Dorothy L. Sayers

The affluent Agatha Dawson passed away a little earlier than anticipated, but there are no obvious indications of wrongdoing. But, Lord Peter Wimsey feels that something is wrong and won't let the case go cold despite the lack of any information or leads. He is suddenly confronted with the murder of Agatha's maid. Before becoming the murderer's next victim, can super-sleuth Wimsey track out the killer and crack the case? From a picturesque Hampshire village, the complicated trail of misery and senseless murder leads to a chic London apartment and a purposeful test of amour.

The affluent Agatha Dawson passed away a little earlier than anticipated, but there are no obvious indications of wrongdoing. But, Lord Peter Wimsey feels that something is wrong and won't let the case go cold despite the lack of any information or leads. He is suddenly confronted with the murder of Agatha's maid. Before becoming the murderer's next victim, can super-sleuth Wimsey track out the killer and crack the case? From a picturesque Hampshire village, the complicated trail of misery and senseless murder leads to a chic London apartment and a purposeful test of amour.

The arrest of his brother, Gerald the Duke of Denver, for murder plunges Lord Peter Wimsey into a treacherous world where nothing is as it seems. Every new clue only compounds the mystery. When Captain Denis Cathcart, fianc to Lord Peter Wimsey's sister, Lady Mary, is discovered dead outside the family's shooting lodge in Yorkshire, Wimsey must unravel a complex web of lies, deceit, and seemingly random events to find the killer, even as the Duke refuses to cooperate and Lady Mary seems to be hiding something. Clouds of Witness, the second novel by one of the most renowned mystery writers of all time, is a fast-paced, sophisticated must-read mystery for any fan of the genre.

"Clouds of Witness" is the second detective novel featuring Lord Peter Wimsey by British author Dorothy L. Sayers. First published in 1926, the story centers around Lord Peter Wimsey's family. His brother, the Duke of Denver, is renting a shooting lodge in the country and, mysteriously at 3 a.m. one morning Captain Denis Cathcart, the fianc of Wimsey's sister, Mary, is found shot outside the lodge. Denver becomes the primary suspect, as he was found kneeling over the body and he admits to having argued with Cathcart that evening. He also refuses to explain where he had been or why he was outside. Wimsey and his friend, Inspector Charles Parker, investigate the murder, which is complicated by Mary's unwillingness to cooperate. Wimsey refuses to give up, however, and works tirelessly to clear his brother of guilt, including undertaking a dangerous transatlantic flight to retrieve important evidence. An exhilarating and entertaining tale of dangerous affairs, hidden engagements, murderous violence, and damaging misunderstandings, "Clouds of Witness" has been a popular detective novel since its publication. Readers will enjoy witnessing the continued development of Sayers' beloved character Wimsey into an honorable and clever man of action in this engaging and enduring mystery. This edition is printed on premium acid-free paper.

The grouse season has begun, and Lord Peter Wimsey's brother, the Duke of Denver, has descended upon the Wimsey family retreat in rustic Riddlesdale village with a small hunting party. Captain Denis Cathcart, Wimsey's soon-to-be brother-in-law, is found shot dead at the door of the lodge's conservatory, and the accused murderer is Gerald, the Duke of Denver. Faced with a multiplicity of clues, suspects, and scandalous behavior, Lord Wimsey and Chief Inspector Parker of Scotland Yard work together to solve this cozy atmospheric and suspenseful whodunit. Ranked with Agatha Christie as a master of the English crime fiction and mystery genres, Dorothy L. Sayers (1893-1957) wrote eleven novels featuring the aristocratic gentleman detective, Lord Peter Wimsey.

From December 1941 until October 1942, the BBC broadcast a series of radio dramas written by Dorothy L. Sayers. Against the backdrop of World War II, the plays presented twelve episodes in the life and ministry of Jesus, from the visit of the magi to his death and resurrection, collectively affirming the kingship of Christ. Noted for their use of colloquial English as part of Sayers's effort to bring the Gospels to life in a new way for listeners, the plays were both controversial and incredibly successful, bolstering the morale of the country during the war. They were subsequently published in 1943, and they stand among Sayers's most beloved works to this day. In this new critical and annotated edition, scholar Kathryn Wehr brings fresh insights to the plays, their background, Sayers's creative process, and the ongoing significance of the life of Christ today. Listen again, or for the first time, to the story of the man who was born to be—and still is—king.

The second novel by one of the greatest mystery writers of the twentieth century, featuring her dashing amateur sleuth, Lord Peter Wimsey. When the fianc of Lord Peter's sister, Mary, is found dead outside the conservatory of the Wimsey family's shooting lodge in Yorkshire, the evidence points in an unfortunate direction. Their older brother, Gerald, the Duke of Denver, appears to be the culprit and is accordingly arrested and put on trial. To clear the family name, Lord Peter and his friend Inspector Charles Parker scour the lodge's grounds, finding tantalizing clues that include mysterious footprints, a piece of jewelry, and a cat-shaped charm. Lord Peter works to unravel a string of apparent coincidences, all the while not knowing whether the truth he seeks will save his brother--or condemn him. A VINTAGE MYSTERY CLASSIC.

The suspenseful and expertly plotted mystery "Unnatural Death" by Dorothy L. Sayers highlights Lord Peter Wimsey's exceptional investigative abilities. Lord Peter speculates that a death that seemed to be natural and harmless may have been the product of foul play, and Sayers weaves a web of suspicion around it in this engrossing story. He learns a number of unknown facts, fictitious people, and surprising connections as he looks more into the case, bringing him closer to the truth. As Lord Peter deciphers the intricacies of the murder using his quick intellect and intuitive reasoning, Sayers' brilliant writing keeps readers on the edge of their seats. "Unnatural Death" is a real page-turner that highlights Sayers' skill as one of the best mystery authors of her day. It has beautifully crafted characters, moody locations, and creative twists. Readers who like mysteries and detective fiction will be captivated by this gripping account of trickery, motivation, and the unrelenting quest of justice.

