Categories: Mystery;
Classics
Series: Lord Peter Wimsey
mysteries #1
Publisher: Open Road Media
Book source: Publisher
review copy received through NetGalley
Whose Body? is the first of
Dorothy Sayers’ classic mystery novels starring the inimitable Lord Peter
Wimsey, and to borrow the slang of the day, it’s a corker. The body of a middle-aged gentleman has
turned up in the bathtub of a timid and respectable architect, stark naked
except for a pince-nez. Who is he, and how and why did he come to be in Mr.
Thipps’ bathroom? Lord Peter takes on
the case for fun, but soon realizes he is up against a devilishly clever – and
ruthless – murderer.
In Whose Body? we get our
first glimpse of Lord Peter’s silly-ass-about-town façade and the formidable
intelligence and detective ability it masks.
We also meet a number of the series’ recurring characters, including
Bunter, Wimsey’s loyal valet and former sergeant; Wimsey’s mother, the Dowager
Duchess of Denver; Freddie Arbuthnot; and Charles Parker of Scotland Yard.
Sayers’ writing is witty and compelling, and the crime itself is every
bit as intricate, unusual, and carefully plotted as you would expect from this grande dame of Golden Age mystery. If you haven’t yet made Lord Peter’s
acquaintance, Whose Body? is the
perfect place to start.
I should add that the Lord Peter Wimsey mysteries are among my favorite mystery series of all time! I'm grateful to Open Road Media for the opportunity to re-read and review this one. (And no, my review is in no way influenced by receiving a review e-copy.)
UPDATE: Whose Body is currently on sale for $0.99. Go to Open Road's page for Whose Body? and click the link for "Buy the Ebook." You'll find links to all the major ebook retailers: Amazon, Apple, B&N, Kobo, and Sony.
I love these types of mystery novels and luckily for me my library has this one in the system so I'll be reading it really soon. Great review and thanks for the heads up about this series.
ReplyDelete-Kimberly @ Turning the Pages
Oh, what fun -- you get to read them for the first time! Among my favorite titles are the four which feature Harriet Vane (in order: Strong Poison, Have His Carcase, Gaudy Night, and Busman's Honeymoon), along with Murder Must Advertise. But they're all pretty good.
ReplyDeleteThis sounds like fun, and I can see why you love them. I haven't tried one yet, but now I'd like to
ReplyDeleteThey are a lot of fun -- and extremely well-written! Lord Peter can appear affected and superficial at first; he becomes more relatable as the series goes on and you see more and more beneath the mask. But even in this book, you see the man behind the facade.
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