Happy Friday! If you follow me on Favorite Friday Fiction, you know that I absolutely love British mysteries which take place from around the 1880’s to the 1960’s. I especially enjoy 1920-1945. Strong Poison by Dorothy L. Sayers is a great story which introduces Harriet Vane, the soon-to-be love interest of Lord Peter Wimsey. Romance and mystery: a perfect combination…

Click to tweet: Favorite Friday Fiction. Strong Poison by Dorothy L. Sayers is a wonderfully written classic of the Golden Age of Detective Fiction. #mystery #FridayReads

Harriet Vane may face the hangman for the murder of her fiancé—and only Lord Peter Wimsey can save her—in this “model detective story” (The New York Times).

Lord Peter Wimsey comes to the trial of Harriet Vane for a glimpse at one of the most engaging murder cases London has seen in years. Unfortunately for the detective, the crime’s details are distractingly salacious, and there is little doubt that the woman will be found guilty. A slightly popular mystery novelist, she stands accused of poisoning her fiancé, a literary author and well-known advocate of free love. Over the course of a few weeks, she bought strychnine, prussic acid, and arsenic, and when her lover died the police found enough poison in his veins to kill a horse. But as Lord Peter watches Harriet in the dock, he begins to doubt her guilt—and to fall in love.

As Harriet awaits the hangman, Lord Peter races to prove her innocence, hoping that for the first time in his life, love will triumph over death.

Author

Jennifer Hallmark

Jennifer Hallmark writes Southern fiction with a twist. Her website and newsletter focus on her books, love of the South, and favorite fiction. She creates stories with unforgettable characters—her stories are a little eerie and otherworldly but with a positive turn. Jessie’s Hope, her first novel, was a Selah Award nominee for First Novel. Her latest novel, Smoking Flax, was released on January 16th, 2024. When she isn’t babysitting, gardening, or exploring the beautiful state of Alabama, you can find her at her desk penning fiction or studying the craft of writing. She also loves reading and streaming fantasy, supernatural stories, and detective fiction from the Golden Age or her favorite subject—time travel.
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3 Comments

Dave Park on March 1, 2019 at 8:03 am

Dorothy Sayers!
I used to read her books years ago.
Thanks for the heads up, Jennifer.
- admin on March 7, 2019 at 9:00 am
  
  Thanks for dropping by, Dave!
JPC Allen on March 1, 2019 at 8:19 am

As much as I like mysteries from the Golden Age, I never could get into Lord Peter. I much prefer the short stories featuring another detective by Dorothy L. Sayers, Montague Egg, a traveling salesman who represents wine and liquors and is always stumbling across a mystery.