Thrones, Dominations

Thrones, Dominations tried to do too much all at once. Between tying up Sayer's loose ends, describing the state of politics prior to WWII, thrusting Peter and Harriet into married life, and starting their family, there was also a mystery to be solved.

The novel did not live up to what I wanted it to be, in a number of ways. First, the characters. In an effort to allow Peter to flex his detection skills, Walsh separates him and Harriet for most of the novel. Harriet does not seem at all interested in helping solve the mystery, and holds back some crucial information along the way. What does she do instead? Attempts to write her novel while others interrupt to insult and belittle her. Peter does solve the mystery, but in an effort to show how Harriet takes him seriously (unlike the rest of the world) he does it with less wit and humor than usual, which is not much fun for the readers.

As for the mystery itself, it did not feel like fair play, and it did not give the reader the thrill of the chase, though the reader could guess some elements. Certain features of the case seemed downright impossible in the end, which was disappointing.

The most disappointing part, however, was the ideology behind the case. There was too much sympathy for the murderer in the end, despite claiming otherwise. I couldn't imagine why Wimsey kept making excuses for the murderer, with sprinkles of victim-blaming, even if he is against the death penalty. The jury's verdict also made no sense to me.

In the end, I was a bit dissatisfied. The relationship between Wimsey and Harriet felt confused and strained, with no clear direction. And the mystery, though generally fun to follow, did not leave me feeling accomplished. I may read the next one to see if Jill Paton Walsh, under less constraints, can entice me back into one of my favorite series.