Product Description:The stark naked body was lying in the tub.Not unusual for a proper bath, but highly irregular for murder -- especially with a pair of gold pince-nez deliberately perched before the sightless eyes. What's more, the face appeared to have been shaved after death. The police assumed that the victim was a prominent financier, but Lord Peter Wimsey, who dabbled in mystery detection as a hobby, knew better. In this, his first murder case, Lord Peter untangles the ghastly mystery of the corpse in the bath. First line: "Oh damn!" said Lord Peter Wimsey at Piccadilly Circus. "Hi, Driver!"
My thoughts: I would have never discovered Lord Peter Wimsey is it were not for the Vintage Mystery Reading Challenge at My Readers Block. I found Lord Peter to be somewhat frivolous (nicer than silly) and eccentric. However there was one look into his past where I saw a very serious side to him and caused me to appreciate him more. This was a fun, quick read introducing clues throughout. The solution came in the form of a letter where the murderer confessed all in detail. In the letter we see that Lord Peter's findings and assumptions were correct. I thought his mother was delightful. I've seen several reviews that say Sayers book "Nine Tailors" is a better Lord Peter novel. I think I'll try that one.
Quote: At Denver things moved in an orderly way; no one died sudden and violent deaths except aged setters - and partridges, to be sure.
New word: vermiform - resembling a worm in shape
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Dorothy L. Sayers
1 comment:
Got your link up!
Lord Peter definitely matures over the course of the books and, as Sayers reveals more and more about what drove him to put on the silly persona, you understand him better. One of my all-time favorite characters in mysteries!
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