The Nine Tailors

By Dorothy L. Sayers

In the world of Lord Peter Wimsey, even bell-ringing isn’t free from murder.
 
Chance car troubles leave Lord Peter stranded in the small town, and when he discovers that a theft of emeralds from a family twenty years earlier was never solved, his detective’s curiousity is piqued. But unsurprisingly, things turn out to be more complicated as Lord Peter could have suspected, as he begins to uncover a web of murder, conspiracy, and false identity.
 
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• Language: English
• Publisher: Random House Publishing Group
• Release date: Aug 2, 2016
• ISBN: 9780771060472

Dorothy L. Sayers

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 The Nine Tailors

[deltaqueen50 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

The Nine Tailors by Dorothy Sayers was originally published in 1934 and is the 11th book in her Sir Peter Wimsey series. In this story, Wimsey becomes stranded in a small village after he accidentally runs his car off the road. It’s New Year’s Eve and the village rector offers his hospitality and Sir Peter eventually helps out in the ringing of a nine hour peal of the church bells. When, a few months later, a mutilated corpse is discovered, the rector writes to Sir Peter for assistance in solving the mystery of who this corpse is and who murdered him.This is an intriguing case as in order to solve this murder, Sir Peter must solve a twenty year old mystery of the robbery of an extremely valuable emerald necklace, and discover where the missing necklace is. The book is set in a small village in the remote fens of East Anglia that is peopled by some very interesting characters. The art of bell-ringing is the framework upon which this story is developed and the author uses this art form in an original and engaging way.First and foremost is the strong sense of place that the author builds upon to create atmosphere and, by opening the book during a snowstorm and closing it during a flood, she paints a striking picture of these isolated, flat and artificially drained lands. The author keeps the bells front and centre, even the solution to the mystery is wrapped in a cryptogram concerning them. The Nine Tailors is both clever and memorable and an altogether delicious mystery.

[kaulsu · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This Sayers book dealt with the variously tuned carillon bells. More even than her play by play if a cricket game, the noise in my head was deafening. The murder itself, and the solving of it, was more complicated than I expected. The communal help was amazing and the thought of how villages dealt with crises more than heroic!

[francesanngray · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Brilliantly plotted..

[jbd1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Maybe a bit heavy on the campanology, but a great mystery. Excellent for a long train ride or a cold afternoon. Excellent characters, good twists, &c.

[kaitanya64 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I'm not original in calling this a masterpiece of the genre. Sayers' mysteries seem to bring in so many moral questions, the value of loyalty, community etc. This is certainly a gripping murder mystery but also gives much further food for thought.

[tower_bob · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Not as good as I expected.I read "The Mind of the Maker" recently and I quite enjoyed this non-fiction book by Ms. Sayers. It was a creative way of looking at the doctrine of the Trinity as professed in the Christian creeds. This led me to "The Nine Tailors" which is the first mystery authored by Ms. Sayers that I have read.I am not a great fan of murder mysteries, but I thought I'd give this book a try.The book is a little too long, and I read a lot of long books. It gives a little too much detail about the bells and about rural England's battle to tame it's rivers. Having said that, the plot and characters were fairly interesting.If you really enjoy this type of story, this will probably be an enjoyable read for you. I liked it, but did not love it.

[atimco-1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Slow moving but ultimately a wonderfully satisfying Lord Peter mystery. Need I say more?

[jennannej_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

An excellent mystery. This is the second Dorothy Sayers I've read. I really enjoy her mysteries. Satisfyingly complicated and tricky. Except for the whole "change ringing" theme. I was completely lost any time they were talking about it. But you'll never guess "who dun it."

[blbera · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Sayers is the best.

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

A good old-fashioned murder mystery in a small parish in East Anglia in the early nineteen hundreds. The language of the book was a big plus for me, certainly very well-written, witty, and often comical. (uhm, that, on the other hand, was not very well-written...) The only reason I cannot give this mystery of bells a good 5 stars is indeed the bells themselves. I used to have this problem with many books when I was younger, too, for example reading Agatha Cristie or Hemingway, I would always have to skip the "descriptive" parts of the narrative, parts describing a house, church, village, or a complicated action done by one person or several people. In the case of this book, it is the bells and how one rings them alone and more importantly in unison with others. I got to learn terms like change-ringing and belfry and peal and Treble Bob and Grandshire Triples, but I still have no image in my head of how this all would work from the lengthy descriptions in the book. I skipped most of the lengthy ones, because they got my head a-turnin'! There is, of course, a part of the mystery that centers around the change-ringing of bells, so that "clue" I had to just let go of, instead of trying to understand it. So if you are like me, get lost easily when someone says "Just make the first left and then a right and it's on the south side of the street." then you may want to ease up on the change-ringing parts. Other than that, really, the book was a pleasure to read.

