Strong Poison, by Dorothy Sayers

Last updated on: January 14, 2014 at 3:15 am by willduquette

Strong Poison, by Dorothy Sayers 2014-01-13T20:17:09-05:00 willduquette

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

Dorothy Sayers’ Peter Wimsey series takes an abrupt left turn with the fifth book, Strong Poison. Detective novelist Harriet Vane is on trial for the murder of her lover by arsenical poisoning. She had opportunity; they had been lovers. She had motive; she’d left him due to something he’d done. And she has know-how: she’s just written a novel involving arsenical poisoning, and is known to have had possession of some arsenic. Lord Peter, on the other hand is not so sure. It might have been suicide; it might have been murder by someone else. But he’s nearly certain that Vane is innocent.

Though they don’t come into the stories, Lord Peter has been presented to date as the sort of upper-class bachelor who has had a string of discreet mistresses and will likely never marry. But somehow Harriet Vane, whom he hardly knows, has gotten under his skin, and he’s besotted. Really, he has no evidence that she’s innocent; he simply doesn’t want her to be guilty. And here’s where it gets a little weird, because Miss Vane bears a passing resemblance to Dorothy Sayers herself. She’s single; she’s known to have been somewhat bohemian, and has publicly taken a lover; she’s an author of detective stories; and, well, this:

Not Harriet Vane

Her eyes, like dark smudges under the heavy square brows, seemed equally without fear and without hope.

It’s very odd, and Lord Peter doesn’t seem quite himself. Besottedness will do that, I suppose.

This was the first of the Peter Wimsey novels I read when I first discovered Sayers; I liked it well enough then to look further, but it always seemed a bit different than the others. That was many years ago, and I don’t believe I’d ever re-read until this past month. It holds up pretty well; I enjoyed it, and the solution was nicely complex. But still, it’s a little weird.

Woof Guide to Literature

dorothy sayers

peter wimsey

strong poison

Previous Post

January 13, 2014

Crusader Cooties!

Next Post

January 14, 2014 The Measure With Which You Measure

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category Admin App o' the Morning Ask the Dogmat Believing Thomas Bits of Fiction Blasts from the Past Bootstrapping the Interior Life Catholic Mom Christian Living Deep Thoughts from the Doghouse Dominicana Evangelii Gaudium Interviews It Was A Dark and Stormy Night Links to This and That Lumen Fidei Meme Watch On Writing Operation Gratitude Pedant Errant Photography Quill Random Barkings S'Mary's World Shakers of Salt Software Development The Dog Whistler The Dogmat Sez Third Orders Thomas Aquinas Uncategorized Vikings at Dinos Woof Guide to Cinema Woof Guide to History Woof Guide to Literature Woof Guide to Obscure Catholic Music Woof Guide to Philosophy Woof Guide to Popular Music Woof Guide to Technology Woof Guide to Theology Words I Wish I'd Written Works For Me

Select a Month September 2016 August 2016 June 2016 May 2016 April 2016 March 2016 February 2016 January 2016 December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 August 2014 July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 April 2014 March 2014 February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

Who advised Moses to appoint judges to help lead the people?

Select your answer to see how you score.

Jethro Aaron Miriam Joshua