Clouds of Witness: A Lord Peter Wimsey Novel    by Dorothy L. Sayers Order:  USA  Can HarperCollins, 2014 (1927) Hardcover, Softcover, Paperback, CD, e-Book      Reviewed by Mary Ann Smyth I'm embarrassed to admit it, but I had never read any of Dorothy L. Sayers' work before Clouds of Witness. She is well-known in the mystery genre for her well-plotted and equally well-written books. Her first one was published in 1923 featuring Lord Peter Wimsey who quickly became one of 'the world's most popular fictional heroes'. When the fiancé of Wimsey's sister Mary is found murdered outside the family's shooting lodge in Yorkshire, she goes into a tailspin and spends days alone in her room claiming illness. Mary and Peter's very proper brother, Gerald, Duke of Denver, is accused of doing the man in and is promptly put behind bars awaiting trial. Peter and his manservant Bunter put themselves on the trail of the murderer, sure that Gerald is innocent. Gerald refuses to say anything about why he was in the garden at 3:00 a.m.. The trail goes hot and cold as Peter and Bunter faithfully continue their efforts to clear the Duke's name. I can understand why Dorothy L. Sayers became such a hit so quickly. Her plotting is meticulous while the dialogue instantly takes readers back to the time in which she wrote. At times I found it difficult to catch the English context of her speculations about murders; however her subtle sense of humor reigned throughout. Dorothy L. Sayers died in 1957. It says a great deal of the power of her work that her books are being republished today. Note: Opinions expressed in reviews and articles on this site are those of the author(s) and not necessarily those of BookLoons. Find more Mystery books on our Shelves or in our book Reviews