The Late Scholar: Peter Wimsey and Harriet Vane Investigate (Lord Peter Wimsey/Harriet Vane Mysteries Book 4)

I, like the other one star reviewers, am absolutely stunned by all the five star reviews, not to mention Booklist’s and Publishers Weekly’s very generous comments. This novel doesn’t seem like it was written by the same author, it is so weak compared to her previous efforts. Yes, I did notice diminishing quality in The Attenbury Emeralds, but nothing near as awful as the complete misunderstanding of the characters and how they talk, act and interact in The Late Scholar. There is occasionally a short passage or scene where the old Wimsey/Vane magic is glimpsed, slightly and briefly, but on the whole the dialogue grates from the opening line of the book. It is ridiculous to think that because it is supposed to be 1952, these strong characters completely change. In fact, the opposite is true in life - we generally become ‘more so,’ as we age. But Wimsey and Vane are almost unrecognizable. The relationship with Bunter is cringe inducing, the language is leveled down to middle class patter, and all the old magic has disappeared. Only the old dowager seems to retain her charm and her true voice. Such a huge disappointment. I cannot imagine buying another book in the series, if there is one. In fact, pray the author never tries her hand at this kind of re-creation again - simply criminal result. And one doesn’t have to be a detective to ferret that out!

This book was not quite terrible, but close. I can read and reread Sayers' writing for her wonderful characters, who are missing from this book. Each book in the series has weaker and weaker characters until they are missing in action in this one. And when they do appear, they do unbelievable things. No way would Lord Peter have forced Bunter to sit down and eat dinner with him and Harriet. I hope she doesn't write any more. It's like fan fiction by someone who isn't really a fan.

I am only in the first hundred pages of the book, which I admit I hesitated to buy given other reviews. Ms. Paton Walsh has shown that she doesn't truly understand the characters she has inherited in the previous books, particularly The Attenbury Emeralds, but the reader should expect if she is going to set a book in Oxford she could know just a little about how things work there. Reading Gaudy Night might have helped too. 1. no one wears academic gowns to high table; 2. an invitation to drinks and dessert after dinner means that this is a private social gathering and not one where you ask your companion "are you ready to leave" and just walk out, and 3. and most egregious of all so far Harriet earned an MA so the gown she would not have worn to dinner was indeed one she was entitled to wear. I expect to be disappointed by this book as in the last one Ms. Paton took two sentences to dismiss centuries of tenancy and the very clear character of Peter Wimsey as drawn by Dorothy Sayers. To suggest that Peter would just "sell the land" and turn out tenants who had lived on Denver land for centuries was just crazy. Her mistakes are some I would expect a rather clueless young American writer to make. Or some driven by her obvious political feelings. a Duke in the 1950's telling his valet to call him "Peter" for example. Peter Wimsey is very clearly aware how much he both owes Bunter and how fond he is of him. But he also respects the man's dignity --and he would never breach the social divide to embarrass Bunter in this way.I love these characters so I continue to put up with Paton. But PLEASE at least take the time and energy to try to understand the people you are writing about.

[warning: spoiler if you haven't read any of Walsh's previous Wimsey novels]One of the perks of Peter Wimsey's new role as Duke of Denver is that he is the Visitor—an impartial judge of any contested decision—at Oxford University, where both he and Harriet were educated and where an ugly mystery finally drew them together. The college dons cannot decide whether to sell an historical, but relatively unimportant, manuscript, and feelings are heated on both sides. Then the don who might have cast the deciding vote dies, and they ask Peter to arbitrate. But more people begin dying, and in a manner having to do with murders Peter has investigated and Harriet has used in her novels.Again, you can't expect Walsh to be Sayers; the books are no longer sprinkled with quotations or passages in French. Nor have Peter or Harriet remained static; it's the 1950s now and they have changed along with a changing culture; I noticed some reviewers were upset when Bunter sat down at table with the Wimseys or when they used American slang, but as the song said, "the times they are a'changing," and the Wimseys have gone along with it—American culture had continued to affect British culture as it began to do in the 1940s. Plus I'm for any novel that brings Peter and Harriet back to Oxford, since I love books set in England's two primary university towns; they sound so wonderful! Some old friends from GAUDY NIGHT like Miss de Vine and Miss Lydgate (who has yet another manuscript in process!), even appear. Just wish Walsh had not made Hope Bunter disappear; she merits only a mention in this one.As long as you're not expecting Sayers, this is an enjoyable mystery with more than a few twists. (And to the publishers, Hodder & Stoughton: What were you thinking? The paperback cover is plain ugly.)

