In my quest for BL book collection perfection, I noticed just how many of my books I never reviewed in any fashion. Since I enjoy a good re-read now and again, I've decided to re-visit my shelves and the friends that lie therein, in between my Mt. TBR reads (which really, is getting to be the TBR Range).
My first re-read is "Whose Body?" by Dorothy Sayers. I figure if I start with a classic, anyone reading my reviews will forgive me when I get to "Silence of the Hams" and "A Knife to Remember".
A classic. And really, what can be said about this classic that hasn't already been said? We can take it as read all the bits about Sayers' being a master of her craft, etc. etc.
What I will comment on, was that while I really enjoyed this book, and it was just the re-read I was looking for, it's not an easy book to just dive into. At least for me. There's a style and pacing to Ms. Sayers' writing that does not trip delightfully off my tongue - whether it be because of the times the book was written in, Peter's personality, or the British-to-American translation issues. No matter, it was a chapter or two before I got into the groove again.
The story is fantastical - just the physical stamina needed to perpetrate this plot is remarkable. The villain truly villainous. I'll admit I'm still not sure, after reading this twice, what gave the game away for Lord Peter.
The footnotes used sparingly throughout the story show a depth of character development that isn't seen anymore in today's traditional/cozy mysteries. Lord Peters has a rich, detailed backstory that was obviously developed before the stories were written. Nice.