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The Five Red Herrings
by
Dorothy Sayers
amateur sleuth, vintage mystery in a Kindle edition that was published by Open Road Media on July 31, 2012 and has 297 pages.
Explore it on Goodreads or Amazon
Other books by this author which I have reviewed include Thrones Dominations, Whose Body?, Clouds of Witness, Unnatural Death, Lord Peter Views the Body, The Unpleasantness at the Bellona Club, Strong Poison, Book Review: Dorothy Sayers’ Hangman's Holiday, Murder Must Advertise, The Nine Tailors, Gaudy Night, Busman's Honeymoon
Sixth in the Lord Peter Wimsey vintage mystery series revolving around an amateur sleuth in London, although this story takes place in Kirkcudbright, Scotland, about 1930. The focus is on the artists who inhabit the village.
My Take
Sayers provided an idyllic setting for painters. When it’s terrible weather for painting, it’s ideal for fishing. Meanwhile her description of the artists’ acceptance of Lord Peter Wimsey, despite being English and an incomer, is quite affectionate. Bunter has his fun as well, well, his own style of fun, with the ladies next door and the seducing he does of potential witnesses.
An imaginative witness who’s suddenly hedged about by warnings and strangers in the house.
That is one of the things I like about Wimsey. He may be a nobleman, but he’s quite the downhome chap. A man with whom anyone can be comfortable.
How can you not love Sayers’ way with words:
”a sky full of bright sun and rolling cloud-banks, hedges filled with flowers, a well-made road, a lively engine and the prospect of a good corpse at the end of it. Lord Peter’s cup of happiness was full. He was a man who loved simple pleasures.”
The insularity of natives of the British Isles cracks me up, for here’s Murcoch saying “he’s no a Scotsman at a’, for everybody knows he’s fra’ Glasgow.” Sooo, Glasgow is in Scotland, aye?? Must be his Irish mother.
Sayers does have a bit of fun with Scottish accents. Just ask Halcock, er, I mean, Alcock. It does make it harder to read, as you have to slow down and sound things out, which explains why the fashion has gone out of attempting to write dialogue with an accent.
If you’ve a passion about bigotry, you may not want to read it, as Sayers is a part of her time and refers to dagoes and niggers. I find it, not refreshing, but useful as a look-in at the culture of the time. I much prefer that literature and history not be “cleaned-up” to be PC. How ever would we learn if we couldn’t look back!
You’ll need to pay attention, for there are a lot of names and Sayers isn’t doing a lot to help you keep track of who’s speaking. And you will learn more about tickets and trains than you ever wanted to know.
It’s a hotbed of angry personalities who clash, sneak, and battle, even as some hide their tangled doings. It’s a tricky bit of murder Wimsey investigates — seen through Lord Peter’s perspective using third person protagonist point-of-view — and part of the deducing includes a re-enactment that causes young Jock to freak out.
Is it love, stupidity, or virtuosity? Lord Peter reckons he’ll know it when he sees it.
The Story
The majestic landscape of the Scottish coast has attracted artists and fishermen for centuries. In the idyllic village of Kirkcudbright, every resident and visitor has two things in common: They either fish or paint (or do both), and they all hate Sandy Campbell. Though a fair painter, he is a rotten human being, and cannot enter a pub without raising the blood pressure of everybody there. No one weeps when he dies.
Campbell’s body is found at the bottom of a steep hill, and his easel stands at the top, suggesting that he took a tumble while painting. But something about the death doesn’t sit right with gentleman sleuth Lord Peter Wimsey. No one in Kirkcudbright liked Campbell, and six hated him enough to become suspects. Five are innocent, and the other is the perpetrator of one of the most ingenious murders Lord Peter has ever encountered.
The Characters
Lord Peter Wimsey, the second son of a duke, is wealthy enough to enjoy the finer things of life with plenty of leisure time to pursue his hobbies: book collecting, fine food, a fast car, and . . . murder. Mervyn Bunter is his personal man — Lord Peter is enjoying watching Bunter gut trout and wash potatoes!
The village of Kirkcudbright is . . .
. . . full of artists of all types who fish. The vehemently pro-Scottish, obstreperous Sandy Campbell is a landscape painter who claims he’s the only one who can handle a knife. Mrs Green is his charwoman.
”He’s a devil when he’s drunk and a lout when he’s sober.”
