Whose Body? (AmazonClassics Edition)

By: Dorothy L. Sayers

Narrated by: Guy Mott

A prominent financier vanishes before bedtime, without his clothes. Hours later, a corpse is found in a bathtub wearing only pince-nez eyeglasses. When it’s determined that the body is not that of the financier, it’s up to amateur detective Lord Peter Wimsey to uncover the naked truth. As the part-time sleuth investigates what these men - one dead, one missing, both starkers - have in common, the pieces of two puzzles converge, and the case becomes more dangerous by the clue.

Dorothy L. Sayers’s debut whodunit introduced the world to her British gentleman detective Lord Wimsey. The first in her series, Whose Body? still delights and surprises right down to its devious denouement.

Revised edition: Previously published as Whose Body?, this edition of Whose Body? (AmazonClassics Edition) includes editorial revisions.

Public Domain (P)2019 Brilliance Publishing, Inc., all rights reserved.

Critic reviews

"The real pleasure of the novel, conveyed with extra brio by Guy Mott's brisk and lively narration, is the depiction of Wimsey's world as enjoyable fantasy, a place for the harried, the stressed and the weary to live somewhere else in their minds." --The New York Times Book Review

Read it for the humor!

Lord Peter is easily one of the funniest, quirkiest detectives. The mysteries themselves are not the most complex, meaning you won't struggle to guess the killer, but the dialogue and less than subtle humor are what make this special.

Get the Edition Narrated by Mark Meadows!

This British classic, first written in 1923, is artfully narrated and presented, (THE VERSION BY MARK MEADOWS!, NOT THIS ONE!) drawing the listener into the period, introducing them into the era and to the cast of characters. A fine mystery it is, too. My favorite part is the banter between Lord Peter Wimsey and his valet, Bunter. Unheard of at the time, they are more than servant and master, they’re friends. As well as waiting on Lord Wimsey, which he does with humor and kindness, Bunter is an excellent sleuth, assisting Lord Wimsey in his cases. This one, the dead body in the bathtub is stumping the police, but Lord Wimsey is up to the task. This first in the series is a winner!

Very good mystery, had to skip over some of the old English references that I didn’t know, but definitely worth listening to

I had a little difficulty figuring out who was saying what at certain times, because the voices sounded so similar

Cleverest writing

In 1923 when the novel was published, Sayers was an Oxford University graduate (she was amongst the first group of women graduates to be finally awarded their degrees in 1920) and a published poet. She had worked in publishing and was then working as a copy writer in a London advertising agency - all of which makes her stand out from other women of her generation.

Sayer’s characterization - not at all common in a Golden Age mystery novel - is not the only strength in her writing. Her prose is excellent, her dialogue is witty and the mystery itself is interesting enough.

Dorothy L Sayers so well mastered the art of writing with wit that it is an absolute delight to read her work. This mystery includes one of my favourite lines: 'Even idiots occasionally speak the truth accidentally.'

A great book

I got the book not knowing anything about the series or the author and I feel like it was a great investment. The best way I can describe it is that it is like a Wooster and Jeeves story except that the Wooster character is actually competent at something. Overall I found it light and breeze. Not the type of mystery where there are 6 suspects and the detective must analyze every clue leading to a big reveal in the last chapter, in case that is your type of thing.