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    Whose Body?
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    Whose Body?
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    Whose Body?
    Ebook221 pages4 hours

    Whose Body?

    By Dorothy Leigh Sayers and Golden Deer Classics

    3.5/5

    ()

    Currently unavailable

    Currently unavailable

    About this ebook

    Lord Peter Wimsey investigates the sudden appearance of a naked body in the bath of an architect at the same time a noted financier goes missing under strange circumstances. As the case progresses it becomes clear that the two events are linked in some way.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherOregan Publishing
    Release dateJan 31, 2018
    ISBN9782377936069
    Unavailable
    Whose Body?
    Author

    Dorothy Leigh Sayers

    Dorothy Leigh Sayers naît à Oxford en 1893. Fille du pasteur de Witham, elle naît dans un milieu bourgeois aisé que va ruiner la Première Guerre mondiale.. Après de brillantes études à Oxford, elle se destine à l'enseignement mais se rend compte qu'elle ne supporte pas ce métier après un séjour en France comme professeur-assistante d'anglais. Son meilleur souvenir de la France est d'y avoir lu tous les romans d'Arsène Lupin et d'avoir fréquenté au Collège des Roches le séduisant Eric Whelpton, dont elle s'inspirera pour créer le héros de ses romans policiers.

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    Reviews for Whose Body?

    3.5/5

    1,328 ratings78 reviews

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    • 4/5
      This is the first of the Lord Peter Wimsey mysteries. Lord Peter is a moneyed gentleman about town who enjoys dabbling in mysteries but also occasionally suffers bouts of ‘nerve exhaustion’ from fighting in WWI.In this first installment, a gentleman wakes up to find an unknown, thoroughly naked dead body in his bathtub. Lord Wimsey takes on finding the how, why and who. He is aided by his friend, Detective Parker of Scotland Yard who is coincidentally missing an esteemed Jewish financier – and although the easy solution, embraced by the bungling Inspector Sugg, is that the two are the same, Wimsey soon proves this wrong, but continues to search for a connection in the cases.We also meet Wimsey’s amazingly competent valet Bunter, who along with Wimsey’s mother, are excellent minor characters.It took me a while to engage with the plot, but the characters drew me in.I’ll be back for more.
    • 2/5
      This was a so-so murder mystery to be solved by Lord Peter Wimsey. The book was very juvenile. I found their speaking affectations contrived (reely). The ending was thrust upon the reader by means of a letter. I will not be reading any other books in this series. This was a free Kindle book and I see why!
    • 4/5
      Delightful to rediscover Lord Peter Wimsey. This was a surprisingly grisly murder, once all was said and done, but not too much for my delicate sensibilities, thank goodness. Although I can recall have a marked preference for the novels which Harriet Vane appeared in, this was an awfully fun read, it went very quickly, all the characters seemed delightfully differentiated, and I'm so pleased to get to read them all again.

      (Note: 5 stars = amazing, wonderful, 4 = very good book, 3 = decent read, 2 = disappointing, 1 = awful, just awful. I'm fairly good at picking for myself so end up with a lot of 4s).
    • 4/5
      This is the second Dorothy Sayers novel I've read. I'm not a mystery reader in general, but Sayers really is a fantastic writer; I'm in love with her characters and dialogue. Lord Peter really feels like a protagonist, which is difficult to pull off in a mystery novel. And the just-on-the-cusp-of-modernity setting is extremely inviting as well.

      There's not quite as much social and philosophical content as in Gaudy Night, the other Sayers book that I've read, but much of the focus is still on larger issues - the ethics of detective work and medicine, the nature of morality, and Peter's experiences as a WWI veteran. It's smart reading!

      Also, the mystery is pretty good. :)

