Clouds of Witness

Written by Dorothy L. Sayers

Narrated by Jane McDowell

The Duke of Denver, accused of murder, stands trial for his life in the House of Lords.

Naturally, his brother Lord Peter Wimsey is investigating the crime - this is a family affair. The murder took place at the duke's shooting lodge and Lord Peter's sister was engaged to marry the dead man.

But why does the duke refuse to co-operate with the investigation? Can he really be guilty, or is he covering up for someone?

(P)2014 Hodder & Stoughton

• Language: English
• Publisher: Hachette UK Audio
• Release date: Oct 23, 2014
• ISBN: 9781444797565

Dorothy L. Sayers

Simon Winchester is the acclaimed author of many books, including The Professor and the Madman, The Men Who United the States, The Map That Changed the World, The Man Who Loved China, A Crack in the Edge of the World, and Krakatoa, all of which were New York Times bestsellers and appeared on numerous best and notable lists. In 2006, Winchester was made an officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) by Her Majesty the Queen. He resides in western Massachusetts.

Reviews for Clouds of Witness

[phoenixcomet · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Lord Peter Wimsey sets about to clear his brother's name, the Duke of Denver when he is accused of murdering his future brother-in-law. A bit easier to follow than Whose Body?

[cecilturtle · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Wimsey is set to save his brother accused of murder. A series of coincidences - and bad behaviour - intermingle as the accused refuses to speak up. Sayers is witty and fun; she also has a real knack for accents. Her characters are lively and the plot is entertaining.A lovely read to relax

[jennybeast · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Red herring after red herring, and I have to admit that I wasn't really 100% convinced that the Duke didn't do it in the end, for all of Sir Impy Biggs' impressive summing up.

[astonishingchristina · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I'd forgotten how much fun this was.

[tomdonaghey · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Clouds Of Witness (1927) (Wimsey #2) by Dorothy L. Sayers. The Duke of Denver has been caught up as the chief suspect in the murder of his sister’s soon to be husband. The Duke happens to be Lord Peter’s brother so Wimsey hurries home from the Continent to assist in the investigation. It at first appears that the Duke must be guilty as he has been accused of the crime by his own sister. The scene was 3 A.M. and the body was outside the conservatory. The Duke was kneeling over the man when Lady Mary came across them and stated that the Duke had killed her soon to be husband.You know that isn’t the whole tale. Slowly the stories of the other house guests come out, contradictions about the time of the shot being heard rise up, and even far a right-wing political agitators enters the scene. There is a mysterious motorcyclist roaming the countryside and a very nasty farmer and his too beautiful wife who become part of the problem.Whimsy and Parker turn over the information as it comes to them and try to decide what is true testimony and what is just smoke.A nice little country estate novel that is fascinating and well thought. As usual, Ms. Sayers plays fair with the reader. You might guess the whys and wherefores along the way, but this is a delight to read.

[themulhern · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Much better than Sayers' previous and first detective novel, "Whose Body". Her cleverness with different means of narrative, for example the many transcript-like depictions of inquests and trials, is evident. In humour, Sayers far outdid her two "rivals", Marsh and Christie. Whimsey is less irritating than previously, although his doggerel at the end of the trial is still pretty tough to get through.Ian Carmichael's narration was excellent. I would enjoy the novel less without the Yorkshire accents.

[jbd1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Another highly entertaining Wimsey mystery. Just the ticket after a(nother) crazy week in 2020 ... While I've read a few of the Wimsey tales out of order, I've now started to try and read them in order so I can get a better sense of the character development.

[eurohackie · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

This one started out so promisingly but ended up being a hot mess.Lord Peter's brother, the Duke of Denver, has been arrested, charged with the murder of his prospective brother in law, Captain Denis Cathcart. Denver found the body outside his lodgings at 3 am, but steadfastly refuses to give any reason why he himself is out so late at night, and why his weapon was used to fire the fatal shot. Of course, the arrest and trial of a peer of the realm is Big News, and though Peter has never been especially close to his elder brother, he does take it upon himself to investigate the matter with his BFF Charles Parker and his handy valet Bunter.Basically, everyone in this story is a complete idiot, up to and including the entire Wimsey family, save the Dowager Duchess. (Even Peter himself acts like a twat in the bizarre final scene of the novel.) Because of their stupidity and obstinacy, a very simple situation spiraled out of control. To make matters worse, we are given cruelly minute detail of every scrap of evidence during the trial near the end of the book, even though its already obvious that Denver didn't commit the crime. This was such a long, boring, and completely useless couple of chapters. And then there's the end, where Peter & co are drunken idiots in the middle of London. What was the point of that, exactly??This is a terrible follow-up to the amusing Whose Body?. I think you can definitely give it a miss and nothing of value will be lost.

