Five Red Herrings

Dorothy L. Sayers writes many non-fiction books however among her best fiction is the Lord Peter Wimsey series. I came to this series sort of though the back door. My first taste was the BBC productions with Petherbridge as Lord Peter that can now be found on DVD. So, I read all of Dorothy's books containing the relationship of Lord Peter Wimsey and Harriet Vane. Now it is time to go through the whole series.

Now I watched the one I missed on PBS. The first thing I notice was that Ian Carmichael talks much faster than Petherbridge. And all the people seem older. Of course, Peter was supposed to be older when he met Harriet.

Campbell a local artist is being obnoxious and makes everybody's life miserable. Let's face it Campbell needs killing. You guessed it; he seems to have had an accident while painting. Lord Peter deduces that the so-called accident could only be staged by another painter. Yep, there are six suspects and more if it is not a painter. So that leaves "Five Red Herrings"

As with all Sayers' stories nothing is simple, there are overlapping plots and foolish deeds, as if Peter can not figure them out. On the side, we learn a little about Scottish society and see the landscape.

They took the time to put just about everything relevant from the book into this production. There were a few exceptions but not worth bothering about. The production is complete enough that you do not have to read the book. Yet you will want to for the differences and more dialogs.

I am glad they finally made a DVD version. However, the one I watched was the tape. This item is worth purchasing as you will want to replay it often.

Sandy Campbell is an artist with a high temper and ability to upset all in his path, it comes as no surprise when he's found dead.

It's a great four part mystery, a fine adaptation of Dorothy L Sayers book. Some may argue that by today's standards it's a little slow, perhaps so, but made at a time where crime dramas focused on story and character development as opposed to gore and action.

Carmichael is wonderful as always, he's charismatic, charming and clever, Bunter is on hand offering support and showing off his artistic skills. I loved Kenny Ireland's memorable performance as the antagonistic Sandy.

It looks smart, we get some gorgeous scenery, great buildings and some awesome cars. The production values are fine. 8/10.

I'm not really certain where the idea that Wimsey is stupid and Bunter a detecting genius comes from, as per the previous review. The novels certainly never suggest such a thing, in any way. Dorothy L Sayers' ideas, in social terms, were certainly what some might call progressive (I just found them utterly reasonable), but Lord Peter's intellect and sensitivity were never belittled by her. She was more interested in presenting a vision of equality than anything skewed in either direction. Bunter and Lord Peter are equally matched in intelligence (as is Harriet Vane, when she appears in the later novels) although Wimsey has the advantage of being able to make those occasional fantastic leaps of imagination which a great detective needs. I've always found Wimsey an attractive, intelligent and sensitive character and that, to my mind, is exactly how he should be portrayed.

Originally produced for British television and shown on PBS's Masterpiece Theatre, this mystery is one of the finest of the 'dilettante-ish yet ever so successful' Peter Wimsey series. The plot is pure Golden Age detective fiction with its solution depending upon demanding attention to arcane detail. Portrayals are up to the standards of Masterpiece Theatre and production values satisfy Beyond these facts, I have seen all the Ian Carmichael-Peter Wimsey mysteries many times and , though this mystery is not my favorite, I continue to think of this one as the best. The plot is faithful to the book and doesn't betray the solution as one other has done. The characters in a small Glaswegian town are delightful and Carmichael's Wimsey is not as insufferable as the character was originally written.

If you like to pit your own wits against "Lord Peter" this is your chance. Dorothy L. Sayers shows you everything "his lordship" knows, so you ought to pick out the culprit as soon as he does, maybe even sooner. Along the way you'll get some delightful looks at the Scottish landscape, hear a lot of broad Scots dialect, and meet some really interesting, not to say often delightful characters, well interpreted by a sterling cast.

That said, I would have to agree with the critics over the years, who have rated this mystery of Dorothy's as not quite up to her usual standard. It's, in the novel at least, just a trifle too complicated, possibly boring at times, with all the emphasis on railway timetables and such. The BBC has foreshortened much of this. You won't be bored, I am sure, with this TV film version. Briefly, the story involves the death of a curmudgeonly Scottish artist named "Campbell" and six suspects known to have possible reasons to kill him. Only one can be guilty, hence there are five who are "red herrings". In the U.S. at one time, this novel was published as SUSPICIOUS CHARACTERS.

In the course of solving the mystery for the Scottish constabulary, "Lord Peter", and "Bunter" travel over a good bit of the landscape southeast of Glasgow in "his lordship's" Bentley (Yes, I know Dorothy said he drove a Daimler. I wonder why the BBC changed it. Better to advertise the home product perhaps?), and sometimes via bicycle and "shank's mare".

By the time "Lord Peter" exposes the culprit you will have ample opportunity to judge how well Ian Carmichael has realised "Lord Peter" for you. Physically, about 15 years later, Edward Petherbridge has physically presented what I think is a more authentic "Lord Peter". He gives us, though, a much more dour and brooding character than what I imagine Dorothy intended. Iam Carmichael, although he doesn't look like my conception of "Lord Peter", does seem to show the insouciance and "whimsical" charm that the character displays throughout the novels.

There are many lovely little cameos sprinkled through this film. The women especially shine. Irene Sunters simpers wonderfully as "Mrs. Smith-Lemesurier", the clinging vine who is painter "Jock Graham's" nemesis. And Julie Peasgood as "Penella Strachan", 15 years old going on "30", will surely knock you over. I don't think there is a bad performance in the lot.