The Unpleasantness at the Bellona Club cover art

The Unpleasantness at the Bellona Club

Lord Peter Wimsey, Book 5

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The Unpleasantness at the Bellona Club

By: Dorothy L. Sayers
Narrated by: Jane McDowell
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About this listen

Lord Peter Wimsey bent down over General Fentiman and drew the Morning Post gently away from the gnarled old hands. Then, with a quick jerk, he lifted the quiet figure. It came up all of a piece, stiff as a wooden doll...

But how did the general die? Who was the mysterious Mr X who fled when he was wanted for questioning? And which of the general's heirs, both members of the Bellona Club, is lying?

This is a book about phobias and obsessions, isolation and dark corners. It's about families, friendships, and carefully preserved secrets. But above everything else it's about love. Finding love - in any of its forms - and nurturing it.

©1928 The Trustees of Anthony Fleming (deceased) (P)2015 Hodder & Stoughton Crime Fiction Mystery Traditional Detectives

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Critic reviews

"She brought to the detective novel originality, intelligence, energy and wit." (P. D. James)
"D. L. Sayers is one of the best detective story writers." (E. C. Bentley, Daily Telegraph)
"I admire her novels . . . she has great fertility of invention, ingenuity and a wonderful eye for detail" (Ruth Rendell)
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Another great mystery with many unusual plot turns. Very fun to listen to and not always sure you know where it is going.

The Unpleasantness at the Bellona Club

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I'm no academic, but enjoy the detail of Dorothy L Sayers writing, it may not suit everyone, especially readers that prefer more fast paced story lines, the textured descriptions, and subtle humor of Sayers is a bit like enjoying a good meal, but if you don't have the time to sit and chew your food, and need a quick fix, then you may prefer a take away burger to a full roast dinner. I'm pleased that the books are unabridged and sometimes it's a pleasure to re-listen to paragraphs and take in her observations of human patterns of speech and interactions from the time. Not much has changed, except the language is less flowery. I nearly did not start listening to the books because of the criticisms of the narrator's voice and style, but gradually across the books, this seems to be improving.

Narration improving across the books

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I’m listening my way through previously unread Dorothy Sayers Wimsey mysteries at the moment. This has the to be expected somewhat convoluted ( but nonetheless entertaining) plot - and is enhanced by some intriguing characterisation & insights into 1920s middle class life - the impact of shell shock on male survivors; the emergent but still fragile emancipation of women. I really enjoyed it, despite the less than perfect narration. Jane M’s voice is very pleasant, & this just about makes the other infelicities ( strangled accents, weird hesitations, & odd pronunciation ) tolerable, for me at least. She is better with the female characters voices - & there are two very interesting female ‘secondary’ characters.

Intriguing, entertaining golden age thriller, with thought provoking undertones…

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five star throughout. wasn't 100 % happy with the reader but never tempted to abandon don't you know. would listen again. thisy third reading of this book.

writing quality

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Miss McDowell is a competent reader, and brings the story to life. This installment of Lord Peter's adventures gives an interesting insight into how society coped with injured veterans after the Great War. Plenty of red herrings to keep you guessing to the end.

A classic whodunnit

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I enjoyed this period detective novel about the great Lord Peter Wimsey but feel it was a mistake to have a female narrator when most of the characters are male. In addition, all the characters sounded the same, so I sometimes didn't know who was speaking. I do enjoy those narrators who give people individual voices but sadly this is not the case here. It is also irritating when words are pronounced wrongly eg Balliol College.

Great story let down by narrator

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The Lord Peter Wimsey stories are very well written and compelling. Sadly this reading lacked expression, with occasional bizarre pronunciations or emphases. It couldn’t ruin the story, but it prevented it fulfilling its potential as a thoroughly entertaining and absorbing listen.

Great story, shame about the reader

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I didn't like the narrator Not enough distinction in characters voice which made the story confusing

Good story

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