      Reread: 5/4/11. Add "the interconnectedness of things" to list of philosophical content.
    • 4/5
      Peter Wimsey is pleasantly engaging, and the rather old-fashioned mystery is charming. I can see why these have held up well over time - while there are aspects that are depressingly dated (I couldn't help but wince a bit at the discussions of Jews,) a solid love-or-money motive and fastidious sleuthing are always perfect for a bit of light reading.
    • 5/5
      The first of the Lord Peter Wimsey books, this is one of my favourites. It perfectly captures the postwar world--superficiality and despair perfectly balanced. Wimsey, in his introduction, is a likeable character, outwardly a prattling fool, but inwardly a shell-shocked, pain-wracked soul torturing himself over his experiences in the war. The mystery is a trifle obvious, but the characters are likeable and fun. More importantly, the book really captures the atmosphere and troubling questions that were faced in the society of postwar England.
    • 3/5
      When a mysterious naked body turns up in a bathtub, and a prominent Jewish businessman disappears, Lord Peter tries to put one and one together. He comes to the right conclusion, without any red herrings, (he leaves those to the police, in classic fashion) but it is a bit daunting to follow his reasoning. This was my first Lord Peter Whimsey outing. I was surprised at his character, which struck me as somewhere between Sherlock Holmes and Bertie Wooster, with a hint of American sloppiness of speech thrown in. I see that it was also Sayers' first novel, and other readers have noted that she refined his character over time. That being the case, I may try another. I hope she also cast aside the unmistakable anti-Semitism that stains this story. I thought I was missing something of Wimsey's back story until I realized this was the earliest of his adventures. I can't rate it very highly, but as I said, there is enough there to make me want to see if this series got better.2014
    • 4/5
      An above-average mystery set in post WWI England, with Lord Peter Wimsey playing amateur sleuth. The mystery is interesting, but the interplay of Wimsey and other characters like his valet Bunter are what makes this more than just another murder whodunit.
    • 3/5
      The body of the title is a naked (except for a pair of glasses) corpse lounging in someone's bathtub. Indeed, who is it? A Jewish business man who has been reported missing? The corpse looks Jewish, but doesn't look like a business man.I downloaded this audio book from my library's Hoopla account, and I did it by accident: I thought it was the first Harriet Vane book, Strong Poison. Instead, it was the first Peter Wimsey book, and like many first books in a series, it lacks the richness of later books and was much more of a simple puzzle-mystery. Still, Wimsey was Wimsey from the start, a brilliant and sensitive man disguised as an upper-class twit. It's amusing just to hear him speak, and his banter with Bunter is delicious.
    • 2/5
      naked body with only pince eres found in bath tub, Lord Peter Wimsey series
    • 4/5
      Whose Body is the first of Dorothy Sayers’ Lord Peter Wimsey mysteries. The book is shorter than later novels in the series, but it stands the test of time well, told with beautifully English voice, combining good manners and bad deeds in a truly enticing blend, and introducing a great protagonist. Lord Peter proves he loves books, reveals his wounded WWI psyche, and retires to his country home… but first there’s a body to be buried and a name to be given. There’s satisfaction in following the arguments, guessing their resolutions, and seeing the pleasing interactions whereby the truth will be revealed. Great characters, great time and place, and the promise of much much more to come.Disclosure: As a treat, I’ve decided to read all the Lord Peter Wimsey novels in order, so this is where I start, and I’m enjoying the ride.
    • 4/5
      Why haven't I read Sayers before? This is so good!!!
    • 4/5
      In his first novel, Lord Peter Wimsey is called on to solve the mystery of a corpse found in the bathtub of a middle-class couple's apartment. The man was a stranger to the homeowners. The police are also investigating the disappearance of financier Sir Reuben Levy. If the man in the bath was Sir Reuben, that would tie both cases together. Wimsey can see that it's not going to be that easy...This is one of the classics from the Golden Age of mystery. The plot and solution are clever, but it relies too much on the confession/disclosure of the murderer. It's been years since I read any of the Wimsey novels, and I had either forgotten or overlooked the first time around that Wimsey suffered from post-traumatic stress from his World War I service.
    • 5/5
      I haven't read a bad Dorothy Sayers yet, so I'm not surprised that this kept me on the edge of my seat. A little more raw and physical than some of her other Lord Peter Wimsey mysteries and as always an exploration of the nature of evil.
    • 3/5
      The Lord Peter Wimsey murder mystery series starts with this book. A body is found in a bathtub with nothing on but pince-nez glasses. Starting with very little information, Wimsey tackles the case from the sidelines. If Bertie Wooster was a detective he would be Lord Peter Wimsey. His is a gentleman and is inspired by Sherlock Holmes. The case is mildly interesting, but not enough to be a page turner. I was surprisingly bored throughout the book. There were a few parts I really liked, including one section where Wimsey is questioning a witness. The witness scoffs at the amount of detail people seem to remember in detective novels. No one remembers so much, he says! Then Wimsey walks him through a line of questions that help him remember exactly what he was doing on the night in question. BOTTOM LINE: I wasn’t too impressed, but I will continue to read the series because I’ve heard it gets really good once the character of Harriet Vane is introduced in Strong Poison. “Well, it’s no good jumping at conclusions.” “Jump? You don’t even crawl distantly within sight of a conclusion.”  
    • 4/5
      I decided it's time to re-read the Lord Peter mysteries, in publication order. This one is a lot of fun, and Sayers deftly sets up the elements and characters that will serve so well in the coming novels: Bunter, who is capable, efficient, and secretly soft-hearted; Detective Parker, stolid but an excellent detective in his own right; the delightful Dowager Duchess; and of course Lord Peter Wimsey himself, both fascinated by crime and conflicted by the idea that his hobby of choice is putting people behind bars.
    • 3/5
      Not her best, to be sure. I enjoyed the characters though I feel they could have been drawn with more detail (especially Peter, I can't wait to read more about him). I like her use of language and the set of society she's chosen to represent is great fun. The conclusion is a little frustrating seeing as the murderer confesses all in a letter but Sayer's humour really saves the mystery from being commonplace. I'll definitely continue reading the books in the series.
    • 4/5
      This is the first mystery that I figured out the killer and the method of body disposal before the end. Though the author was pretty explicit by then.Good book.
    • 3/5
      The stark naked body was lying in the tub. Not unusual for a proper bath, but highly irregular for murder -- especially with a pair of gold pince-nez deliberately perched before the sightless eyes. What's more, the face appeared to have been shaved after death. The police assumed that the victim was a prominent financier, but Lord Peter Wimsey, who dabbled in mystery detection as a hobby, knew better. In this, his first murder case, Lord Peter untangles the ghastly mystery of the corpse in the bath

