Have His Carcase by Dorothy L. Sayers Summary and Reviews
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Book Reviews of Have His Carcase
Book Review: Whimsical Seaside Mystery
Summary: 4 Stars
The second of Sayers' Wimsey/Vane mysteries, "Have His Carcase" never quite gripped me the way "Strong Poison" did. The earlier mystery placed Harriet Vane in jeopardy should Lord Peter prove unable to exonerate her. In this book there is no such risk-factor, consequently the story is little more than a mental exercise regimen for two not-so-old, not-so-dear friends (although they do get quite a bit better acquainted on this outing). The book is also a few chapters too long (or short, depending on your point of view); "the evidence of the mannequin," for instance, made only a minor contribution to the denouement and could have been eliminated - or it could have been better capitalized upon and drawn in several of the women characters as suspects. The murder plot is definitely overcomplicated and would likely never occur in real life ... unless you wanted to commit a murder that would baffle the police and almost thwart Wimsey and Vane as well (in which case it's *exactly* what you'd do).
For its several shortcomings, "Carcase" is still a very enjoyable read. The verbal sparring between Wimsey and Vane is priceless. Vane's perspective as a mystery novelist adds a bit of behind-the-scenes color. The local police force occasionally comes off a bit too indulgent of the amateur investigators, but it was very nice that they were portrayed as neither blustering know-it-alls nor no-nothing bumpkins. Bunter's quest through London involves some of the best written pacing I've ever read.
A couple final points: The word "carcase" in the title would nowadays be written as "carcass." Before reading the book I thought it had something to do with those large trunks that used to get strapped onto the back of cars. The title actually refers to the fact that before a murder investigation can go forward, the police need to have the body (or its remains) at hand. Point two: Don't read "the evidence of the cipher" (Chapter 28) when you are tired; while it provides a very good look at a cryptographer's work, it carries with it the potential risk of causing your head to explode. Be careful, you really wouldn't want that to happen. Trust me.
Book Review: Wonderful mystery entertainment!
Summary: 5 Stars
Sayers once again delivers a solid, old-fashioned mystery story set in the English countryside. The body of a gigolo is discovered by Harriet Vane, who was recently rescued by Lord Peter from being wrongly convicted for murder. Vane is supposedly on vacation--on a walking tour to recover from her ordeal, but ends up investigating a murder instead. Lord Peter is madly in love with her but she does not return his affections.
Vane discovers the bloody body on the beach as the tide is coming in. She rushes to town as quickly as possible to notify the police but is unable to do so before the body is swept away on the tides. Lord Peter comes to stay at the seaside resort to investigate the crime and continue his courtship. While working on the mystery together, Vane's feelings for Lord Peter vary from irritation to camaraderie to a reluctant affection.
Lord Peter is a charming, intelligent sleuth who has met his intellectual match in Harriet Vane. This further installment of his adventures evokes the nostalgic atmosphere of an English seaside town during the early 1930's. It also provides an intricate murder mystery and the growing pains of a passionate relationship. Highly recommended.
Book Review: You should have checked your facts, Dorothy...
Summary: 3 Stars
The book is a nice, though a bit longish, detective story - it's about detecting a crime that was imposssible to be committed in the first place, and about Harriet Vane's and Lord Peter Wimsey's rather unpromising, but interesting, romance.
And it's howlingly funny at parts. Unfortunately, not the parts that the writer intended to be funny.
For a writer who always was so painstakingly correct about timetibles, technicalities etc, Ms Sayers had made an astounding mess with her facts.
The victim is a Russian - and Pavlo is his name. Sorry, Dorothy, had he been a Russian, his name would have been Pavel or Paul, given that we're supposed to be talking about Russian aristocracy. Pavlo is an Ukrainian name. It tantamount to calling a character Pierre and insisting he's an Englishman.
Also, if one insists on the poor victim receiving letters with Czechoslovakian stamps, one should not make the evil-doers send them from Warsaw. Polish stamps would surely be better.
Thirdly, it doesn't do to make seemingly intelligent characters speculate that an illness which can be inherited only through female ancestors could have been a proof positive that the sufferer is a descendant of a specified man... not after the female-line business was thoroughly explained in a previous paragraph, anyway.
And, top of the tops, there comes a scene when the good British jurors are not too slighly ridiculed for thinking in cliches about the foreigners... Pavlo the Russian, letters from the capital of Poland with Czechoslovakian stamps on them - Dorothy Leigh Sayers, you've made my day!