Search results for ""author dorothy l sayers""

Dorothy L Sayers' amateur sleuth Lord Peter Wimsey returns in this collection of mysteries, introduced by crime writer Elizabeth George. A must-read for fans of Agatha Christie's Poirot and Margery Allingham's Campion Mysteries. All that was left of the garage was a heap of charred and smouldering beams. In the driving seat of the burnt-out car were the remains of a body . . . An accident, said the police. An accident, said the widow. She had been warning her husband about the danger of the car for months.Murder, said the famous detective Lord Peter Wimsey - and proceeded to track down the killer.

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The thirteenth book in Dorothy L Sayers' classic Lord Peter Wimsey series, introduced by crime writer Natasha Cooper - a must-read for fans of Agatha Christie's Poirot and Margery Allingham's Campion Mysteries. They plan to have a quiet country honeymoon. Then Lord Peter Wimsey and his bride Harriet Vane find the previous owner's body in the cellar.Set in a country village seething with secrets and snobbery, this is Dorothy L. Sayers' last full-length detective novel. Variously described as a love story with detective interruptions and a detective story with romantic interruptions, it lives up to both descriptions with style.'She brought to the detective novel originality, intelligence, energy and wit.' P. D. James

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The eleventh book in Dorothy L Sayers' classic Lord Peter Wimsey series, introduced by writer Jill Paton Walsh - a must-read for fans of Agatha Christie's Poirot and Margery Allingham's Campion Mysteries. 'D. L. Sayers is one of the best detective story writers' Daily TelegraphWhen his sexton finds a corpse in the wrong grave, the rector of Fenchurch St Paul asks Lord Peter Wimsey to find out who the dead man was and how he came to be there.The lore of bell-ringing and a brilliantly-evoked village in the remote fens of East Anglia are the unforgettable background to a story of an old unsolved crime and its violent unravelling twenty years later.'She brought to the detective novel originality, intelligence, energy and wit.' P. D. James

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The second book in Dorothy L Sayers Lord Peter Wimsey series introduced by crime novelist Ruth Dudley Edwards - a must-read for fans of Agatha Christie's Poirot and Margery Allingham's Campion Mysteries. 'D. L. Sayers is one of the best detective story writers' Daily TelegraphThe Duke of Denver, accused of murder, stands trial for his life in the House of Lords.Naturally, his brother Lord Peter Wimsey is investigating the crime - this is a family affair. The murder took place at the duke's shooting lodge and Lord Peter's sister was engaged to marry the dead man.But why does the duke refuse to co-operate with the investigation? Can he really be guilty, or is he covering up for someone?'She brought to the detective novel originality, intelligence, energy and wit.' P. D. James

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Discover Dorothy L. Sayers' inimitable Golden Age detective in this newly published collection of the complete Lord Peter Wimsey stories. Presented in chronological order, these short stories see Lord Peter Wimsey bringing his trademark wit and unique detection skills to all manner of mysteries. From poisoned port to murder in fancy dress, Wimsey draws on his many skills - including his expertise in fine wine and appreciation of fine art - to solve cases far and wide, some even taking him to foreign countries and unexpected hiding places in pursuit of miscreants and murderers.Containing 21 stories taken from Lord Peter Views the Body, Hangman's Holiday, In the Teeth of the Evidence and Striding Folly, now published together for the first time in one volume, this is the ultimate collection for fans of classic detective fiction and Dorothy L. Sayers.'She brought to the detective novel originality, intelligence, energy and wit.' P. D. James

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'Think MadMen in prewar London' The GuardianThe tenth book in Dorothy L Sayers' classic Lord Peter Wimsey series, introduced by bestselling crime writer Peter Robinson - a must-read for fans of Agatha Christie's Poirot and Margery Allingham's Campion Mysteries. Victor Dean fell to his death on the stairs of Pym's Advertising Agency, but no one seems to be sorry. Until an inquisitive new copywriter joins the firm and asks some awkward questions...Disguised as his disreputable cousin Death Bredon, Lord Peter Wimsey takes a job - one that soon draws him into a vicious network of blackmailers and drug pedlars.Five people will die before Wimsey unravels a sinister and deadly plot.'D. L. Sayers is one of the best detective story writers' Daily Telegraph'She brought to the detective novel originality, intelligence, energy and wit.' P. D. James

