Sayers creates a detective as unique as sherlock holmes, hercule poirot, miss marple or father brown. This excellent radio dramatisation, first broadcast in 1973, is an excellent rendering of that fine book. Storytelling is tedious with frequent repetition and long narrative exposition, the tone is light and. While working as an advertising copywriter, sayers began writing whose body. Sayers is the first book in the lord peter wimsey series. Lord peter wimsey investigates the sudden appearance of a naked body in the bath of an architect at the same time a noted financier goes missing under strange circumstances. Read by kara shallenberg and kristin hughes the novel begins with a telephone call to wimsey from his mother, the dowager duchess of denver, saying that her vicars architect has just found a dead body in his bath, wearing nothing but a pair of pincenez. Crime school was in session last thursday night when murder among friends maf met to discuss this years lion of the genre. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders. Sayers made her debut as a novelist in 1923 with whose body. She was also a student of classical and modern languages. The first book in dorothy l sayers classic lord peter wimsey series introduced by crime writer laura wilson a mustread for fans of agatha.
Sayers was a renowned english crime writer, poet, playwright, essayist, translator and christian humanist. Free kindle book and epub digitized and proofread by project gutenberg. This crime novel begins with the discovery of the naked body of a murder victim in the bathtub, and the confusion surrounding the identity of the victim. Sayers, in full dorothy leigh sayers, born june, 1893, oxford, oxfordshire, eng. Dorothy leigh sayers was born at oxford on th june 1893, the only child of the rev. It reflects attitudes toward jews which were common in britain at the time. Sayers also worked as a copywriter for a major advertising firm in london. She was president of the modern language association from 1939 to 1945 and of the detection club in the 1950s. A novelist, essayist, and medieval scholar, sayers was among the first women to receive an oxford degree, and her translations of dante remain in wide circulation. Theres a corpse in the bathtub, wearing nothing but a pair of pincenez spectacles. Although lord peter wimsey is here perhaps too bright and breezy, he proves to be an entertaining companion to crime, despite his suffering from conscience. Sayers and the very first lord peter wimsey novel, whose body.
Sayers won a scholarship in the year 1912 that allowed her to a join the somerville college in oxford. She studied medieval literature and modern languages at the college and passed out with first class honors in the year 1915. She is best known for her mysteries, a series of novels and short stories set between the first and second world wars that feature english aristocrat and amateur sleuth lord peter wimsey, which remain popular to this day. Thipps, an architect, finds a dead body wearing nothing but a pair of pincenez in the bath of his london flat. Enter lord peter wimsey, the original gentleman sleuth. Discussion then followed about the later books featuring harriet vane and how she can be seen as a variation on sayers herself, and how sayers had stated that. Sayers, in which she introduced the character of lord peter wimsey. Lord peter wimsey is headed for a book auction when he learns from his mother that a corpse has been found in the bathtub of a local architect. Urged to investigate by his mother, the dowager duchess of denver, lord peter quickly ascertains that the sudden disappearance of a wellknown financier is in some way connected to the body in the bathroom.
Sayers first lord peter wimsey tale introduces many of the authors bestknown characters. This is, indeed, the first of her lord peter whimsey stories, featuring the aristocratic amateur detective as he proceeds to investigate various criminal occurrences. Lord peter wimsey amateur detective, inspector parker. We shared some background on the author and the golden age mystery writing period that she was such an integral part of, and how it established many of the mystery writing conventions. Around 1920 sayers developed the idea for her detective hero lord peter wimsey, and she soon published her first mystery, whose body. She is also known for her plays, literary criticism, and essays. Sep 20, 2014 both the dowager duchess, so much a part of whose body. With sly wit, sayers used lord peter wimsey, an english aristocrat and amateur sleuth, to gently satirize the british class system. Lord peter wimseya nobleman who has recently developed an interest in criminal investigation as a hobby. Dorothy leigh, 18931957 an online book about this author is available, as is a wikipedia article sayers, dorothy l. One is of a corpse found naked in the bathtub of a fussy architects house. Hearing about a body appearing in a bath in an architects flat, so wimsey goes to have a look, although the case is being handled by inspector sugg of the yard. The first novel of the series was published under the title whose body.
