A successful murder, unproveable, unassailable - so long as the murderer retains their nerve.Sayers uses this book to explore several "situations of women", including "women who aren't interested in men and who live together", "women who don't seem to be interested in anyone", "women who are now 'too old' and whom denial of education has left 'wasted'", "the bad effects of too many women together", and "silly innocents, what good victims they make".Some characters have quite definite opinions on women, just as some characters are quite racist, but there's no clear authorial endorsement, and little authorial condemnation (as a general rule you can put Wimsey's behaviour and opinions as closest to the author's). But in the end you have competent men capturing a villainous woman, and rescuing (or failing to rescue) other women, so the whole thing ends up sitting not quite comfortably. All the statements about what women are or aren't, should be and can't be - endorsed by the author or not - get to teeth-grinding point. Nor are the racial aspects handled particularly well.Miss Marple would run rings around everyone in this book.