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The fourth book in Dorothy L Sayers' classic Lord Peter Wimsey series, introduced by detective fiction writer Simon Brett - a must-read for fans of Agatha Christie's Poirot and Margery Allingham's Campion Mysteries. 'D. L. Sayers is one of the best detective story writers' Daily TelegraphLord Peter Wimsey bent down over General Fentiman and drew the Morning Post gently away from the gnarled old hands. Then, with a quick jerk, he lifted the quiet figure. It came up all of a piece, stiff as a wooden doll . . .But how did the general die? Who was the mysterious Mr X who fled when he was wanted for questioning? And which of the general's heirs, both members of the Bellona Club, is lying?'She brought to the detective novel originality, intelligence, energy and wit.' P. D. James

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Dorothy L Sayers' amateur sleuth returns in this collection of three stories, featuring a brand new introduction from crime writer Catriona McPherson. A must-read for fans of the inimitable Lord Peter Wimsey, as well Agatha Christie's Poirot and Margery Allingham's Campion Mysteries. 'D. L. Sayers is one of the best detective story writers' Daily TelegraphThree of Lord Peter Wimsey's most baffling cases demonstrate his unique detection skills at their most spectacular . . .The engima of a house numbered thirteen in a street of even numbers; an indignant child accused of theft, a dream about a game of chess that uncovers the true story behind a violent death. Each of the stories introduces a different side of the twentieth century's most ingenious detective hero, and this book also features a biographical essay by Janet Hitchman, Sayers' first biographer.'She brought to the detective novel originality, intelligence, energy and wit.' P. D. James

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The ninth book in Dorothy L Sayers' classic Lord Peter Wimsey series, introduced by crime writer David Mark - a must-read for fans of Agatha Christie's Poirot and Margery Allingham's Campion Mysteries. 'D. L. Sayers is one of the best detective story writers' Daily TelegraphPoisoned port . . . Pet cats in peril . . . Purloined pearls . . . Lord Peter Wimsey solves the mysteries of the man who was blown into the fourth dimension and the murder in fancy dress. He pursues miscreants across several countries and into unexpected hiding places. Dorothy L. Sayers' other detective, Montague Egg, encounters a fugitive murderer and uncovers a killer in an Oxford cloister. The travelling salesman extraordinaire solves puzzles with a unique combination of matter-of-fact practicality and brilliant deduction.'She brought to the detective novel originality, intelligence, energy and wit.' P. D. James

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The sixth book in Dorothy L Sayers' classic Lord Peter Wimsey series, introduced by actor Edward Petherbridge - a must-read for fans of Agatha Christie's Poirot and Margery Allingham's Campion Mysteries.'D. L. Sayers is one of the best detective story writers' Daily TelegraphCan Lord Peter Wimsey prove that Harriet Vane is not guilty of murder - or find the real poisoner in time to save her from the gallows?Impossible, it seems.The Crown's case is watertight. The police are adamant that the right person is on trial. The judge's summing-up is also clear. Harriet Vane is guilty of the killing her lover. And Harriet Vane shall hang.But the jury disagrees.'She brought to the detective novel originality, intelligence, energy and wit.' P. D. James

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Lord Peter Wimsey's fishing holiday is interrupted in Dorothy L Sayers' classic crime novel, introduced by writer and reviewer Barry Forshaw - a must-read for fans of Agatha Christie's Poirot and Margery Allingham's Campion Mysteries.'One of the best detective story writers' Daily TelegraphLord Peter Wimsey could imagine the artist stepping back, the stagger, the fall, down to where the pointed rocks grinned like teeth.But was it an accident - or murder? Six members of the close-knit Galloway artists' colony do not regret Campbell's death.Five of them are red herrings.'She brought to the detective novel originality, intelligence, energy and wit.' P. D. James

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A book of short stories featuring Dorothy L Sayers' classic character Lord Peter Wimsey, introduced by thriller writer Christopher Fowler - a must-read for fans of Agatha Christie's Poirot and Margery Allingham's Campion Mysteries. 'D. L. Sayers is one of the best detective story writers' Daily TelegraphLord Peter Wimsey - expert on subjects as diverse as crosswords and cats - displays his detective genius in some of the cleverest mysteries ever devised.One solution requires expertise in fine wines; another calls on his knowledge of fine art. Lord Peter has the knack of being on the spot at just the right time to spot a thief or blackmail a blackmailer. Or even prevent a murder... Whatever the occasion, the aristocratic detective uses his razor-sharp mind and unerring instincts to unmask the guilty and go to the aid of their victims. 'She brought to the detective novel originality, intelligence, energy and wit.' P. D. James

