Whose Body?

Written by Simon Winchester

Narrated by Nadia May

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. He does succeed in solving things to everyone’s ultimate satisfaction, but only after a series of bloodcurdling and hair-raising episodes that will hold the listener spellbound with anticipation.

Dorothy L. Sayers, long considered one of the top mystery authors of our day, has excelled herself in this delightfully macabre tale, a truly rare find for anyone interested in top-flight crime fiction.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Blackstone Audio
• Release date: Aug 12, 2008
• ISBN: 9780786115617

Simon Winchester

Simon Winchester is the acclaimed author of many books, including The Professor and the Madman, The Men Who United the States, The Map That Changed the World, The Man Who Loved China, A Crack in the Edge of the World, and Krakatoa, all of which were New York Times bestsellers and appeared on numerous best and notable lists. In 2006, Winchester was made an officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) by Her Majesty the Queen. He resides in western Massachusetts.

Reviews for Whose Body?

[zhoud2005 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Very happy to discover Dorothy L. Sayers, a true master of classic cozy mystery.

[eadieb-1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Lord Peter Wimsey is the epitome of the elegant, eccentric sleuth, and one of the great characters of mystery fiction. In Whose Body, Dorothy L. Sayers' first book, Wimsey himself views the stark naked body lying in the tub. And of course, the brilliant detective untangles the ghastly murder in spite of incorrect assumptions by the police. Started slow but kept me guessing until the end. Good mystery with twists and turns, humor and wit. Well plotted with engaging characters. Sayers is a beautiful writer and I would recommend to those who love English mystery.

[margaretfield · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

naked body with only pince eres found in bath tub, Lord Peter Wimsey series

[casualfriday_1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

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.

[sheiladeeth_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

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.

[ashleytylerjohn · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

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).

[mrsrk-1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This is my favorite of the Lord Peter Wimsey series of books.

[hopeevey · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Why haven't I read Sayers before? This is so good!!!

[cbl_tn · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

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.

[kaitanya64 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

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.

[tess_schoolmarm · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

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!

[pgmcc · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I finished Whose Body? by Dorothy L. Sayers today. This is the first Lord Peter Wimsey novel published. It was very much an "introducing the characters" type of book. The story was first published in 1923 and the 1935 edition, which appears to be the one my 1973 edition is based on, includes a biography of Lord Peter which was supposedly written by Lord Peter's uncle, Paul Austin Delagardie, his mother's brother. I can see that this "biography" was added to support overarching plot lines and to provide back story that supports elements found in later Wimsey tales. Apparently the 1935 edition also incorporated some corrections from the author.An enjoyable story with quotations from poems in the early chapters of the book that probably have allusions and meaning that I am not aware of, but that is more to do with my being a Philistine when it comes to all things poetry related more than any obscurity of the verses concerned.The first volume of Sayers's translation of Dante's Inferno was published in 1949, some 26 years after "Whose Body?" However, in "Whose Body?", she demonstrates Lord Peter Wimsey's interest in books, or more correctly, his bibliophilia, by describing how keen he is to purchase a rare edition of Dante's Inferno at an auction for a significant sum of money. I suspect all Sayers's references to rare books in "Whose Body?" are accurate and will stand up to investigation. Rare books would have been something she would have been knowledgeable about and it is interesting to see her inserting some of her personal interests into the novel.It is an interesting first novel and it is interesting to see how the characters are being introduced and described. It will be interesting to see their development as I read more of the Wimsey books.The first Bertie Wooster/Jeeves story by P.G. Wodehouse was published in 1915. Sayers was obviously familiar with the character and it would appear she modelled Lord Peter on Bertie but added sufficient intelligence to give her character more gravitas and wisdom while still having flights of whimsy, if you excuse the near-pun. While reading "Whose Body?" it was hard not to hear Lord Peter's words in the voice of Hugh Laurie's depiction of Bertie Wooster in the BBC TV series.Bunter, Lord Peter's "Man", appears to be as wise and reliable as Jeeves but much more sombre and serious.

[hglotzbach_1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I had a hard time with the dialogue and writing style used in this mystery. As the book progressed more focus was placed on the actual case making it easier to read. This is my first time reading Dorothy L. Sayers so I really didn't know what to expect. I am looking forward to more Lord Peter Wimsey.

[laytonwoman3rd · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

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

[heather_brock-1 · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

I wasn't too impressed and found this to be rather boring.

[aneris-3 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Whose Body? is a bit confusing at first. Lord Peter Wimsey appears as silly as you can get, but in time he grows on you. Only once you get to see what the war did to him. It is heartbreaking, but the scene serves to show the relationship between him and his butler.

