This gives the novel an episodic feel rather than the dramatic tension usually associated with crime dramas. At many points, the central plot gives way to incidents that consist of social satire or philosophical speculation. The tone is generally light and witty, though Harriet does grapple with some serious issues as she tries to sort out her personal feelings for Wimsey. The story is told using limited third-person narration from Harriet’s point of view. Shrewsbury is a thinly disguised version of Sayers’ own Somerville College. A few scenes take place in London, though most of the action is set in fictional Shrewsbury College at Oxford University. The novel begins in June 1935, but the mystery isn’t solved until nearly a year later. With regard to the character of Lord Peter Wimsey, Sayers admitted that he represented a composite of all the traits of her ideal man. The character of Harriet is loosely based on Sayers herself because she graduated from Somerville College at Oxford University with a master’s degree in modern languages and medieval literature. However, she is best remembered for her mysteries and is regarded, along with Agatha Christie, as one of the queens of Golden Age Detective Fiction during the 1920s and 1930s. Sayers published numerous other works of fiction and nonfiction in addition to the Wimsey series.
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