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An epistolary crime novel from Dorothy L Sayers, creator of the classic Lord Peter Wimsey series - a must-read for fans of Agatha Christie's Poirot and Margery Allingham's Campion Mysteries, and introduced by author and journalist Libby Purves.The bed was broken and tilted grotesquely sideways. Harrison was sprawled over in a huddle of soiled blankets. His mouth was twisted . . .Harrison had been an expert on deadly mushrooms. How was it then that he had eaten a large quantity of death-dealing muscarine? Was it an accident? Suicide? Or murder?The documents in the case seemed to be a simple collection of love notes and letters home. But they concealed a clue to the brilliant murderer who baffled the best minds in London.'She combined literary prose with powerful suspense, and it takes a rare talent to achieve that. A truly great storyteller' Minette Walters

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On 15 August 778, Charlemagne’s army was returning from a successful expedition against Saracen Spain when its rearguard was ambushed in a remote Pyrenean pass. Out of this skirmish arose a stirring tale of war, which was recorded in the oldest extant epic poem in French. The Song of Roland, written by an unknown poet, tells of Charlemagne’s warrior nephew, Lord of the Breton Marches, who valiantly leads his men into battle against the Saracens, but dies in the massacre, defiant to the end. In majestic verses, the battle becomes a symbolic struggle between Christianity and paganism, while Roland’s last stand is the ultimate expression of honour and feudal values of twelfth-century France.For more than seventy years, Penguin has been the leading publisher of classic literature in the English-speaking world. With more than 1,700 titles, Penguin Classics represents a global bookshelf of the best works throughout history and across genres and disciplines. Readers trust the series to provide authoritative texts enhanced by introductions and notes by distinguished scholars and contemporary authors, as well as up-to-date translations by award-winning translators.

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The third book in Dorothy L Sayers' classic Lord Peter Wimsey series, introduced by crime writer Minette Walters - a must-read for fans of Agatha Christie's Poirot and Margery Allingham's Campion Mysteries. 'D. L. Sayers is one of the best detective story writers' Daily Telegraph'No sign of foul play,' says Dr Carr after the post-mortem on Agatha Dawson. The case is closed. But Lord Peter Wimsey is not satisfied . . .With no clues to work on, he begins his own investigation. No clues, that is, until the sudden, senseless murder of Agatha's maid. What is going on in the mysterious Mrs Forrest's Mayfair flat? And can Wimsey catch a desperate murderer before he himself becomes one of the victims?'She brought to the detective novel originality, intelligence, energy and wit.' P. D. James

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The twelfth book in Dorothy L Sayers' classic Lord Peter Wimsey series, introduced by actress Dame Harriet Mary Walter, DBE - a must-read for fans of Agatha Christie's Poirot and Margery Allingham's Campion Mysteries. 'D. L. Sayers is one of the best detective story writers' Daily TelegraphHarriet Vane has never dared to return to her old Oxford college. Now, despite her scandalous life, she has been summoned back . . . At first she thinks her worst fears have been fulfilled, as she encounters obscene graffiti, poison pen letters and a disgusting effigy when she arrives at sedate Shrewsbury College for the 'Gaudy' celebrations. But soon, Harriet realises that she is not the only target of this murderous malice - and asks Lord Peter Wimsey to help.'She brought to the detective novel originality, intelligence, energy and wit.' P. D. James

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The eighth book in Dorothy L Sayers' classic Lord Peter Wimsey series, introduced by bestselling thriller writer Lee Child - a must-read for fans of Agatha Christie's Poirot and Margery Allingham's Campion Mysteries. 'D. L. Sayers is one of the best detective story writers' Daily TelegraphA young woman falls asleep on a deserted beach and wakes to discover the body of a man whose throat has been slashed from ear to ear . . .The young woman is the celebrated detective novelist Harriet Vane, once again drawn against her will into a murder investigation in which she herself could be a suspect.Lord Peter Wimsey is only too eager to help her clear her name.'She brought to the detective novel originality, intelligence, energy and wit.' P. D. James

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The first book in Dorothy L Sayers' classic Lord Peter Wimsey series introduced by crime writer Laura Wilson - a must-read for fans of Agatha Christie's Poirot and Margery Allingham's Campion Mysteries. 'D. L. Sayers is one of the best detective story writers' Daily TelegraphIt was the body of a tall stout man. On his dead face, a handsome pair of gold pince-nez mocked death with grotesque elegance.The body wore nothing else.Lord Peter Wimsey knew immediately what the corpse was supposed to be. His problem was to find out whose body had found its way into Mr Alfred Thipps' Battersea bathroom.'She brought to the detective novel originality, intelligence, energy and wit.' P. D. James

