The story takes place in 1930 London. Mystery author Harriet Vane is on trial for the murder of her lover, Philip Boyes. The trial ends with a hung jury and is scheduled to be heard again in a month. Following the trial, Lord Peter visits Harriet in prison and declares his belief in her innocence and promises to catch the real murderer. He also announces his intention to marry her - which she rejects. Lord Peter enlists his friends and associates in his endeavor - DI Charles Parker, Hon. Freddy Arbuthnot and a highly entertaining "spy", Miss Murchison.
To be honest, it took me a bit to get into the book. The original crime is presented by the judge at the trial summarizing the case before sending the jury out for deliberation. In both book and audio format, this setup was slow and ponderous. However, once Wimsey starts investigating the crime, the pace picks up and the story becomes more interesting. There is a seance scene with Miss Murchison which is laugh-out-loud in parts. The crime is, of course, solved.
Rating: 4 stars
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