Gaudy Night  by Dorothy L. Sayers

PERSONAL INFORMATION:

Family: Born June 13, 1893, in Oxford, England; died of a thrombosis, December 17, 1957, in Witham, Essex,married Oswald Atherton (one source says Oswald Arthur) "Mac" Fleming (a journalist) in 1926 (died, 1950); children: one son. Education: Somerville College, Oxford, earned first class honors, 1915, B.A. (with honors), M.A., B.C.L., all in 1920. Religion: Anglican. Memberships: Modern Language Association (president, 1939-45), Detection Club (president, 1949-57, and co-founder).

Dorothy L. Sayers's mysteries feature not only devilishly clever plots that delight traditional mystery readers, but also the graceful writing, nuanced characters, and beautifully evoked settings often found in literary fiction. Series character Lord Peter Wimsey deepens and grows more subtle as the books progress, especially after he meets Harriet Vane, who comes to excel at investigation herself. The interesting supporting characters, strong sense of place in varied settings, and rich use of language round out a satisfying reading experience in each story. Start with: Whose Body.

Lord Peter Wimsey mysteries

Whose body?: a Lord Peter Wimsey novel (1923) [Series: Lord Peter Wimsey mysteries, 1]

  (First book in series) Sayers's most renowned amateur detective, the engaging and amusing Lord Peter Wimsey, sets out to unravel a puzzling case involving the disappearance of a wealthy financier and the discovery of a nude corpse, wearing a golden pince-nez, in a bathtub.           

Clouds of witness (1927) [Series: Lord Peter Wimsey mysteries, 2]

Unnatural death (1927) [Series: Lord Peter Wimsey mysteries, 3]

The unpleasantness at the Bellona Club (1928) [Series: Lord Peter Wimsey mysteries, 4]

Strong poison (1930) [Series: Lord Peter Wimsey mysteries, 5]

The five red herrings (1931) [Series: Lord Peter Wimsey mysteries, 6]

Have his carcase  (1932) [Series: Lord Peter Wimsey mysteries, 7]

Murder must advertise  (1933) [Series: Lord Peter Wimsey mysteries, 8]

The nine tailors (1934) [Series: Lord Peter Wimsey mysteries, 9]

 

Gaudy night (1936) [Series: Lord Peter Wimsey mysteries, 10]

Harriet Vane's Oxford reunion is shadowed by a rash of bizarre pranks and malicious mischief that include beautifully worded death threats, burnt effigies, and vicious poison-pen letters, and Harriet finds herself and Lord Peter Wimsey challenged by an elusive set of clues.

        

Busman's honeymoon ( 1937) [Series: Lord Peter Wimsey mysteries, short stories]

Thrones, dominations (Feb 1998)

Newlyweds Lord Peter Wimsey and Harriet Vane explore another mysterious turn of events during the short-lived reign of Edward VIII, in a novel left unfinished and unpublished for almost sixty years.

       

Lord Peter views the body (1928) [Series: Lord Peter Wimsey mysteries, short stories]

Hangman's holiday (1933) [Series: Lord Peter Wimsey mysteries, short stories]

Lord Peter (1972) [Series: Lord Peter Wimsey mysteries, short stories]

Gathers together in one volume all of the tales which depict the adventures of this celebrated British detective.

 

Striding folly: including three final Lord Peter Wimsey stories (1972)

In the teeth of the evidence (Jun 1968) [Series: Lord Peter Wimsey mysteries, short stories]

Continuation of series by Jill Paton Walsh:

A presumption of death (Jan 2002)       

The Attenbury emeralds (Jan 2011)

Read-alikes from NoveList

.	Jemima Shore mysteries by Antonia Fraser Reason:  … Shore, like Harriet, is an intelligent, independent, unconventional woman. These mysteries also feature dark wit, a penchant for literary references, and a strong sense of place. -- Rebecca Sigmon
	Phryne Fisher mysteries by Kerry Greenwood Reason:  The Phryne Fisher books have a lighter tone and the atmosphere is more contemporary, but the post World War I Australian setting, Phryne's wealthy and aristocratic family, and the plot structures may appeal to Sayers fans who want to something slightly different. -- Katherine Johnson
.	Roderick Alleyn mysteries by Ngaio Marsh Reason:  Peter Wimsey and Roderick Alleyn are both aristocratic sleuths who work in Great Britain. These series have a writing style that is more literary than most mystery stories. -- Rebecca Sigmon
.	Kate Fansler mysteries by Amanda Cross Reason: …  Kate Fansler, who, like Harriet, is an intelligent, independent, unconventional woman. These mysteries also feature dark wit, a penchant for literary references, and a strong sense of place. -- Katherine Johnson
	websites:  http://www.sayers.org.uk/dorothy.html http://www.dorothyl.com/