tags: classics, Dorothy L. Sayers, Lord Peter Wimsey, mystery, puzzle, Scotland
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
From Goodreads
The body was on the pointed rocks alongside the stream. The artist might have fallen from the cliff where he was painting, but there are too many suspicious elements -- particularly the medical evidence that proves he'd been dead nearly half a day, though eyewitnesses had seen him alive a scant hour earlier. And then there are the six prime suspects -- all of them artists, all of whom wished him dead. Five are red herrings, but one has created a masterpiece of murder that baffles everyone, including Lord Peter Wimsey.
The novel is a seemingly never ending puzzle with so many characters and their disappearances the very next morning. They rode trains and bicycles. I have never read a novel where the schedule of trains is very important to the story. With 6 suspects, the different schedules of train they took to different destinations is dizzying. And the missing bicycles! Oh, boy.
I like the novel for the descriptions of Galloway, Scotland as though I was on a tour with Lord Peter. The language is also very interesting. Dorothy L. Sayers wrote the words as they are pronounced and it was fun reading and understanding them. I probably would not have understood everything if I listened to the audiobook.
The exchange between the Scots Police Inspector and the H-adding English butler of one of the suspects is entertaining.
The Inspector opened his notebook.
"Your name is Halcock, is't no?" He began.
The butler corrected him. "It's H'alcock", he said reprovingly
"H, a, double l?" suggested the Inspector.
"There is no h'aitch in the name, young man. H'ay is the first letter, and there is h'only one h'ell."
"I beg your pardon", said the Inspector.
"Granted", said Mr. Alcock.
"Well, noo, Mr. Alcock, juist as a pure formality, ye understand, whit time did Mr. Gowan leave Kirkcudbright on Monday night?"
"It would be shortly after h'eight."
"Whae drove him?"
