Lord
Peter Wimsey is an amateur detective
who solves one-of-a-kind mysteries. As author Dorothy L Sayers states, her goal
is “to fasten guilt upon the Most Unlikely Person.” Though Lord Peter Wimsey
compares himself to Sherlock Holmes, he might be better grouped with James
Bond, for in addition to his deductive powers, he has physical strength,
athletic abilities, and is attractive to the opposite sex.
Wimsey’s partner in crime detection is Chief-Inspector of
Scotland Yard.
WhoseBody? [1] involves two
mysteries. The first is the disappearance of Sir Reuben Levy, a rich banker,
and the mysterious appearance of a naked corpse in Mr. Thipps bath. “A sear
man, dear, with nothing on but a pair of prince-nez.
Mrs. Throgmorton positively blushed when she was telling me.”
MurderMust Advertise [10] starts
with a murder, quickly determined to have been committed with a catapult (US:
slingshot), but really involves tracking down a drug smuggling ring. This one
has a high body count, but the murders are barely seen by the reader. The
author worked in advertising and takes
this opportunity to lampoon the practice and practitioners. This book includes
a long section showing a cricket match which I sure must be fascinating for
anyone who knows how to play the game.
“This particular crookedness of
advertising is so very far removed from the crookedness of dope trafficking.”
“Why? As far as I can make out, all
advertisers are dope-merchants.”
The overall tone of the mysteries is
light-hearted and very British.
If you’re looking for a cozy mystery and can tolerate an excess of British
vocabulary, this is an enjoyable series.
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