[fuzzi_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I am not much of a mystery book fan, although I've grown to appreciate them more as I age. Recently I reread "The Nine Tailors", a Lord Peter Wimsey mystery written by Dorothy Sayers. I first read this book in the mid 1970s, after seeing Ian Carmichael portray Wimsey in several BBC productions. It has held up well in the 40 years since.LPW finds himself stranded on New Year's Eve in a small community located in "the fens" of eastern England. After his car is repaired he drives off, not knowing that a man has been killed during the night. It's only when the body is discovered in the wrong grave that Wimsey is sent for, to assist in finding out who the victim was, who killed him, and, believe it or not...HOW he was killed. Interwoven with a good "whodunit" is information about change ringing, a form of bell ringing that is based upon mathematics!Never boring, there are lots of interesting turns and twists in this mystery, and humor as well. Recommended.

[meredy_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Six-word review:Lord Peter plumbs rustic deep waters.

[zeborah · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

(Reviewed from memory) I figured out the murder mechanism very early on, and I always enjoy feeling clever so much I didn't mind at all how long it took everyone else. I preferred my own theories of whodunnit to what actually turned out to be the case (which I felt was unnecessarily convoluted), but have now forgotten what my theories were anyway, so oh well.

[jmoncton_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

The ultimate 'cozy' mystery, The Nine Tailors features Lord Peter Wimsey, full time aristocrat and part time sleuth. These stories are the perfect recipe of mystery combined with quirky English charm.

[jeffreymarks · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Wonderful mystery with Lord Peter solving it all.

[jeremypreacher · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

While the detail about change-ringing made my eyes glaze over, the leisurely pace and attention to setting were for once pleasant rather than tedious, and the central mystery was fascinatingly wrapped up in the personal politics of class differences, the Great War, thieves' honor, and the peculiar architecture of churches. (Also featuring one of the more horrifying ways to die I've ever encountered.) Good stuff.

[horacewimsey · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I love it when a novelist goes to the trouble of researching the setting of her novel. Here Sayers has given us a superb bit of detective fiction built on the science of changeringing.

[kimmr_2 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This is a wonderful novel. From the first scenes set in the bleak and snowy Fens countryside, Sayers works her magic. The landscape, the church bells, the superbly-drawn characters and the mystery (well, two mysteries) are expertly woven together to make a supremely satisfying whole. Novels that take the reader to another time and place are, in my opinion, the best novels of all. This one does that for me.

[raschneid_1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

A pretty good mystery, but definitely heavy on the info dumps about British church bells. Lots of Bunter, though! I love me some Bunter. And the ending was very good. Also, a very classic premise - everyone loves a jewel hunt.

Definitely figured out the ending as soon as we got the requisite information, yet our detective was still confused; I shake my head at you, Peter Wimsey.

[lahochstetler · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This books is the epitome of the English countryside murder mystery. There's a mysterious dead body, an old parish church, a bumbling rector, and lots of foul weather. When Lord Peter Wimsey's car breaks down in Fenchurch St. Paul he is taken in by the rector. When an unidentified body turns up in the churchyard, Lord Peter is on the case. In Fenchurch St. Paul Sayers weaves a gripping and atmospheric mystery. At the heart of the mystery are the ancient church bells. They are tended by a close-knit and somewhat suspicious coterie of bell-ringers, who display an almost-slavish devotion to their ringing. More broadly, the book is fully infused with bell-ringing culture. The bells give their name to the the book; each has a name and together they are called 'The Nine Tailors.' In all honesty, there was more about bell-ringing than I needed to know. Still, this is a gripping mystery.

[lara335 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Not sure i would have added it to the 1000 books you must read - convoluted plot, and an awful lot of information about bell-ringing composition, without actually explaining it. Sayers is said to have lifted the murder mystery from a puzzle to a literary novel. This was certainly well-written, Wimsey is charming, but I didn't feel engaged / concerned about any of the characters.