[figgles_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

The second Lord Peter Wimsey book. Lord Peter returns from Corsica to find his brother, the Duke of Denver, charged with the murder of his sister's fiance. There are numerous sub plots and the denouement, the trial of the Duke in the House of Lords (his peers) gets a little bogged down in procedure and legal argument. However, though not the best Dorothy Sayers outing, it's still a very enjoyable read and gives more insight into Peter's family background.

[alanwpowers · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Sayers brings real comedy, history, and her Oxford training in languages to her inevitable detective stories. Dickensian names: Lord Peter Wimsey, lawyer Sir Impey Biggs (a handsome, big imp), opposing attorney general Lord Wigmore (in full wig). Mr Murbles, the senior lawyer, says " ‘Brilliant man, Sir Impey. He is defending Truth.’ Lord Peter, ‘Astonishin’ position for a lawyer, what?’ Mr Murbles acknowledged the pleasantry…’”(164).First heard this book aloud decades ago, by my wife, so I had not grasped all the wit, though I knew the plot was multiple, at least three affairs with three different couples all converging to one crime, of which the detective’s older brother, the Duke of Denver, stands accused. The Duke reserves his alibi which would compromise a married woman—perfect gentlemanly act which increases the difficulties of his defenders, including his detective brother (whose interests the Duke disapproves—incunabula and crime rather than football). Sayers gives us an intricate plot, with its culmination a long letter in French written by the victim the day of his murder. Lord Peter Wimsey has to go to the US by steamship to find it, and when he does, he flies back in a 1920’s plane, flimsy, the famous pilot’s jacket covered in rain. Flying through ravaging storm and fog, Wimsey’s arrival in doubt, his butler Bunter resolves to set a fire in his bedroom, hopeful.From our yearly visits to England, but perhaps more from watching TV mysteries like Midsommer and Father Brown, we have personal experience of much in this novel. Further, I have a coat that my British-resident friend asked if a Burberry. No, a wax-coated LL Bean, but… We “musn’t rest upon our oars” takes me back to college freshman crew on the Connecticut River (169). Also, my wife and I have had one cup of hot chocolate, with a jigger of brandy, every evening for over a decade. Our preferred brandy is Portuguese, not the priceless 1800 Napoleon served in Lord Peter’s house near Piccadilly.Many characters here are witty, including butler Bunter’s mother, who says, “facts are like cows. You look them in the face hard enough, they generally run away”(79). Lord Peter later informs his butler, “Well-bred English people never have imagination, Bunter.” “Certainly not, my lord. I meant nothing disparaging.”(175)Scotland Yard, headed by a Scot, and a crossword solution in Scottish, never spelled out for me. Broad Yorkshire dialect as well, as in the Yorkshire “national” anthem, “On Ilkley Moor Bat’ at,” quoted in, “Then doocks will coom an’ ate pop worms/ On Ilkla Moor…” (196).Be prepared for many un-American, British words: “widdershins” “gaiters”, and words like “loofah” which I had to search, evidently an organic sponge grown from a gourd—even in California.The real title should be “Cloud of Witnesses,” which appears late in the novel (258), but Sayers must have preferred the sound of both -s endings.Sayers considered her Divina Commedia translation to be her best work, in Dante's prosody,hendecasyllabic terza rima.

[thornton37814 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

My comments from 2011 serve as a decent summary of the book: Lord Peter Wimsey's brother Gerald, the Duke of Denver, is arrested for the murder of Mr. Cathcart whose body was found at Riddlesdale Lodge on a night when the Duke had gone out. His brother refuses to talk. His sister is not telling the truth. Wimsey's adventure takes him to England, France, and America as he tries to clear his brother of the charges. There are a few almost comical moments in the book.I will add that Ian Carmichael's narration was excellent.My rating remains the same. I commented in 2011 that I was distracted when I read the book. I wondered if my rating would change or not when listening to a narration. It did not. Lord Peter is not my favorite detective, and I doubt he ever will be. I find myself wondering if one must possess a certain fascination with lords, earls, and dukes to enjoy these.

