Striding Folly

This collection of Dorothy Sayers stories delivers the essence of her exasperatingly aristocratic, yet immensely able and likable detective, Lord Peter Wimsey. More fanciful whimsy has seldom been created than the quipping sleuth, and hearing Ian Carmichael's portrayal is to experience the absolute, giddy truth of Wimsey. While nobly rendering all members of Wimsey's world, Carmichael's Lord Peter is imbued with a vivid essence near impossible to catch through mere reading of written word. The final story, "Talboys," exercises Lord Wimsey's detecting ability in defense of his young son, accused of petty theft. It is an especially sparkling gem of wit and mischievousness, mirroring father and son, only enhanced by the talent of Ian Carmichael. P.H.M. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award (c) AudioFile 2003, Portland, Maine

July 1, 2003
In Busman's Honeymoon, when Lord Peter Wimsey finally marries the love of his life, Harriet Vane, Sayers ends his detective adventures. However, to please "Wimsey addicts" who bombarded her with letters, she wrote a series of short stories that gave glimpses of Lord Peter the family man. The title work has Wimsey magically appearing to rescue a gentle chess expert who finds himself accused of the murder of his neighbor. In "The Haunted Policeman," Lord Peter has just gone through the harrowing experience of witnessing the birth of his first son, but he rises to the challenge when called to help out the police again. The third story is the longest and, for Wimsey-philes, the most charming. In "Talboys" we get to meet Bredon, Roger, and Paul, the next generation of Wimseys. When Bredon, the eldest and heir, becomes the chief suspect in the theft of some prize peaches, Peter must establish his son's innocence and identify the real culprits. Actor Ian Carmichael does a wonderful job with the narration, managing to sound convincingly like both a three-year old and a crotchety spinster all in the same paragraph. Recommended for libraries where mystery short stories or the works of Sayers are popular.-Barbara L. Rhodes, Northeast Texas Lib. Syst., Garland

Copyright 2003 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.