The End!

Yes! I am alive. Sorry I have been so bad in posting, I was a little late starting reading, and then I didn't have any internet in my apartment for about a month, so it was hard to get somewhere to use the internet. However, today I am getting internet from a new, mysterious source... Anyways, I know we are not supposed to post on the end until tomorrow, so if you have not finished the book yet, wait until Friday to read this! However, I thought I would seize the chance while I actually am getting internet.

I wasn't sure at first about reading a mystery book, especially from the 1920's. I am not so big sometimes on reading "old" books, I like things new (I know, big shock). And I have never really been a fan of mystery novels. I tried some Agatha Christie books and could never get into them. I always had this view of mystery novels being really boring and formulaic. And, to echo all of your posts (which I wanted to comment on, but wasn't sure where to start, so I just thought I'd write my own post and put my comments in here), I totally agree how I started out thinking this book was okay, and then it got amazing. I love the depth in her characters, how they are so human. I love how she started out seeming like any other mystery novel or a knock-off of Sherlock Holmes, which she admits to being influenced by, and then makes it her own by showing the severity of this crime. I have never actually read Sherlock Holmes books, so I don't know if that affects one's view of this book at all, but I really like that we see the depravity of Sir Julian and acknowledge that it is not right to find a naked body in a bath. It is not some bizarre event that happens, it is murder, and it is serious.

I was also really impressed with how brave Lord Peter was to go and confront Sir Julian in his lair. I would not have had the nerve, but I think he had to go and see him for himself, see if he could figure out how his brain worked and what made this horrible genius tick. And when he almost got murdered through the injection, shivers were running down my spine.

It was also interesting how Sayers tried to make this a more sophisticated mystery novel and yet we still got the letter at the end from Sir Julian detailing step by step how he did everything. I know this is probably a little cliche, since how often in real life do we get such a full confession for a murder? Yet, I was secretly glad because I liked knowing everything that was done.

So, now a question, whatever happened to Sir Julian? I think we heard he was arrested and in prison, but did I miss something else? Is he going to be hung? And do we think Lord Peter will honor his requests to have his brain donated to that society? I think I would if I were in his shoes.

So, good pick, Eden. I really, really, really liked it. I think I would read another novel with Lord Peter in it, he was so great. He was my favorite.