Good friends and neighbors, Miss Margaret Selby paints figure-studies and Miss Sally Cochran illustrates magazines stories in line and wash. They and Bunter have a most helpful arrangement, *grin*. Miss Selby has a sister, Kathleen.
Henry “Harry” Strachan, who is a portrait painter and illustrator, is the golf-club secretary at Gatehouse, and a friend of Farren’s. He’s married to Millie, and they have a daughter, Myra. Wimsey suspects Strachan of being a domestic tyrant.
The semi-tolerant Michael Waters, a Londoner who paints landscapes, could paint an imitation Campbell. Mrs McLeod/ Mrs Doings?? is Waters’ landlady. John Ferguson , he does murals, is ticked about what Campbell did to his stone wall. It seems that he and the missus don’t get on so well.
Hugh Farren is a figure and landscape painter; the beautiful Gilda is his wife who loves him, weaves wool, and is a bit OCD about orderliness. Jeanie is the girl who does for them. Jock Graham, who’s “illegally” fishing the pool below Campbell’s house, doesn’t care what anyone says; he’s a portrait painter who is too versatile. Mrs Terrington works in metal.
Matthew Gowan is an accomplished landscape painter and etcher, who calls Campbell a “commercial traveller” and refuses to speak to him. Alcock is Gowan’s butler. Mrs Alcock is most likely the housekeeper. Albert Hammond is his chauffeur. Betty is the observant maid. The Mahlstick in Piccadilly is Gowan’s club in London.
The police, etc.
Sergeant Dalziel is well aware of Wimsey’s criminal interests. Superintendent Robertson. Police Constables Ross, the disappointed Charlie Duncan, and Forbes. Inspector Macpherson is of Kirkcudbright and prefers facts. He has a cousin Tom and Alison is his sister. Dr Cameron examined the body. The Procurator-Fiscal is mentioned. Sir Maxwell Jamieson is the chief constable. James McWhan is the undertaker.
Joe runs the hotel where Wimsey has stayed; Andy is Joe’s son whose bike has been stolen. Angus is the booking clerk and McSkimming is a porter at the Girvan train station. Rabbie McHardy has a boat to charter? Rob is the landlord of the Anwoth. Bobby Craig once gave Myra a black eye. Marcus McDonald is bedridden. Helen Chambers is a recent move-in. John Peterson is 92. Walter Flanagan has an artificial leg, courtesy of the Great War. Phillips, who lives in Dumfries, had some paintings delivered. Mrs McGregor and her man weren’t home and their daughter Helen was alone. Bounce is a dog; Felix is a cat. Mr Doulton is the harbour-master. Mrs Smith-Lemesurier, the widow of an African civil servant, is an “incomer” of three years’ standing in Newton-Stewart. Wimsey has a coarse opinion of her. Jimmy Fleeming is a poacher. Major Aylwin is a friend of Gowan’s. Birkett. The McClellan Arms is a popular pub owned by Wullie Murdoch. McAdam is a fisherman. Dennison caught the big fish at the Minnoch. Major Dougal likes to fish. Bill Murray plays golf. Temple has a five handicap. Bobbie had a party on Friday. Bob Anderson has a wife and two children. Murray is a banker from Kirkwall. McGeoch.
Old Tom Drewitt of Trinity has a sailboat, the Susannah, and is an old friend of Waters’. Old George Wetherby likes the work done by H Ford at the Bull in Brough. Work is now being done at the Dog and Gun where Scruggs is the dog. Colonel Amery is a patron. John Barrett had a Riley and was heading south. Clarence Gordon is a commercial traveler for Moth & Gordon in Glasgow. Jimmy Thomas had been a trade unionist caught in a scandal.
In Glasgow
Sparks & Crisp is a garage where Mr Saunders works. Sparks and Crisp are its owners.
The Cover and Title
The cover finds us facing the upper portion of someone’s suit jacket in a red and blue plaid with a red argyle sweater in a black and gray pattern. There’s no bowtie but a blue and white striped shirt with a rounded collar against a café au lait background. At the top is the series information in brown with the author’s name at the very bottom, also in a dark brown. The title, in white, is just above the graphic with Lord Peter’s monocle swinging up on the left to frame it.
The title is way too accurate, for there seem to be more than The Five Red Herrings in this fishy story leading everyone astray.
