Written by Jill Paton Walsh
SUMMARY:
Published by Minotaur Books in 2010, this 338-page murder mystery hardcover depicts Dorothy L. Sayers’ happily-married Lord Peter Wimsey and Harriet Vane — now middle-aged parents in post-war 1951 London. With help from his long-time manservant, Mervyn Bunter, Wimsey recalls for Harriet (now Lady Wimsey) the tale of how he first recovered the missing Attenbury Emerald thirty years ago for wealthy family friends.
The matter comes full circle when the current head of the financially-downsized Attenbury Family calls upon Wimsey once more. Homicide and the possible existence of multiple emeralds leads the Wimseys and Bunter to finally decipher the Attenbury Emerald’s ominous Persian inscription.
REVIEW:
Though articulately written, the first one hundred thirty pages or so (especially a tedious series of flashbacks) proves a tough slog. It’s so exceedingly dull that even the most patient fans may be tempted to surrender. Still, author Jill Paton Walsh’s mystery finally hits its stride when the plodding storyline takes a welcome break by incorporating the Wimseys’ personal sub-plot. At last, a middle-aged Peter Wimsey and Harriet Vane come to life, as Paton Walsh explores a tragedy burdening the British detective couple with an unexpected inheritance. Upon returning to her less-than-dazzling emerald caper, Paton Walsh plausibly resolves the matter (which includes a few gruesome Blitz flashbacks). To her credit, a few minor threads are left open to conjecture, as even Wimsey isn’t a perfect sleuth.
The Attenbury Emeralds tries hard to pass as a well-intentioned revival, but, unfortunately, it’s a lukewarm imitation of Dorothy L. Sayers’ Golden Age sleuths.
ADDITIONAL FEATURES:
There’s a helpful four-page list of characters (in order of appearance) indicating who’s who. The author also includes a single page of acknowledgements.
BRIAN’S ODD MOON RATING: 4 Stars
