two mysteries that didn't suit me.

[snugglekitty]

Title: On the Other Hand, Death
Author: Richard Stevenson
Series: Donald Strachey
Genre: Queer mystery
Pages: 216
Copyright Date: 1984
Cover: Black background, grey font. A small inset drawing shows two guys with hair helmets. A house is in the background.
First line: "Trefusis was going on about a case of 'Mandelstam' or 'Handel-schism,' which made no sense."
Best part: Ongoing evolution of the relationship between Donald and his partner Timmy.
Worst part: It was... really kind of tedious. And the characters weren't very likeable.
Grade: C-
Recommended for: Fans of the series.
Related Reads: Death Trick by the same author is actually much better.

Title: Five Red Herrings
Author: Dorothy Sayers
Series: Lord Peter Wimsey
Genre: Classic mystery
Pages: 368
Copyright Date: 1931
Cover: White cover, author's name in red, title in purple. Small inset drawing of a person carrying an easel, canvas, and palette walking down a hill.
First line: "If one lives in Galloway, one either fishes or paints."
Best part: I was able to figure out some things about the mystery but not whodunit, though it was obvious at the end.
Worst part: A huge amount of the book was written in overly precious dialect rather difficult to understand. ("Forbye, for all his havers, he's no a Scotman at a', for everybody knows he's fra' Glasgow, and his mother was an Ulsterwoman, by the name of Flanagan.") She does it even more towards the end when people are getting excited and it gets hard to tell what anybody is actually trying to say.
Grade: B-
Recommended for: Fans of the series.
Related Reads: Strong Poison was a much stronger piece.