Sayers 18981957 introduction to the online edition by john mark ockerbloom. Sayers 1893 1957 the novel begins with a telephone call to wimsey from his mother, the dowager duchess of denver, saying that her vicars architect has just found a dead body in his bath, wearing nothing but a pair of pincenez. Her first novel, whose body 1923, introduced the world to. However, sayers herself considered her translation of dantes divine comedy to be her best work. Whose body is highly recommended for students of the crime genre and lovers of beautifully wrought prose. Arrests already had been made, but they were without substantial evidence. This is his first published adventure, and the only one in the public domain in the us at the time of this writing. Dorothy leigh sayers whose body sayers, dorothy leigh.
She is perhaps best known for her mysteries, a series of novels and short stories, set between the first and second world. She is recognized as being one of the four queens of crime alongside agatha christie, ngaio marsh, and margery allingham. Her father was at the time headmaster of christ church cathedral school, and she was born in the headmasters house. This ebook features an illustrated biography of dorothy l. Sayers introduced her famous detective lord peter wimsey, or sherlock holmes, disguised as a walking gentleman, and established herself as a mistress of the detective story.
She is perhaps best known for her mysteries, a series of novels and short stories, set between the first and second world wars, which feature lord peter wimsey, an english. Jul 22, 2008 other critics have noted an occasional tendency to become bogged down in detail, as in the involved plot of the five red herrings 1931. This novel marks the debut of her most popular creation, lord peter wimsey, whose continuing adventures unfold amid the lively world of uppercrust british society in the 1920s. This is a thoroughly enjoyable book for those who like british mystery stories without the contemporary penchant for excessive violence and. Some of her most popular books include whose body, the nine tailors, and the missing clock.
First published in 1923, this is a dated but enjoyable detective fiction by the sole female associated with the inklings. Ian carmichael stars as wimsey, and perfectly captures his essential qualities. Sayers best known for writing her mystery novel series, which were a series of thriller novels and short stories set between the 1st and 2nd world wars. Mar 02, 2012 sayers also worked as a copywriter for a major advertising firm in london.
The novel begins with a telephone call to wimsey from his mother, the dowager duchess of denver, saying that her vicars architect has just found a dead body in his bath, wearing nothing but a pair of pincenez. Dorothy leigh sayers usually stylised as dorothy l. There was a prominent london financier reported missing, but something was wrong with this bodyit was not the kind of body a financier would have. Copyright, 1923, by dorothy sayers printed in the united states of america all rights in this book are reserved.
As far as her career as a novelist is concerned, dorothy l. As the case progresses it becomes clear that the two events are linked in some way. The other involves a financier disappearing from his bedroom one night, never to be seen again. Sayers 18931957 the first novel in her renowned series of detective fiction, sayers introduces lord peter wimsey, a bon vivant gentleman, whose hobby of playing detective is put to the test, as he is launched into his first official crime investigation. See all formats and editions hide other formats and editions. The first novel by one of the greatest mystery writers of the twentieth century, in which she introduced her popular amateur detective, lord peter wimsey. The taxi man, irritated at receiving this appeal while negotiating the intricacies of turning into lower regent street across the route of a 19 bus, a 38b and a bicycle, bent an unwilling ear. The plot of the novel opens up with a murder case which involves a stark naked dead body lying in a bathtub. Dorothy used to love studying modern and classical languages during her growing years. Agatha christie is better known these days than sayers, but it has to be admitted that in writing style, sayers is the more literary. Kristin hughes, kara shallenberg in english chapters. Sayers books in order of when they were originally released.
Ian carmichael is lord peter wimsey, with patricia routledge as his mother, in this bbc radio 4 fullcast dramatisation. A mustread for fans of agatha christies poirot and margery allinghams campion mysteries, lord peter wimsey is the immortal amateur sleuth created by dorothy l sayers. A corpse has been found in the bath of an architects flat, wearing nothing but a pair of pincenez. Wimseys mother, the dowager duchess of denver, rings her son with news of such a quaint thing. Mary mark ockerbloom and i are pleased to introduce lord peter wimsey to the internet. Sayers most renowned amateur detective, the engaging and amusing lord peter wimsey, sets out to unravel a puzzling case involving the disappearance of a wealthy financier and the discovery of a nude corpse, wearing gold pincenez, in a bathtub. On his dead face, a handsome pair of gold pincenez mocked death with grotesque elegance.