::READERS REVIEWS::

Garbled text destroys the enjoyment of an excellent book - Love the book, hate the version. Far too many (garbled text removed) (garbled) (missing). The publisher claims it was fixed in May 2009, but I just bought it in February 2010.

Badly garbled and many omissions in Kindle text - I like Sayers. I've read all the Lord Peter novels, some more than once. They're among my favorite books to reread.

I was looking forward to reading it on Kindle, because I thought the ease of use of a dictionary, plus ability to look up some of the foreign phrases or obscure references, would enhance my experience.

Unfortunately, this Kindle edition is rife with [garbled] and [missing] text. I would understand it in a free download, and shrug it off as a "get what you pay for" experience. But even at a .99 pricepoint, there is no excuse for putting it out there in such bad condition.

Comments from the Publisher: - We apologize for the inconvenience. The book was corrected on May 18th, 2009. The new version has no omissions.

MobileReference

A botched transcription of an excellent book - This is one of my favorite Lord Peter Wimsey books, and I was looking forward to rereading it on Kindle. Unfortunately, this edition has multiple omissions -- more than 20 by my count -- indicated by the laconic phrase "garbled." One of these omissions is several pages long and takes out pivotal plot information, a fatal error in a murder mystery.

This is really inexcusable. If Mobil was working from a handwritten manuscript I could maybe buy it, but this is a work that's been in print for 60+ years. It diminishes my respect for the title, and I'll certainly think twice before buying another Mobil Reference work.

More than just a mystery - Clouds of Witness by Dorothy L. Sayers. Published by MobileReference (mobi).

Sayers is one of my favorite mystery authors. Her characters are stunning and fascinating and the story line is just out-of-this world! CLOUDS OF WITNESS is the best of her early works.

A pretty good little mystery - Clouds of Witness is one of Dorothy Sayers's earlier Lord Peter Wimsey mysteries. It's definitely not as good as Murder Must Advertise (Lord Peter Wimsey Mysteries), or The Nine Tailors, but it certainly shows some promise.

Having just spent time abroad in Corsica, Lord Peter Wimsey returns to find that his brother Gerald, the Duke of Denver, has been accused of the murder of one of his houseguests at Riddlesdale Lodge, a house rented for the hunting season. The murdered man was Lord Peter and the Duke's brother-in-law-to-be--so Lord Peter intervenes in what promises to be a sticky mess. It turns out that a lot of people are guilty of a lot of things, and it's up to Wimsey to sort things out. What I love about this book is that you know who didn't do it--the fun is in figuring out who did.

This book (the second Sayers wrote about Lord Peter, actually) isn't as strong as some of her later books, but it's pretty good nonetheless. The identification of the murderer isn't as important here, though, as is a major twist that's revealed near the end. Lord Peter himself, with his unusual manner of speaking and varied pursuits, is an endearing character, and it's easy to see why Peter might have inspired many other gentleman-detectives in fiction (Inspector Linley from Elizabeth George's books). I thought that Lady Mary was one of the weaker characters (way too many dramatics for me). Clouds of Witness may be the second book in this series (after Whose Body?), but if you're new to the series, you may want to start with this one--there's a lot more character development, as well as the introduction of some characters who make recurring appearances throughout the series.

Clouds of witness - The Duke of Denver, Lord Peter Whimsey's brother has himself in a spot of trouble. A guest to their hunting lodge has turned up dead wearing slippers and a dinner jacket and bother Gerald was seen leaving the lodge.
Lord Peter knows his brother wouldn't commit murder, but how does he prove it and save his family from the clutches of a court of law.
At times Ms. Sayers may have used techniques from her contemporaries to feel her way to a style of her own.
My favorite line from this classic novel is "..., but an advanced old woman is uncontrollable by any earthly force."
If you love mysteries and haven't read it do so, then read it again. The puzzle will always please.
Nash Black, author of SINS OF THE FATHERS.