The Unpleasantness at the Bellona Club

Lord Peter Wimsey, Book 5

De: Dorothy L. Sayers

Narrado por: Mark Meadows

General Fentiman is found dead on the afternoon of November 11 in his armchair at the Bellona Club—just hours after the passing of his wealthy estranged sister. At ninety years old, his physician certifies death by natural causes.

The important question, then, is not how he died, but when, as the answer determines the fate of an inheritance worth half a million pounds. If he died after his sister, her fortune stands to go to his grandsons, who are sorely in need of the funds.

However, if his sister outlived him—even if only briefly—the money instead goes to his sister's companion, Ann Dorland. Fellow Bellona Club member and amateur sleuth Lord Peter Wimsey has to untangle a series of events to determine the general's precise time of death—and figure out if it was, in fact, a result of natural causes.

©2012 Dorothy L. Sayers (P)2024 Dreamscape Media

Loved it. Repeat listen

Possibly my favorite yet. I love the deeper glimpse you get into Wimsey and the depth of his personality and good points. A solid installment in the Wimsey series, with Sayers classic incisive humor, social commentary, and skill. Mark Meadows does a wonderful job, giving life and clear personality to all the characters. His Wimsey is a delight. I’m so disappointed that the whole series read by Meadows isn’t recorded and available.

Pleasentness through the Meadows

Sayers is always on form. It was said that she fell in love with Whimsey. I certainly have. Anyway, I wanted to review this audio for the performance. Meadows triumphs. I highly recommend his narration. Cheerio!

Mark Meadows really brings out Lord Wimsey

Dorothy Sayers wrote some really good detective stories and so far this one is my favorite. It was quite the roller coaster ride all the way to the end. Mark Meadows has a real flair for voices and accents, especially men, in his performances. I enjoyed this story from the beginning and it was worth the credit I spent on it.

Kept me guessing in the best way!

The mystery is fascinating and unpredictable. The plot is lifelike without being dull, and isn't cheapened by the fact that it's an entire sequence of twists and turns. Sayers doesn't go in for cheesy dramatic reveals with every reversal, so it doesn't get tiring or feel contrived when the track changes.
A magnificent performance by Mark Meadows, too. The characters are well-acted and distinct from each other, and when strong emotion is called for, it's conveyed well without being maudlin. I can't wait for the next one!

Well done

Not the best of the Lord Peter stories but still enjoyable. Ian Carmichael and Edward Petherbridge were the best narrators of the Wolsey books but this narrator was also very good. Great listen.

Not Compelling

I loved the story premise and performance. The characters were one dimensional and uninteresting. It made it difficult to stay engaged in the plot.