Having read the last (so far) in the novels featuring Peter and Harriet Wimsey (now the Duke and Duchess of Denver), by Jill Paton Walsh, I feel I have come to the end of a journey. Having stopped, and started, the series many times, I have finally now completed all of the Wimsey books and enjoyed being in the company of the characters created by Dorothy L Sayers. Some of the books I loved, others I liked, but I have not disliked any of them and that is the same for these continuing the series by Walsh.Peter and Harriet are now living at Denver, with Peter’s elderly, and increasingly frail, mother. One day, to his surprise, Peter receives a letter informing him that he is the Visitor for St Severin’s College, Oxford; and the Duke of Denver is obligated to perform certain functions. These include appointing fellows, a new Warden and also acting as a referee of last resort if there is irreconcilable conflict among the fellows. Now there is, indeed, conflict in St Severin’s. The problems began when the college was offered the chance to acquire land – as the College is in financial difficulties, they need to raise money. This led to the suggestion that they sell an invaluable manuscript, which is costly to insure and keep. This has led to a deep rift in the College and so Peter and Harriet set off to Oxford, accompanied by Bunter, to try to heal wounds and solve the dispute.This is easier said than done, as the divisions in the College are deep. More worryingly, there have been disturbing incidents since the disagreement erupted – including Dr Dancy being locked in a bell chamber and a Senior Fellow who claims he had an intruder in his room… Will those trying to influence the decision resort to murder? Are they copying methods that have occurred in Harriet’s detective novels and Peter’s investigated crimes?I enjoyed this novel, set in Peter and Harriet’s beloved Oxford. I felt that the essential characters were there, if changed by time and events. I liked the academic setting and the colourful crimes, which will lead to lovers of the previous novels looking for clues. I hope there will be another in the series as I have enjoyed them all and would be happy to read a new mystery featuring Lord Peter Wimsey.

Following the death of his older brother, Peter is now the Duke of Denver. One of his more arcane responsibilities is the post of Visitor at an Oxford college. He is called to Oxford to resolve a dispute between the fellows. Half want to sell an ancient book, possibly linked to King Alfred, in order to buy a piece of land for development. The college is short of funds and the fellows argue that keeping an ancient relic while letting the college decline is foolhardy.At first Peter and Harriet think of this as an opportunity to return to their beloved Oxford for a brief interlude. But what Peter uncovers is a catalogue of mysterious near-death experiences which bear an uncanny resemblance to the plots of Harriet's novels. Then the near-misses turn into murders and the duo have to uncover who is killing off the dons.This was my least favourite of the Jill Paton Walsh series of books. Frankly I had difficulty keeping all the characters straight in my head and I found the idea that someone would commit, or attempt to commit, a series of murders which mirrored the plots of Harriet's novels was laughable. Also, I thought that the villain was so strongly signalled almost from the start that I was more exasperated than anything when the two of them seemed to be totally oblivious.As others have pointed out, it is ridiculous to claim that Harriet's plots were all based on Peter's cases, or even some of them, that makes a character who was always described as a brilliant writer who creates intricate plots seem derivative.I understand why some people have balked at Peter and Harriet's son not being as intellectual as Bunter's son, arguing that two intellectuals could not produce a 'not-very-clever' son. I take the point, but children can be very different to their parents, it is not inconceivable that Bredon is more like his uncle, the late Duke of Denver, than his parents. Also, I thought it was illustrative of the changing society, Bunter himself is shown as being intellectual but hampered by his social standing, don't forget that it is he who draws Peter's attention to rare papers and the like, whereas as the barriers between the classes weaken his son is given the opportunities to let his intelligence shine. Finally, of course he would be far more grateful for the opportunities than Bredon, just like Harriet was when she was at Oxford.I understand that there was supposed to be a fifth book but following Jill Paton Walsh's death in October 2020 I imagine that will remain a dream. Farewell Peter and Harriet.

I have enjoyed this author's previous Wimsey stories and rated them almost as good as DLS's originals, but I was very disappointed in this one. For a start, I found the plot rather dull, and although there were passages of purple prose, some of the writing gave the impression that the author just couldn't be bothered making much of an effort. There were also gross errors like "making emends" which would have horrified Miss Sayers. Then there were the glaring mistakes which have already been mentioned elsewhere about Charles Parker's police rank, the improbability that Harriet's old tutors did not know how she came to be Duchess of Denver etc etc. I must also point out that Harriet seems to have forgotten that she has three sons, not two, and that Bredon is not the elder but eldest son. And while DLS implied that Peter and Harriet's relationship was passionate and sexual, she left it to the reader's imagination and would have been horrified at the description of Peter unbuttoning Harriet's blouse for a bit of "afternoon delight". And when did Peter take up swearing? He starts several sentences in this book with "Hell!" It's also unlikely that DLS would allow a pair of brain boxes like the Wimseys to produce a "not-very-clever" son, outshone in the intelligence stakes by Bunter's son.No, I just had the impression that this book was very sloppily written, either that or Jill Paton Walsh had contracted out some of the writing to people who knew little about the characters and plots in the original stories.

This is the third time of reading and as enjoyable as the first. Lord Peter is as delightfuL as ever, but not,I think the same Peter as his creator would have him. A second wife has him now and I regret she has slightly changed his character, the second wife is his author not his Harriet who remains as devoted as she became after the Gaudy Night. But I am eternally grateful to Ms Walsh for keeping his flame alive. More please, I know he is ageing but she could tell of his more youthful exploits as though he were reminiscing ......

I am a huge fan of Peter Wimsey ( and Harriet!) and have been reading the books over and over for most of my life. I enjoyed this book probably because I am always avid for further news of my "hero" rather than because it is great literature. However due to the narrative's references to so many of the previous books and their key plot turns for anyone who was reading this out of sequence they would constitute real plot spoilers. So do read it if like me you love the characters and know them well, but if you are new to Lord Peter start with the original and far superior Dorothy L Sayers series.