[maggie1944 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I just read The Nine Tailors and enjoyed it greatly. The main reason I do not read mysteries, as a favorite genre, is because I can't be "bothered" to try to second guess the author and come to "who did it" before the end of the book; however, in this book's case, I did guess the answer to the mystery which I think most readers probably would. But I clearly did not enjoy the book the less for the obviousness of the solution to the mystery. The book has many, many additional charms.Firstly, it is a wonderful period piece which describes life in a small English village and some of the Characters who live there perfectly. Not that I've ever lived in one, but based on other books, movies, and other sources of impression, I think Dorothy L. Sayers got it just right! The rector of the village church and his wife were a perfect pair, he a bit absent minded but totally a kind and giving man, she spot on the admistrator of all things organized in their home, and in the church. I fell completely in love with them.Secondly, all of the potential criminals were drawn carefully to not be too, too evil and thereby were totally believable people. Both clever, and not so clever, these folks had all of the weaknesses and foibles of country folk read about since the English novel threw light on villiage life. I was happy with the outcome.So, I recommend this book to readers who like mysteries, who like English village life, and who like good writing without some of the more modern tricks.

[bookworm12_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

An amateur detective, Lord Peter Wimsey, is snowbound in a small English town on New Year's Eve. He helps the town's people ring in the new year on their church bells. Three months later Wimsey is called upon to solve the mystery of a dead body found in the churchyard. The 20-year-old theft of an emerald necklace lies at the heart of the case. The book's title comes from a specific ringing of the church bells to note a death in the parish. This is my first experience with Sayers and the infamous Wimsey. I really enjoyed it. It's a delicious English detective story, complete with polite inquiries and afternoon tea. It's certainly not fast-paced and can lag a bit as they toss ideas back and forth, but it pays off in the end. I'll have to pick up more of Sayers' work, but mysteries and other essays she's well known for. "Bells are like cats and mirrors, always queer, doesn't do a thing to think too much about them."

[meredith47 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I first read this book when I was about 13, I think, and it's one where early reading (at least for me) is a mistake.I found the Lord Peter Wimsey series when I was 15, went to the beginning and carefully read every one. By the time I got to this one, I loved it madly and I still do.

[nohablo · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

There's a lean, clever detective story at the heart of Nine Tailors. Too bad Dorothy Sayers smothers it to death with page after page of obsessive minutiae about bell-ringing (EGH) and the British canal system?! Soggily paced and, in the end, limp and unsatisfying. BLAH.

[laurierking · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Beautiful language, gloriously ridiculous plots, and the first to bring the emotional life of her characters into the fore of the mystery. (Even though she did insist on apologizing for it.)

[vivienner_3 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

There are no weak spots in this complex mystery. It is entertaining and stimulating as well as having an old world charm. Of all the Sayers' books I have read, this one is my favourite so far. The clever use of bells give it an unusual twist yet in a familiar church setting. The characters are delightful, especially Lord Peter Wimsey. I thoroughly enjoyed it.

[kelley.logan · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Lovely twist and historically interesting, Sayers books are all worth reading.

[pgchuis · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Peter and Bunter end up in Fenchurch St Paul after Peter drives his car into the ditch in a snow storm. Taken in by the Rector and his wife (the delightful Rev and Mrs Venables), Peter is persuaded to take the place of a sick bell-ringer in a planned nine hour marathon bell ringing session. (Is there nothing he cannot do?) Months later he is asked to help the police out with the case of the handless body found in some one else's grave. The whole case unfolds over months and months with a noticeable lack of urgency, although the story ends with a dramatic flooding disaster.Sadly no Harriet, although Hilary seemed to be a teenage version of her. A bit more of Bunter and, indeed, my favourite moment was Bunter claiming Peter to be his flirtatious chauffeur. I made no attempt to understand the intricacies of bell-ringing and it made no difference. I likewise paid little attention to the pages about drainage on the fens, but maybe I ought to have done! This one was just OK for me - none of the characters really called to me and Peter was just a bit more superficial than in others in the series.The story made clear the role played by a conscientious minister and his wife in their parish at the time of writing and I liked the touch about the Thodays feeling obliged to skip communion, but being able to face matins.

[helenliz_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

A re-read again. It takes a while for the body to make an appearance, but the story in the interim all starts to make sense as the story progresses. The story has, as an integral part, the very English hobby of bellringing. As a ringer, I like the detail and the way the ringing is so important (although I can see the slight errors, for the weight of bells, that New year's peal would be a lot longer than 9 hours). I like the terminology of the chapter titles and how they are largely ringing terminology. The mystery itself is two that are embrangled. There's a missing emerald necklace that has caused a lot of trouble, then a body turns up, with it's face smashed in and hands missing - presumably to prevent identification and a significant portion of the second mystery revolves round trying to answer that question. It's an inventive mystery, with a lovely interplay between Peter and the policeman, and the villagers are a lovely character study. There's a lot to like about this, and I do like it every time.