      Considering this is the first in the series, Wimsey (plus Bunter, plus the Duchess) are strong characters already, with Wimsey being presented with a dead body in a bathroom, whilst the police are investigating the disappearance of Sir Reuben Levy, a financier who disappeared whilst on a night out.

      It's fairly evident the significance of the unidentified body, but it's just a case of proving it. The written confession unfortunately, comes late in the book, and is all but redundant, as the reader should have worked it all out for themselves by the time it comes out (and it's all done bar the shouting).




    • 3/5
      Another Wimsey re-read. In this one there's a missing financier and a mystery body - are the two related? It seems unlikely, but with Parker working on the missing man from the police end and Wimsey working on the mystery body from the end of the family who had this dumped in their bath the two cases work their way together. I like this one with the excpetion of the final chapter, where the criminal confesses in a letter being written as he was arrested and prior to his intended flight form justice. Having it laid out like that somehow takes the gloss off it. But with that quibble aside, this is interesting for several elements, the incidence of Wimsey's shell shock being one that stands out. So one of the best puzzles, but the ending, to my mind, lets it down slightly.
    • 5/5
      One of the best first lines ever. "Oh damn". It begins as a bit of a farce, but by the end of the book, things are very sober indeed. A great study on the debate, Do we have the right to take another man's life? Do we have the capability to assign value, high or low to another's life? A great story.
    • 4/5
      I'd been wanting to read Lord Peter Wimsey for ages and started with the first book (when I finally found it). I found it a bit hard going in parts to begin with but by half way through the book I was hooked. Lord Peter is an addictive character and the mystery has so many strands that all make sense in the end. I've started another DLS now and am even more hooked.
    • 4/5
      Ah! I'd forgotten just how very much I enjoyed these books. I think everyone should reread a book they haven't read in ages once in a while. Whose Body is the opener of the Lord Peter Wimsey series, written by Dorothy Sayers. Since this is the introduction to this famous detective, we get to learn a lot about him right away. He has a personal servant named Bunter who is helpful as a sleuth by talking to others who are servants and of course, know the comings and goings of their employers. Wimsey also collects works by Dante; a marvelous touch by Sayers since she is an esteemed Dante scholar. Lord Peter had a bad experience in WWI; he suffers periodically from what we now call post-traumatic stress syndrome and what was called in 1923 (the date of writing of this novel) shell shock, which is triggered by certain noises & certain conditions. Lord Peter is not a member of House of Lords; that is reserved for his brother, the Duke of Denver. And finally, I have seen much made of the racist remarks in this book; if you would just please try to put yourself in the mindset of the 1920s, you'll realize that these were perfectly acceptable for their time. If you can't get past that, you're missing a good and fun story.In this first case of Lord Peter's, a body turns up naked in a bathtub wearing only a pair of glasses. At the same time, a businessman goes missing -- are the body and businessman the same person? And who killed the man in the tub and why? Lord Peter puts himself in jeopardy to find out the answers to these questions. Very fun first novel; very British and just a good read. I rarely rate a series opener so high, but this one deserves it.
    • 4/5
      1st outing for amateur sleuth Lord Peter Wimsey. Enjoyable although dated and interesting twist by addition of 1st world war shell shock to Wimsey.
    • 5/5
      Funny, I just started reading this series at around the same time I started reading the Patrick O'Brian Aubrey-Maturin books, and I feel the same way about them . These books are literature disguised as genre novels! The language is fantastic, and I love how Sayers introduces the idea that Wimsey suffered from PTSD after WWI. I hope that is explored more in future books.
    • 2/5
      I really expected to like this book better. I found it a bit dull and the character of Lord Peter Wimsey to be somewhat difficult to like. Not that impressed.
    • 4/5