[cbl_tn · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

A vacationing Lord Peter Wimsey races to join his family at Riddlesdale Lodge in Yorkshire as soon as he learns of a family crisis. Wimsey’s elder brother, Gerald, the Duke of Denver, stands accused of the murder of their sister Mary’s fiance. Both Gerald and Mary appear to be hiding something. Wimsey’s friend, Detective-Inspector Charles Parker, is on the case and he looks forward to Wimsey’s assistance. With the aid of Wimsey’s man, Bunter, Parker and Wimsey race against the looming trial deadline to uncover the truth of what happened on that fateful night.The best parts of the book are in Wimsey’s voice, which sparkles with wit. However, the book loses momentum in long information dumps. I look forward to seeing more of Wimsey’s mother, the dowager duchess. If Sayers were writing today instead of nearly 100 years ago, the dowager duchess might have been the detective instead of her son.

[fuzzi_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Members of Lord Peter Wimsey's family become suspect when a dead body is found at a hunting lodge in Yorkshire, and a charge of murder is quickly brought against Peter's brother, the Duke of Denver. Lots of humor and an intriguing mystery all in one book. Recommended.

[leslie398 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

2020 reread via audiobook narrated by Ian Carmichael:I can understand why this 2nd Lord Peter Wimsey book isn't a 5* for others - my love for it stems partly from the fact that this is the book that introduced me to Lord Peter and Sayers. Even without that sentimental reason, there are several aspects of this book which appeal to me - the involvement of Lord Peter's family, the brief look at English socialism/communism in the 1920s, the excitement of the Lord Peter's near escape from death in a bog, etc.Ian Carmichael gives a great narration.

[kmartin802_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

In this episode, Peter and Bunter rush home from Corsica when they receive news the Peter's elder brother the Duke of Denver has been arrested for the murder of Peter's sister Mary's fiance Denis Cathcart.Peter finds the situation very complicated. The duke has no alibi for the time of the murder that he is willing to share. His sister Mary is lying about something. And there are mysterious footprints around the scene of the crime that don't belong to any of the people staying at the house when the murder was committed. Peter, Bunter, and Peter's friend Parker need to find out the truth about Denis Cathcart's death before the duke can be tried in front of a jury of his peers. As the busily try to track down the owner of the mysterious footprints, unravel Mary's series of lies, and investigate Cathcart's path they discover a number of secrets that all of them hold. The story was fast-paced and filled with interesting characters. I am becoming a huge fan of Bunter who manages to save Peter's life in this one. I'm also curious to know if Parker's relationship with Lady Mary has any sort of future. Peter, as always, is an entertaining and intriguing character.

[cpg_7 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I was thinking I'd give this book 5 stars. It's much less confusing than many of Sayers' other novels: not a lot of poorly differentiated characters to keep track of, not ridiculously complicated timetables to have to absorb.But I ended up finding the ending just too disturbing. In America, a lawyer can get in big trouble for knowingly allowing his client to perjure himself on the witness stand. Apparently, however, it's just fine to do that in England. Arthur Schlesinger, who in defense of President Clinton testified that "Gentleman always lie about their sex lives", would be proud.

[laytonwoman3rd · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

The second in Sayers' Lord Peter Wimsey series. He's still clever, yet Woosterish at times, and he comes to the wrong conclusion more than once before hitting on the solution. To begin, Lord Peter's future brother-in-law is found dead of a gunshot wound to the chest on the family premises; Peter's brother, the Duke, is suspected and arrested, but will say nothing in his own defense. Their sister, the dead man's fiance, begins acting very strangely, shuts herself in her room, and refuses all attentions. There is evidence at the scene that another person, identity unknown, was present on the night in question. Theoretically, this being a Golden Age mystery and Sayers being very particular about the fairness doctrine, the reader should be able to pick up all the necessary clues to solve the case. I quibble. When Lord Peter takes off for Paris, and then for America, to follow up his brainstorm (which is NOT totally shared with the reader), I could certainly see how he came to his deduction, but I could not make the deduction myself. Maybe I just need more practice. I enjoyed this one very much up to a point, and then I got a bit impatient for the reveal. I think there was one too many red herrings in the pot.