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When acclaimed mystery writer Dorothy L. Sayers first began compiling anthologies of the best crime stories in the 1920s and ’30s, the genre was in the flush of its first golden age. While it is hard to imagine today—after every possible mystery plot has been told, retold, subverted, and played straight again by hundreds of writers over nearly a century—in Sayers’s day there were still twists that had never been seen, and machinations of crime that would shock even jaded Jazz Age readers.Now today’s fans of mystery and crime can experience a handpicked collection of over thirty of the most outstanding stories from this era, originally chosen by Sayers and newly introduced by Otto Penzler, a leading expert and connoisseur in the field of mystery literature. As a prolific writer of the genre, Sayers understood the difficulty of putting together a mystery that was not only sufficiently challenging (so that the solution was not immediately obvious to the reader), but also solvable without forcing the writer to cheat. That balance between opacity and solvability remains the greatest challenge of writing great crime stories—and these are some of the greatest.Authors appearing in this collection include: Edgar Allen Poe Herman Melville H. G. Wells Wilkie Collins Stephen Crane J. S. Le Fanu This is a treasure trove for real fans!

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'An engrossing, intelligent and provocative novel in the guise of a conventional mystery' - New York Times Book Review'A superb job of seamless collaboration. Thrones, Dominations is pure pleasure.' - Wall Street Journal1936. Lord Peter Wimsey has returned from his honeymoon, eager to settle into married life with his cherished new wife, the novelist Harriet Vane. As they become part of fashionable London society they encounter the glamorous socialite Rosamund Harwell and her wealthy impressario husband Laurence. Unlike the Wimseys, Rosamund and Laurence are not in love - and all too soon, one of them is dead. It is a murder that only Lord Peter Wimsey can solve . . .

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Ian Carmichael stars as Lord Peter Wimsey in these definitive BBC radio dramatisations of Dorothy L Sayers' classic crime novelsAristocratic amateur sleuth Lord Peter Wimsey was the master creation of Dorothy L Sayers, widely acknowledged as one of the four original ‘Queens of Crime’. These full-cast adaptations – first broadcast on BBC radio in the 1970s, and presented here in their entirety – are admired by fans of the genre worldwide.Whose Body? is the tale that first introduced Lord Peter to the world, and sees him investigating the case of a corpse in a Battersea bathtub and a vanished oil millionaire.In Clouds of Witness, Lord Peter’s eldest brother stands accused of murder. In collaboration with Inspector Parker, Wimsey slowly uncovers a web of lies and deceit within his own family...Unnatural Death finds Peter probing the mysterious death of an elderly lady. He suspects foul play, and with the help of the indomitable Miss Climpson, sets about his investigations in deepest Hampshire...Produced by Simon Brett (author of the ‘Charles Paris’ series), these acclaimed dramas also feature Peter Jones, Patricia Routledge, Miriam Margolyes and Garard Green.Duration: 10 hours 30 minutes approx.

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Christmas is a time of goodwill to all men ... or is it? As the nights draw in, throw another log on the fire and settle back into your armchair to enjoy this collection of ten classic Christmas mysteries, in which crime's best known sleuths, from Rebus to Holmes and Cadfael to Father Brown, uncover murder and mayhem galore. Whether it's a Christmas goose with a surprising secret cargo, a murdered pantomime dame, or a killer who departs the scene of the crime without leaving a single footprint, these stories will puzzle and delight in equal measure. And along the way, there'll be enough carols and Christmas pudding, mistletoe and mulled wine, to warm the heart of a stone-cold killer ... perhaps.

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Lord Peter Wimsey, wealthy, charming and charismatic, is one of the most famous amateur detectives of the golden age of crime. This Macmillan Collector's Library edition of Lord Peter Wimsey Investigates is introduced and edited by crime writer David Stuart Davies.Part of the Macmillan Collector’s Library; a series of stunning, clothbound, pocket-sized classics with gold foiled edges and ribbon markers. These beautiful books make perfect gifts or a treat for any book lover. The fifteen short stories in this lively and witty collection, Dorothy L. Sayers’s very best, celebrate the breadth of Peter Wimsey’s career as London’s most celebrated amateur sleuth. From the foppish man about town of 'In the Teeth of the Evidence', to the happily married man in 'The Haunted Policeman', to the father of three in 'Talboys', Wimsey kept that twinkle in his eye and the brilliance of mind that helped him spot a clue a mile off.

