Whose Body‪?‬

In a book club recently, I read Busman’s Honeymoon by Ms. Sayers, the last of the Lord Peter Wimsey novels. I knew the character from the old BBC shows but I had never read any of the novels. I found I liked it, so I decided to go back and start the series from the beginning. Whose Body? is that novel.

For me, the most fascinating thing about this book is that I have now read only the beginning and the end of the Wimsey series. I was interested to see how many of the basic characteristics of the Wimsey character are already present in this first story—his amateur sluethiness, his fondness for old literature, his damage from war experiences, his awareness of the dark side of seeking out killers, his wonderful mother (the Dowager Duchess), and his faithful servant (Bunter).

The story itself also has the unforced cleverness of an early mystery, before the need to top previous efforts has come about. A dead body is discovered in a bathtub which turns out to be connected to the disappearance of a successful businessman. Wimsey unravels the mystery through his understanding of the basic passions of man and brings the culprit to justice, though he mourns it.

As a huge fan of the Sherlock Holmes stories, I know that these mysteries are not up to that level. It is the character of Lord Peter Wimsey is the star of these books. His flitting through the world of upstairs Britain in the 1920’s is fascinating in much the same way that Wodehouse’s Wooster is, if not in the same comic vein. But certainly worthwhile reading.

Dorothy Sayers set the standard for detective fiction with Lord Peter Wimsey, and even Agatha Christie's Miss Marple can't quite measure up. I admit there is no modern grittiness, but the crimes are terrible enough, and the wit required to solve them is a delight. Lord Peter himself is a magnificent hero, not perfect, but his flaws are endearing and even admirable. The setting of post-WWI England is itself a draw for me, and surely the Downton Abbey crowd would love to delve into the period from Wimsey's angle. Read this and be both charmed and fascinated, and I think you may be eager to read the whole series.

In his first case, Lord Peter Wimsey rushes to help out a London innocent ("Poor Little Thipps"), when a dead body shows up in the unfortunate fellow's bathtub.

The plot thickens and no clear suspect jumps out to the reader in this one as the victim is nearly impossible to identify. Inspector Sugg, assigned to the case, becomes an additional burden for Wimsey as the former wants no part of amateur detectives.

A sub-plot, Inspector Parker (Wimsey's pal) is simultaneously investigating the disappearance of a prominent financier, which turns out not to be the body in the bathtub -- but Wimsey cannot let go of the idea that the crimes are connected. The inquest proceedings are a regular hoot as Inspector Sugg, a man who takes the "shotgun approach" to arresting people, begins to look like an idiot.

There's plenty of great atmosphere and good old aristocratic snobbery in this one. One of Sayers' best entries.