[cathyskye · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I continue to stumble my way through Golden Age mysteries in an attempt to understand what so many other readers enjoy in them. So far, my only real success has been with Gladys Mitchell's Mrs. Bradley, but I am determined to emerge triumphant with Dorothy L. Sayers' Lord Peter Wimsey. I have to admit that it's been a bit of a hard slog. Perhaps I should just jump ahead to the book in which Harriet Vane makes her appearance?The largest part of Lord Peter's investigation in Clouds of Witness seemed to be crawling around on the floor staring at the carpet, and I was about ready to admit defeat when Wimsey's sister finally decided to tell the truth. Then the mystery really began to get somewhere. I am glad that I soldiered on to the end because I do see glimmers of what this series will be in snippets of conversation between characters, and that "lost in the fog in the bog" scene is marvelous. I do enjoy historical mysteries, but I am most definitely a 21st-century reader, so I do sometimes doubt the wisdom behind my dabbling into these fabled waters... but it is for the very reason that these mysteries are fabled that I can't leave them alone!

[kaitanya64 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I'd read some of Sayers' lit. crit, but this was my first of her mysteries. I just felt it was too easy to see where this was going. The one really effective red herring falls apart half way through and then it's just a gradual unravel. I wasn't even convinced that the resolution was clearly inevitable from the clues provided. At one point there is a physical implausibility that seems to be sheer carelessness by the author. I'll read more by Sayers and hope they are better.

[kaethe_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

The plot is absurdly complicated, amusingly so. There are no end of intrigues in the country house where the murder takes place.

But that's not the joy of reading a Sayers' novel: the pleasure is all in the humor. Wimsey acting a fool, Bunter's magical ability to produce anything needed, Mary's good heart, and the Dowager's formidable control of everything. It's Downton Abbey written by Oscar Wilde.

Personal copy

[brokentune · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

‘Does it occur to you that what’s the matter with this case is that there are too many clues? Dozens of people with secrets and elopements bargin’ about all over the place—’‘I hate you, Peter,’ said Lady Mary.The Duke of Denver, Lord Peter's brother, has been accused of the murder of a house guest. He has no alibi and his statements are so contradictory that it really looks like he is in danger of being found guilty.Luckily for him, Mr. Bunter, Lord Peter's valet, has managed to find a current edition of the Times while with Peter in Corsica and promptly arranges for Peter's return to the family home. All I can say is that this book is even better on the second read. On the first read, I was so involved in the solving the mystery of who killed Cathcart, that I didn't appreciate the all of the snippets of humour and wit that are strewn throughout this novel. Well, I did appreciate them, but not as much as I should have.This book is a hoot. But it is not just fun that makes me love the Wimsey clan. I also love the interaction between the characters - whether it is Bunter looking after Wimsey, Lady Mary stropping with Wimsey, Wimsey egging on poor love-sick Parker, or the Duchess calling them all to order. And best of all, there is such a lovely spirit of the hopefulness and modernism of the 1920s in this. I really like this book and am so glad that I didn't stop reading this series after the disappointment that was Whose Body?.‘I think we may say we have made some progress,’ said Parker.‘If only negatively,’ added Peter.‘Exactly,’ said Sir Impey, turning on him with staggering abruptness. ‘Very negatively indeed. And, having seriously hampered the case for the defence, what are you going to do next?’‘That’s a nice thing to say,’ cried Peter indignantly, ‘when we’ve cleared up such a lot of points for you!’‘I daresay,’ said the barrister, ‘but they’re the sort of points which are much better left muffled up.’‘Damn it all, we want to get at the truth!’‘Do you?’ said Sir Impey drily. ‘I don’t. I don’t care twopence about the truth. I want a case. It doesn’t matter to me who killed Cathcart, provided I can prove it wasn’t Denver. It’s really enough if I can throw reasonable doubt on its being Denver. Here’s a client comes to me with a story of a quarrel, a suspicious revolver, a refusal to produce evidence of his statements, and a totally inadequate and idiotic alibi. I arrange to obfuscate the jury with mysterious footprints, a discrepancy as to time, a young woman with a secret, and a general vague suggestion of something between a burglary and a crime passionel. And here you come explaining the footprints, exculpating the unknown man, abolishing the discrepancies, clearing up the motives of the young woman, and most carefully throwing back suspicion to where it rested in the first place. What do you expect?’‘I’ve always said,’ growled Peter, ‘that the professional advocate was the most immoral fellow on the face of the earth, and now I know for certain.’

