English author and poet Dorothy L. Sayers, is known widely for her mystery series that features Lord Peter Wimsey, a witty detective who solves crimes after World War I. In her popular 1923 novel Whose Body? Wimsey makes his debut before continuing as the main character for eleven novels and two short stories.
In Whose Body? a naked man is found dead in a bathtub in London, with only a pair of pince-nez deliberately left on his face. Lord Peter Wimsey gets wind of this and, as a hobbyist detective in his spare time, arrives on the scene and promptly concludes that he will investigate the murder on his own. Inspector Sugg, who is head of the official investigation, believes that the body is that of a famous financier, Sir Reuben Levy, who has gone missing. Inspector Charles Parker, a friend of Wimsey’s, leads the investigation of Sir Reuben Levy. While it becomes clear that the two mysteries are unconnected, Wimsey joins Inspector Parker on his hunt for Levy. Together, Wimsey and Parker find themselves with both hot trails and dead ends, with their leads ranging from prostitutes to medical students. However, if they don’t get some solid answers soon, they might end up murdered in a London bathtub themselves.
Known as one of the genre’s most brilliant, beloved characters, Lord Peter Wimsey is undoubtedly a man you can forget, and “Whose Body?” is just the start of his story. Whose Body? is a classic mystery with a twist, featuring bold characters and events that even lovers of mystery and crime novels won’t be able to see coming. With Sayers honest themes, magical writing, and wicked clever plot, Whose Body? is a must read.