      Rereading Sayers’ first Wimsey book, Whose Body? reminding this reviewer why it was they had so loved this genre of story. Sayers’ writing style is unobtrusively good. One is seldom consciously aware of the fact that the author has managed to draw deep and nuanced word portraits in a few sentences. Words are used carefully yet the author seldom makes a point of her erudition save for her choice not to translate the portions of a conversation that take place in French.Although the method by which the murderer carried out his plans strains credulity Sayers does not resort to the all too common plot device of a massive international criminal conspiracy that one encounters among so many of English mystery writers of this time. This murderer’s motivations are almost mundane in comparison to those found in many of the author’s contemporaries. A number of things stand out to this reader.First, there is a base level of anti-Semitism in the Britain of the 1920s that may take a modern reader aback. People are described as “Hebrew” as if that was an identifier no different from “blond.” And many of the characters in this book are clearly prejudiced against Jews. Yet Sir Reuben Levy, the “self-made” and wealthy Jew around whose disappearance much of the book revolves, is not characterized as miserly or money-grubbing. Yes, he holds to the personal economies that helped him become a very wealthy man but he is also shown to be extremely generous to his wife and daughter. His marriage is portrayed as happy and sound and his wife, who braved criticism when she chose to marry a Jew is shown as having never had a reason to regret that decision.Second, near the end of this book there is a short and stunningly effective depiction of PTSD. It was at that time known as shell-shock but there can be no question that that is what Lord Peter is victim of. This PTSD functions as the reason why he sometimes withdraws in apparent fatuity. As a man who knows that deep emotions may trigger flashbacks he uses a variety of techniques to dampen down those emotions at moments of stress. This grounds Wimsey’s behaviour, and the acceptance of that behaviour on the part of those around him, not in his “class” or the fashion of his social circle but in their knowledge that he has, in a sense, earned the right to sometimes withdraw both intellectually and emotionally.Third, Sayers treats her non-aristocratic characters as intelligent and rational people. One understands why Lord Peter would find Mr. Parker an enjoyable person to dine with. Parker himself is well-educated and is shown to read books that are as intellectually challenging as those that interest Wimsey. Indeed, when he and Lord Peter discuss the morality and rationale of detective work and law on a serious level it is often Parker who seems to make the better argument.Bunter, is another character who, written by a lesser author, could easily fall into caricature rather than characterization. Bunter does not drop letters from his speech and fall back on cant and argot. He, it is pointed out in the text, has been educated well. And the last line in the “shell-shock” scene makes it clear that what ties Bunter to Wimsey is not loyalty based on a class relationship but the loyalty that is forged by shared experiences in combat and physical deprivation.Whose Body? is not the “perfect” mystery novel the plot is over complicated and the denouement under impressive. This is, however, an impressive first outing for a detective, and a cast of characters, whose motivations and psychologies are better drawn in a scant few hundred pages than other authors can achieve after several books.
    • 5/5
      This is early Sayers, when murder is black and white and probably prinicipled a la Raskolnikov, in a Western civilization quite possible on the brink after WWI. Peter is a long-nosed twit without a lot of depth, but he more than compensates for it with sparkle.
    • 3/5
      This book was a quick read, and I thought it was okay. I didn't really like the poems/songs that were randomly in there.
    • 4/5
      I remember adoring Sayers and her Lord Wimsey, but I admit upon reacquaintance I found his aristocratic manner irksome at first, and I was put off with his attitude that this was a hobby and puzzle. It's akin to an attitude you see in Sherlock Holmes, but somehow seemed more callous in a wealthy aristocrat who seems equally as diverted by collecting rare books. However, more and more as I read the novel it came back to me why I did love Sayers' Wimsey novels, and I got glints of why eventually Wimsey is more than a dilettante, yet a charmer. The mystery plot hangs together well, but what's most striking is that there's a lightness, a deft humor and wordplay that sets Sayers apart from Christie or Doyle. I should mention there are anti-semitic views expressed by characters in this book--but given the positive depiction of the Jewish character in the book, I think that's meant to reflect on those characters and the times, and not the views of the author. And there's something wonderful to look forward to in the later novels when his love, Harriet Vane, comes upon the scene.