[ctpress_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Lord Peter Wimsey’s brother Gerald is arrested and accused of the murder of his sisters boyfriend. Wimsey hurries home from his vacation on Corsica and goes to work - with his “partner”, detective Palmer and his manservant Bunter. Mary, Peter’s sister, is also under suspicion as her story doesn’t hold water - a lot is at stake here for Peter - and there’s more action in this one - Wimsey is shot at (twice), are in severe danger in a swamp and have to endure a lot before the case is closed.

[antiquary_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This is probably my second favorite of the Wimsey novels, after Murder Must Advertise, particularly for the trial before the House of Lords --a tradition now ended by later legal reform.

[mstrust · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Lord Peter Wimsey's older brother has just been arrested for murdering his sister's fiancee, whose body was found in the family ancestral home. Lord Peter shows up to find that his brother isn't cooperating with the police and his sister's version of the night doesn't hold up under scrutiny. With little help from his family, Lord Peter, manservant Bunter and police friend Parker have to piece together the dead man's past and childish Lady Mary's movements on the night he died.This is my second Lord Peter book, the first being Lord Peter Views the Body a few years ago. It's interesting and often funny, and the clues and red herrings abound. I know there was a time when the upper class English thought it hip to drop their "g"s to sound like hillbillies, I guess, but Lord Peter can barely get a complete word out, and it's kind of annoying to read a sentences filled with apostrophes. But a good mystery that went on slightly too long.

[helenliz_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

A re-read, probably several times over. In this, Peter is called upon to investigate another murder, although this one involves his brother as suspect. The body of Lady Mary's fiance is found in the conservatory of the shooting lodge, with the duke bending over him, Mary leaps to the obvious (and wrong) conclusion, that Gerald did it. From there, it all goes downhill fast for Gerald, who refuses to say what he was doing. It all falls on Peter and Charles Parker to unravel the various mysteries that have enmeshed themselves around the 3 am discovery. Some fabulous side characters in this, although the level of co-incidence is markedly high. Peter discovers who did what and how, as usual, but it's a close run thing.

[pgchuis · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

The second in the series, with a much better paced plot and clues. Lord Peter's brother, Gerald, is charged with the murder of Denis Cathcart, who is engaged to marry Lady Mary, sister to Gerald and Peter. Gerald and Mary appear to have discovered the body at the same moment in the middle of the night, but each seems to have something to hide which prevents them from telling the truth. More of a detective story, with less humour and sadly less of Bunter than the first, but a satisfactory ending.

[booksfordinner · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Another great one. Beautiful language!

[druidgirl_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I love Lord Peter Wimsey, he has an incredible sense of wrong and right, of honor and love of family. He finds that his brother has been accused of murder and jailed. Lord Peter drops everything and rushes to investigate. His brother refuses to talk,so he does it his way. This is a true British mystery which I love.***I received this book in exchange for an honest review***

[lahochstetler · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Lord Peter's family is thrown into suspicion when his brother is accused of murder. The Duke of Denver is obstinate in his refusal to defend himself. Lord Peter tries to unravel the case. He finds multiple infidelities and secret affairs. Much of this book shows Wimsey interacting with his family. The book takes place at the family estate. Wimsey is delightfully snarky when dealing with his relations. Several of the chapters of this book are written as transcripts of newspaper articles or courtroom testimony, and I found that format to be somewhat tedious. I definitely prefer straight narrative. This is not my favorite Wimsey book, but lesser Sayers is still greater than many other options.

[emanate28 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I enjoyed this more than 'Whose Body', maybe because I liked Lord Peter Wimsey better here (he was too flippant and silly in the other one for my taste). The characters were intriguing and one felt interested in their fates; the unfolding of the story and clues were good and I enjoyed much of the book. Unfortunately, I personally didn't feel very satisfied at the conclusion/solution--there were so many threads and possibilities, that what turned out to be the truth seemed anticlimactic.