Lord Peter Wimsey first laid eyes on the Attenbury Emerald in 1921 at Charlotte Attenbury's engagement party. Somehow, the jewel was stolen and Peter, having gained some enthusiasm for life again after serving in the war, did some amateur sleuthing, exposed the thief, retrieved the jewel and return it to the family.

Thirty years have passed and Lord Peter Wimsey has been entertaining his wife, Harriet Vane, along with assistance from his butler, with the story of how the original theft transpired. His steadfast butler, Bunter, has an impeccable memory and has also kept quite detailed notes over the years. So it is quite good timing when an Attenbury heir calls on Peter to solve yet another mystery with the Attenbury emerald. It appears the emerald's ownership is now in question. The emerald, which has been kept in a safety deposit box in a bank and only removed a handful of times over the last 30 years, is in great demand from other parties.

By this time, Peter is officially a private investigator and his wife, Harriet, is a mystery author. Peter starts a backward trail to each known person to have contact with the emerald over the last 30 years. What they discover is that some of the people having contact with the emerald have died in questionable ways. Time is running out and Peter must not forget the emerald in the midst of a personal tragedy that hits his family.

Jill Patton Walsh reintroduces readers to the world of Dorothy L. Sayer's famous characters. I have not had the pleasure to read the Peter Wimsey series; however, my introduction to these characters in THE ATTENBURY EMERALDS has been quite entertaining. The British humor and suspenseful plot kept me turning page after page. This winter would be a lovely time to curl up with a cup of tea and THE ATTENBURY EMERALDS and, as the Brits may say, have a jolly good time.