Lord Peter Wimsey and his friend Chief Inspector Parker are told about the death, in late 1925, of an elderly woman named Agatha Dawson who had been suffering from terminal cancer. She was being cared for by Mary Whittaker, her great-niece and a trained nurse. Miss Dawson had an extreme aversion to making a will, believing that Miss Whittaker, her only known relative, would naturally inherit everything. Wimsey is intrigued in spite of the fact that there is no evidence of any crime (a post-mortem found no sign of foul play), nor any apparent motive (on Miss Dawson's death her estate did indeed pass, as she had expected and wished, to her great-niece).In Murder in the Closet: Essays on Queer Clues in Crime Fiction before Stonewall (2017), Noah Stewart described Mary Whitaker as being "to my knowledge the most clearly delineated homosexual character in Golden Age detective fiction, despite the word 'lesbian' never being used, and she's depicted as enticing a young girl into a life of homosexuality". The episode in which Mary Whittaker is kissed by Wimsey is "the closest that a writer in 1927 would be able to come to saying that a character was a lesbian and that kissing a man made her want to vomit." Laura Vorachek argued that, in the novel, "Sayers attempts to challenge the prevalent cultural associations of blackness and criminality.

Lord Peter Wimsey's brother, the Duke of Denver, has taken a shooting lodge at Riddlesdale in Yorkshire. At 3 o'clock one morning, Captain Denis Cathcart, the fianc of Wimsey's sister Lady Mary, is found shot dead just outside the conservatory. Mary, trying to leave the house at 3 am for a reason she declines to explain, finds Denver kneeling over Cathcart's body. Suspicion falls on Denver, as the lethal bullet had come from his revolver and he admits having quarreled with Cathcart earlier, after receiving a letter (which he says has been lost) informing him that Cathcart had been caught cheating at cards. He maintains that he stumbled across the body after returning from a walk on the moors, but will say no more.Wimsey arrives to investigate, along with his friend Inspector Charles Parker, who will find himself becoming increasingly attracted to Lady Mary throughout the novel. They find a series of unidentified footprints and a discarded jewel in the form of a cat. It is clear that both Denver and Mary are hiding something: Denver refuses to budge from his story that he was simply out for a walk, while Mary is feigning illness to avoid talking to anyone.Wimsey investigates several false leads. The footprints turn out to be those of Mary's secret true fianc , Goyles, a socialist agitator considered "an unsuitable match" by her family. He had crept into the grounds for a pre-arranged rendezvous at 3 am when the couple had intended to elope. Mary assumed that he was the killer and has been covering for him, but when she learns that he had fled in terror after discovering the body, she breaks off their engagement in disgust at his cowardice.

A nobleman with a penchant for solving mysteries works to uncover the truth about a dead body found in the bathtub of an architect’s home. This is a peculiar case that requires the unique skills and perspective of Lord Peter Wimsey. Lord Peter Wimsey is a war veteran forever changed by his time in the field. Despite his personal trauma, he spends his free time studying criminals and dissecting cases. When a dead body appears after a financier vanishes, many suspect an immediate connection. Yet, Lord Wimsey believes there is more to the story. Upon further investigation he discovers an insidious murder plot that includes notable figures in the community. Alongside Inspector Charles Parker, Lord Wimsey attempts to expose the truth. Whose Body? is a thrilling introduction to the world Lord Peter Wimsey. It is a multilayered mystery filled with humor and intrigue. Author Dorothy L. Sayers’ compelling prose delivers unforgettable characters and a classic detective plot. With an eye-catching new cover, and professionally typeset manuscript, this edition of Whose Body? is both modern and readable.

This anthology of rare stories of crime and suspense brings together 18 tales from the Golden Age of Detective Fiction for the first time in book form, including uncollected stories by Ngaio Marsh and John Dickson Carr. The Golden Age of detective fiction had begun inauspiciously with the publication of E.C. Bentley’s schismatic Trent’s Last Case in 1913, but it hit its stride in 1920 when both Agatha Christie and Freeman Wills Crofts – latterly crowned queen and king of the genre – had crime novels published for the first time. They ushered in two decades of exemplary mystery writing, the era of the whodunit, the impossible crime and the locked-room mystery, with stories that have thrilled and baffled generations of readers. This new volume in the Bodies from the Library series features the work of 18 prolific authors who, like Christie and Crofts, saw their popularity soar during the Golden Age. Aside from novels, they all wrote short fiction – stories, serials and plays – and although most of them have been collected in books over the last 100 years, here are the ones that got away… In this book you will encounter classic series detectives including Colonel Gore, Roger Sheringham, Hildegarde Withers and Henri Bencolin; Hercule Poirot solves ‘The Incident of the Dog’s Ball’; Roderick Alleyn returns to New Zealand in a recently discovered television drama by Ngaio Marsh; and Dorothy L. Sayers’ chilling ‘The House of the Poplars’ is published for the first time. With a full-length novella by John Dickson Carr and an unpublished radio script by Cyril Hare, this diverse collection concludes with some early ‘flash fiction’ commissioned by Collins’ Crime Club in 1938. Each mini story had to feature an orange, resulting in six very different tales from Peter Cheyney, Ethel Lina White, David Hume, Nicholas Blake, John Rhode and – in his only foray into writing detective fiction – the publisher himself, William Collins.