The Classic Collection of Dorothy L. Sayers. Novels and short stories. Illustrated

Lord Peter Wimsey #1-5

by Dorothy L. Sayers

Dorothy Leigh Sayers was an English crime writer, poet, playwright, essayist, translator and Christian humanist; she was also a student of classical and modern languages. 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 aristocrat and amateur sleuth.

Contents:
Novels
Whose Body?
Clouds of Witness
Unnatural Death
Short Stories
The Abominable History of the Man with Copper Fingers
The Entertaining Episode of the Article in Question
The Fascinating Problem of Uncle Meleager's Will
The Fantastic Horror of the Cat in the Bag
The Unprincipled Affair of the Practical Joker
The Undignified Melodrama of the Bone of Contention
The Vindictive Story of the Footsteps That Ran
The Bibulous Business of a Matter of Taste
The Learned Adventure of the Dragon's Head
The Piscatorial Farce of the Stolen Stomach
The Unsolved Puzzle of the Man with No Face
The Adventurous Exploit of the Cave of Ali Baba

Genres: Mystery, Fiction, Audiobook, Mystery Thriller, Collections

1088 pages, Kindle Edition

Published January 19, 2023

About the author

The detective stories of well-known British writer Dorothy Leigh Sayers mostly feature the amateur investigator Lord Peter Wimsey; she also translated the Divine Comedy of Dante Alighieri.

This renowned author and Christian humanist studied classical and modern languages.

Her best known mysteries, a series of short novels, set between World War I and World War II, feature an English aristocrat and amateur sleuth. She is also known for her plays and essays.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dorothy...

Reviews

[Deborah Gebhardt · Rating 4 out of 5]

Whose Body? (Lord Peter Wimsey, #1) - I was introduced to this series by the PBS Mystery series in early 1970's. This is the first book in the series. Peter Wimsey is the second son in an aristocratic family. Having survived WWI, he now spends his time following various pursuits, which one is introduced to as one reads the series. The majority of his time is spent as an amateur private detective, often assisting the police, specifically a Mr. Parker.
Peter is brought into the case by his mother, the dowager duchess, as a workman hired by the family discovers a body in his morning one morning.
That night before a Jewish financier has gone missing and the policeman assigned to the case presumes (incorrectly) that the body and the financier are one in the same.
Thus, Peter and Parker are brought in on the case and Peter starts checking off boxes as he finds different clues to solve the crimes.
Clouds of Witness (Lord Peter Wimsey, #2) - Another enjoyable murder mystery, the second Lord Peter Wimsey mystery.
Peter Wimsey had consulted a doctor during his investigation during the previous book. So, on the doctor's recommendation, Peter takes a holiday. While on this holiday, Peter's man Bunter, reads a newspaper, the story he reads is that Peter's brother, the Duke of Denver has been arrested for the murder of their sister Mary's fiancé.
So, off the two go to investigate and prove that Peter's brother isn't guilty. And Gerald being the stubborn fool he is, thinks his word is enough to get him off (more fool he). And the fact that there are so many telling lies, it takes a while to figure out the facts of the case.
Unnatural Death (Lord Peter Wimsey, #3) - An enjoyable addition to the Peter Wimsey canon.
Peter and Parker are dining out one evening and their conversation is overheard by a fellow diner. He asks if he might tell them a story.
Without naming names, he tells his story. He is a doctor, recently starting his practice. He had wanted to be a cancer specialist but hadn't the funds to continue his studies. So he set up as a GP in a small town. As it happens, one of his patients had cancer. She is a spinster of some age, who once lived with another spinster who bred and raised horses with much success, amassing a fortune. With her death, her fortune went to her friend, the doctor's patient, with the intent that the fortune go to the horse breeder's niece upon her death. The niece, a nurse, came to live and care for the doctor's patient. There were some staffing issues in the house, some concern by the patient and the patient's sudden death (before her time, per the doctor). The doctor, in his concern, requests an autopsy, death is determined to be heart failure due to her cancer. The doctor's concern makes him a pariah in the town and he loses his practice.
Peter is sure there is a case, Parker is not convinced. At this time in history, due to WWI, women far outnumber men. And where women would normally have expected to become wives and mothers, for many this is no longer an option. Peter is doing something for these women, but the reader won't find out until later in the series, what he is doing. Meanwhile, Peter introduces Parker, to one such woman, Miss Clemson, whom Peter sends on an errand to find the town, where such a death occurred, find the names of the parties involved and advise. So starts the adventure for Peter, Parker, Bunter and Miss Clemson to find the truth.
Lord Peter Views the Body (Lord Peter Wimsey #4) - A collection of short crime stories, not all of them dealing with murder.
The Unpleasantness at the Bellona Club (Lord Peter Wimsey, #5) - An enjoyable addition to the Lord Peter Wimsey canon.
On Armistice Day, ninety-year-old General Fentiman was found dead, Peter thinks something is off about the body, but not enough to actually question the circumstances. However, when Peter is actually asked to investigate the circumstances as there is a half-million-pound inheritance in the offing, depending on when the general died, he'll have to question friends, acquaintances and absolute strangers to actually find answers and the solution.

[Robert Wingfield · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good tales but spoiled a bit by the clumsy conversion to ebook

This book is value for money in that there must be over a dozen individual stories, all with intriguing mysteries. DLS tends to go on with lots of description and red herrings, so isn’t quite as direct as some. All the tales are good, but the Bellini Club takes a simple death and has more twists than a politician’s rantings to make it the best of the bunch.

[Glenn · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was my introduction to the Lord Peter series and I was delighted. I have never been an exceptionally keen fan of mysteries, but this series made me see what the fuss is about. Great characters, intriguing puzzles and well-paced plots – what’s not to like? And this particular edition has a well-chosen narrator, so another plus there. Will definitely be back for more!

[Denise Oberlies · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great Mysteries!

This collection of Rico a of Dorothy Sayers 'Lord Peter' books is just superb. All of the 'Lord Peter' books are. Well crafted, strong characters, well paced, interesting mysteries, with out twists that are not possible, as you find in other authors works.

[Rebecca · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sayers is so reliable! Love to reach back to these when I need a good steady option.

[Cate · Rating 4 out of 5]

Five books in one and rereads all, but perfect for right before bed the past couple months.

[Margaret · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have read all the Lord Peter Whimsey books but have decided to listen to them. In my quest of classic mysteries, these needed to be reread.

[LemontreeLime]

I actually read most of these a million years ago. I appreciated the clever whodunits, the almost archaic turns of phrase, and the subtle moments where grim reality seeps thru.

[Andy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Delightful cross between P.G. Wodehouse and Arthur Conan Doyle.