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'Miraculously right: catching precisely the tone of the relationship . . . thrilling' - The Times'A must for all Wimsey lovers . . . an entertaining read' - Northern EchoIt's 1940, and while the Second World War rages on, Harriet Vane - now Lady Peter Wimsey - has taken her children to safety in the country.But the war has followed them: glamorous RAF pilots and even more glamorous land-girls scandalise the villagers, and the blackout makes the night-time lanes as sinister as the back alleys of London.Then the village's first air raid practice ends with a very real body on the ground - and it's not a war casualty, but a case of plain, old-fashioned murder. And it's not long before a second body is found . . .

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This classic crime novel by six different authors is introduced by Martin Edwards, archivist of the Detection Club, and includes a never-before-published Preface by Agatha Christie, ‘Detective Writers in England’, in which she discusses her approach to writing and her fellow writers in the Detection Club. Lord Comstock is a barbarous newspaper tycoon with enemies in high places. His murder in the study of his country house poses a dilemma for the Home Secretary. In the hours before his death, Lord Comstock’s visitors included the government Chief Whip, an Archbishop, and the Assistant Commissioner for Scotland Yard. Suspicion falls upon them all and threatens the impartiality of any police investigation. Abandoning protocol, the Home Secretary invites four famous detectives to solve the case: Mrs Adela Bradley, Sir John Saumarez, Lord Peter Wimsey, and Mr Roger Sheringham. All are different, all are plausible, all are on their own – and none of them can ask a policeman… The contributors to ASK A POLICEMAN are: John Rhode, Helen Simpson, Gladys Mitchell, Anthony Berkeley, Dorothy L. Sayers, Milward Kennedy, with Agatha Christie and Martin Edwards.

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Written in reaction to what Bentley perceived as the sterility and artificiality of the detective fiction of his day, Trent's Last Case features Philip Trent, an all-too-human detective who not only falls in love with the chief suspect but reaches a brilliant conclusion that is totally wrong. Trent’s Last Case begins when millionaire American financier Sigsbee Manderson is murdered while on holiday in England. A London newspaper sends Trent to investigate, and he is soon matching wits with Scotland Yard's Inspector Murth as they probe ever deeper in search of a solution to a mystery filled with odd, mysterious twists and turns. Called by Agatha Christie "one of the best detective stories ever written," Trent's Last Case delights with its flesh-and-blood characters, its naturalness and easy humor, and its style, which, as Dorothy Sayers has noted, "ranges from a vividly coloured rhetoric to a delicate and ironical literary fancy."

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Ian Carmichael is Lord Peter Wimsey in these consummate BBC radio dramatisations of Dorothy L Sayers' much-loved mysteriesElegant, erudite and sharp-witted, aristocratic detective Lord Peter Wimsey featured in numerous novels and short stories by ‘Queen of Crime’ Dorothy L Sayers. These full-cast adaptations – first broadcast on BBC radio between 1975 and 1981– are loved by mystery fans all around the world.In The Unpleasantness at the Bellona Club, when General Fentiman is found dead at his club, Wimsey suspects foul play. Could he have been murdered for his money?Strong Poison introduces Harriet Vane – a crime novelist on trial for murdering her lover. Wimsey knows Harriet is no femme fatale, but an innocent victim embroiled in a diabolical plot…Five Red Herrings sees Peter faced with six men, all of whom have a motive for killing argumentative Scottish painter Sandy Campbell. But who was the culprit?In Have His Carcase, when Harriet Vane finds a body on the beach with his throat cut, Lord Peter must work out whether it was murder or suicide.These classic dramas also feature Peter Jones, Joan Hickson, Miriam Margolyes and Warren Clarke.Duration: 12 hours 15 mins approx.

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A unique anthology for crime aficionados – seven of the world’s most notorious genuine murder mysteries retold by the most accomplished classic crime writers of their generation. A manipulative murderer who stalked the streets of Paris; a young wife who poisoned her eccentric husband; a bank cashier’s mysterious suicide; a brutal double murder in New Zealand… Seven of the world’s greatest crime writers turn their hand to some of the world’s most spine-tingling mysteries – all of them astonishingly TRUE. This remarkable collection from the archives of the Detection Club follows The Floating Admiral, Ask a Policeman and Six Against the Yard back into print after more than 75 years, and shows some of the most accomplished authors of their generation retelling real-life murder mysteries with all the relish of the tastiest crime fiction.

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