr Oliver had the general to spend the night. Swain and Hinkins are taxi drivers. Sleuth Incorporated comes in handy. Postlethwaite is an accused, retired manufacturer. Salcome “Sally” Hardy is a reporter with the Daily Yell. Barton is with the Banner. Waffles Newton. Jimmy Rowe is a bartender at the Dragon.
The Cover and Title
The cover has a deep orange background with a bust of a person in a black suit jacket with contrasting lapels, a white shirt with black buttons and a black and white polka-dotted bow tie and a white kerchief in his pocket. A monocle swings out from the left and up to frame the title.The series information is at the top in black. The rest of the text is in white with the title just above the neckline and the author’s name at the bottom.
The title is true enough, for there is The Unpleasantness at the Bellona Club.
My Take
It’s damned hard coming home from war, and part of the focus of this tale is the trials of being a disabled veteran. I do feel for Fentiman and his inability to hold a job.
It’s a convoluted story about time of death, wills, fraud, and murder all seen through third person global subjective point-of-view.
There isn't much of a look into Peter's life except for Bunter's expertise. Nor is there much between Wimsey and Parker, other than that embarrassing moment when Peter suddenly see Parker as a cop. The brief peek we get into artists' lives was interesting while the betrayal was a nasty surprise. Not what I was expecting . . .
The theme is greed and infests both side of the argument. There isn’t a lot of action, as it’s mostly talking and investigating with a peek into peoples’ lives and characters.
A good read with insight into the time period’s culture and mores.
The Story
Old General Fentiman has died in his chair at his club. Peacefully. In his sleep. Now there’s a question of when he really died for an inheritance hangs in the balance.
It’s a puzzle since the great man's knee swung freely when the rest of him was stiff with rigor mortis.
The Characters
Lord Peter Wimsey is a second son with a fascination for mysteries. Mervyn Bunter is his valet/butler/photographer who takes care of anything Lord Peter needs. Mr Murbles, the solicitor for the Wimsey and Fentiman families, lives at Staple Inn.
Detective-Inspector Charles Parker is with Scotland Yard and is one of Wimsey’s best friends. Mr Collins is an expert at handwriting analysis. Dykes seems to be a constable. Detective Maddison. Sir James Lubbock is a well-known analyst. Saunders and Dr Horner are Lubbock’s assistants.
Captain George Fentiman is a wounded veteran and Wimsey's friend; Sheila is his overworked wife, and who had started up tea-shop that went belly-up. Mrs Crickett is their housekeeper. Joe and Primrose Munns appear to be the landlords of Fentiman’s place. Cummins is a nosy neighbor.
General Arthur Fentiman, long disgusted with his brother-in-law, is George's ancient grandfather. Major Robert Fentiman, George’s brother, is staying in the Club; Woodward is Robert’s man. Colonel Frobisher is Robert Fentiman’s superior. Felicity, Lady Dormer, is the general’s sister. She shocked her family by marrying a prosperous manufacturer of buttons, Dormer, who became Sir Henry Dormer, Bart. The belligerent Miss Ann Dorland, a poor distant relative and okay painter, lives/lived with Lady Dormer as her ward. Pritchard had been the Dormers’ family solicitor. Mrs Mitcham is Lady Dormer’s housekeeper. Nellie is the housemaid. Nurse Armstrong had been tending Lady Dormer and goes on to a nursing home in Great Wimpole Street. William is the footman.
The Bellona Club is . . .
. . . a gentlemen’s club. Captain Culyer is the secretary of the club. Fred and James are some of the employees. Rogers is the commissionaire at the club. Matthews was sick, and Weston was on the door that morning. Briggs had retired when he inherited his uncle’s fish shop. Babcock is the wine steward.
Members of the club include Dick "Tin-Tummy" Challoner, who is another vet. Wetheridge. Colonel Marchbanks’ son was killed at Hill 60. Grainger is unlikely to last the winter. Dr Walter Penberthy, a retired Army surgeon with a consulting room in Harley Street, attends many of the members. Anstruther is single.
Marjorie Phelps is an artist with insight on Ann Dorland. Bobby Hobart is a ghastly painter but still well liked. The Rushworths prefer science; Naomi is their daughter and engaged to Penberthy. He, Professor Sligo, and Dr Voronoff (he's anxious to start a clinic) know all about glands. The bad-tempered Olga Shlitzer and her husband had a terrible argument and have separated but not physically. Ulric Fiennes is a sculptor and the third party in this argument. Father Whittington is a slum padre. Ambrose Ledbury is a powerful painter and a professional heart-breaker who left for Poland with Natasha. Komski is another artist with a lost-dog manner that disappears once he has you.
Dougal MacStewart is from an old Scottish family who forces his acquaintance (and money) on people. Jerry is a nickname for the Germans. Merrit’s is the undertaker. Mr Oliver had the general to spend the night. Swain and Hinkins are taxi drivers. Sleuth Incorporated comes in handy. Postlethwaite is an accused, retired manufacturer. Salcome “Sally” Hardy is a reporter with the Daily Yell. Barton is with the Banner. Waffles Newton. Jimmy Rowe is a bartender at the Dragon.
The Cover and Title
The cover has a deep orange background with a bust of a person in a black suit jacket with contrasting lapels, a white shirt with black buttons and a black and white polka-dotted bow tie and a white kerchief in his pocket. A monocle swings out from the left and up to frame the title.The series information is at the top in black. The rest of the text is in white with the title just above the neckline and the author’s name at the bottom.
The title is true enough, for there is The Unpleasantness at the Bellona Club.
missyjohnson's review against another edition
2.0
I read where Dorothy Sayers is ranked as one of the best mystery writers of the 20th century. I struggled to get through this book. The language was antiquated in my opinion and I did not enjoy the male dominated everything. I know that is historical but it was tiresome. The mystery was not mysterious or intriguing. I will not read another Lord Peter mystery.
calfaile's review against another edition
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
jose_kg's review against another edition
3.5
I read this novel as part of Caroline Crampton's Green Penguin book club. I'm not as keen on Sayers as I am on Agatha Christie and Ngaio Marsh, but this was a pretty solid murder mystery novel. The setting at a military club added some interesting historical elements.
alexactually's review
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
lelia_t's review
4.0
Very enjoyable. I’m reading Sayers’ mysteries out of order for some reason, but it doesn’t seem to affect the pleasure I take in them. There’s something powerfully affirming about the fact that, not only does Dorothy Sayers write good female characters, but she writes Peter Wimsey so he sees and values these women as friends and three dimensional human beings.
tallbox's review
lighthearted
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
rfiddlesticks's review against another edition
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0