Dorothy L. Sayers: A Companion to the Mystery Fiction

by Eric Sandberg, Elizabeth Foxwell (Editor)

Dorothy L. Sayers was one of the 'Queens of Crime' who dominated Golden Age mystery writing. Alongside writers like Agatha Christie, she perfected the whodunnit, but she also pushed the genre to its limits, using it to explore social, ethical, and emotional problems. Her central characters, particularly Lord Peter Wimsey and his investigative partner Harriet Vane, are not two-dimensional caricatures, but fully-developed figures who struggle with the complexities of life and love in a rapidly changing world-while solving some of the most intricate and complex mysteries ever offered to the reading public. Sayers was also an important theoretician of detective fiction, editing anthologies, writing essays, and reviewing novels. But Sayers is not just a vital figure for anyone interested in crime fiction; she was also a religious dramatist, a public intellectual, and one of the 20th century's most important translators of Dante. While focusing on her mystery fiction, this companion offers a full view of all aspects of Sayers' career. Its more than 200 entries examine her major works, characters, and themes. They discuss key areas of interest and controversy and link her work to trends in literary history and contemporary literary scholarship. It is an ideal introduction for readers new to Sayers' diverse and rewarding body of work, and an invaluable companion to the many who have long known and loved her.

231 pages, Paperback

Published December 31, 2021