The books is not perfect. I had to get used to the way the main character speaks. The story starts with a murder mystery and a missing person case and it gets very complicated over time. Not a bad introduction to a series. I wasn't overly bored and there are a few humorous moments.

[jguidry-1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I loved the first installment in the Lord Peter Whimsy series. I love his interactions with other characters and especially the way he works with his friend in Scotland Yard, Charles Parker. This wasn't the most interesting of Sayers books, mystery-wise, but it was still a good storyline. However, in my opinion, Lord Peter's mother--The Dowager Duchess--stole the show from him. She was quick-witted and warm-hearted and you could definitely see where Lord Peter gets his personality from.

[wealhtheowwylfing · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I read her Lord Peter Wimsey short stories and hated their snobbery, but I decided to give them one more go. I'm so glad I did! I got sucked in about a 100 pages in, and am now desperate for more. Sure, there are no women (though I hear there's a very nicely characterized one in a few books) at *all*, but LPW is feminine enough for me. He's a character in the Scarlet Pimpernel vein--an English aristocrat who uses his reputation as fop and dilettant to get involved in deadly games of cat and also cat. And yet, despite his excellent taste, his riches, his perfect pedigree and his clever brain, he has his moments of weakness. If not for those, his books would be unreadable. Thanks to them, I can enjoy a whole new series of murder mysteries.

[dbsovereign · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

My first and still one of my favorite Lord Peter mysteries.

[rainpebble_1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Whose Body? by Dorothy L. Sayers; (3*)Having just recently found my way into this genre, I must say that I enjoyed this book. From the very beginning we are captivated by Sayers' writing and her character sketches. She only gets better from here. The interaction and the relationships of her characters make the story come alive.We start off with two mysteries at once. A naked man, oh wait...he is wearing sunglasses, is found in someone else's bathtub. Across town another person goes missing. The local policeman has figured out the relationship,; or has he? He has even nabbed the suspects. Lord Peter, our amateur sleuth and friend of Inspector Parker must figure out if one plus one ewuals one or two. Hmmmm...........A very enjoyable read.

[vivienner_3 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Unbelievably, this was my third try with Sayers' first Lord Peter Wimsey story. Repeated attempts are only explained because I was curious about how the series started and how the character grew. Although I liked Wimsey and his manservant Bunter, the story was less appealing than I expected - or maybe it was exactly what I expected.

[rubyscarlett-1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

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.

[sianpr · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

1st outing for amateur sleuth Lord Peter Wimsey. Enjoyable although dated and interesting twist by addition of 1st world war shell shock to Wimsey.

[page.fault · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

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.

[litalex · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

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.

[grandpahobo_1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

The story and mystery are well done. There is a bit too much time spent on the personality and eccentricities of Peter Whimsy, but I expect that was a large part of the appeal at the time the story was published.

[bill5bradford · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I originally started trying to read Sayer's Lord Peter Wimsey mysteries about 10-15 years ago, and only got about a 1/3 of the way through. It was a thoroughly delightful surprise then to go back, and find out how good these are.The stories are set in 1920's England (for all of you Downton fans, a perfect setting). The characters are superb. One can spend hours chuckling at the interaction between Lord Peter and Bunter, his valet. One also finds the origins of the strong friendship between the two.Overall, a simply delightful book - and I now understand why these are classics of the golden age of British mysteries.

[antiquary_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

A very good opening to the series, with a naked male body appearing in a respectable architect' bath, and a distinguished Jewish financier vanishing. As it turns out, they are not the same man, but there is a connection.

[kristak-1 · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

I was honestly disappointed in this book and in Sayers' writing. I had heard rave reviews about her books and how Dorothy L. Sayers was "another Agatha Christie". However, Sayers strayed from the storyline and left holes in the plot. There were so many added pages that it was almost confusing. Unlike Hercule Poirot, and other characters of Christie's, Lord Peter Whimsey was not a character that you could immediately like or feel friendly with.
The mystery itself was interesting, if only the story could have kept my attention....

[pgchuis · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

A body is found in a bath, naked except for a pince-nez, and a prominent financier is missing, but the body is not his. The first Peter Wimsey story, with a convoluted (devious but utterly unlikely) plot, helpfully explained by the letter of confession at the end. This novel is enjoyable to me for the characters: Lord Peter of course, but the invaluable Bunter, and the Dowager Duchess, who is full of mischief. The relationship between Bunter and Lord Peter: master and servant, former officers in WW1, carer and patient and colleagues in detection etc is well-drawn and convincing and the best thing about this book.