Unnatural Death: A Lord Peter Wimsey Mystery, Book 3

I love the Lord Peter Wimsey books by Dorothy L. Sayers. I own all of the unabridged audiobooks read by Ian Carmichael on audiocassette, and have been waiting eagerly for them to be available in digital format, as my cassettes are getting old and worn out from much playing. Ian Carmichael, who played Lord Peter in some of the BBC TV versions does a fantastic job narrating the story. I love the entire series. Unnatural Death is the third in the series, and I can only hope that Audible will soon have the rest of the series available for sale to US listeners, as they have been in some other countries for some time.

If you don't already know Lord Peter, this is a fair place to start. There are other books in the series I like more, but if you enjoy this one you will be delighted as more become available.

I will be listening to this many times over the next decade or more.

A Dorothy Sayers (unabridged) novel narrated by Ian Carmichael is a marriage made in heaven. Carmichael has narrated most of the Sayers Lord Peter novels and he is without rival for excellence in this genre. In this recording of Unnatural Death Sayers' complex and riveting story of clever deception and calculated murder is brought to its full dramatic heights by narrator Ian Carmichael.

Audible, PLEASE bring us more Sayers read by Carmichael!

I do not tend to listen to books twice.

All the repartee between Wimsey and Parker.

When Wimsey pays a visit to the villainess posing as her alter ego

No, it is sufficiently complex that one wants to,pause to digest.

This book was a thoroughly enjoyable entry in the Lord Peter Wimsey series. The mystery was adequate, mostly about proving that a murder had been committed instead of finding out the killer.

But really, I don't read this series for the mysteries but because Lord Peter is so funny. I almost burst a lung laughing throughout the whole book. He's so witty and has such a way of expressing himself. Some quotes:

"I sleuth, you know. For a hobby. Harmless outlet for natural inquisitiveness, don't you see, which might otherwise strike inward and produce introspection and suicide."

"I did hope I was gong to vindicate him and have him played home by the village band under a triumphal arch with "Welcome, Champion of Truth!" picked out in red-white-and-blue electric bulbs."

Ian Carmichael is masterful in the narration. I don't think all these things would strike me as funny reading them on my own. He just has this sense of the ridiculous that brings wonderful qualities to the narration.

Hopefully Audible gets the rest of the series soon so I can continue listening!

I still prefer the print version, but the audio version is a good way to revisit the story

He is more engaging and he understands the characters perfectly.

Sayers characters are more lively and her writing style is more sophisticated than most mystery writers. Her plots are dated but more original , and I love learning about the British.