Murder Must Advertise (Lord Peter Wimsey Mystery)
by Dorothy L. Sayers
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Read in September, 2007
An absolute delight. I am increasingly of the opinion that Dorothy Sayers is the finest mystery serial writer of - well, I can't say "all time," having only read two or three of her competitors, but VERY FINE INDEED. Sayers doesn't just write good mysteries, she writes good novels. One might almost mistake Murder Must Advertise for a novel about an ad firm (and brilliantly done at that) that happens to concern a murder, rather than the other way around, and I don't say...more
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Read in April, 2008
Apparently, the combination of Lord Peter Wimsey, a climactic cricket match, and a deliciously venomous send-up of the 1930s world of advertising (a world not so different from the present day, however quaint its slogans may seem) is irresistible to me. I read this through in two sittings, from the moment I got on the train to the moment I got off again, and was engaged throughout, even though--very unusually for me--I had worked out both the identity of the murder and the improbable means/motiv...more
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Read in May, 2008
I enjoyed this very much, but these intricately plotted murder mysteries are wasted on me, because I'm not reading the book for the mystery. I'm reading it for the characters, the setting, and particularly in Sayers' case, the wonderful writing. In two weeks I won't be able to remember whodunnit.
The plot has to do with drug running, and I couldn't be less interested in that, but I loved the details about life in the advertising business, and I enjoyed the scenes with Charles and Lady Mary....more
The plot has to do with drug running, and I couldn't be less interested in that, but I loved the details about life in the advertising business, and I enjoyed the scenes with Charles and Lady Mary....more
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Read in July, 2007
James and I read most of Sayers' mysteries in the 1970s after seeing BBC's charming dramatizations of them.
Have just reread this one. It's a joy to read. She writes very well, her sentences run smoothly, her word choice is excellent. Parts of the book are just great fun -- it's the dialogues I really love.
Also read an unauthorized biography of Sayers, which says her descriptions of how the aristocracy live are mostly invented. [She grew up strictly middle class.] Somehow this disappoint...more
Have just reread this one. It's a joy to read. She writes very well, her sentences run smoothly, her word choice is excellent. Parts of the book are just great fun -- it's the dialogues I really love.
Also read an unauthorized biography of Sayers, which says her descriptions of how the aristocracy live are mostly invented. [She grew up strictly middle class.] Somehow this disappoint...more
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Read in November, 2006
The most engaging and best part of Of Human Bondage was the episode in which the hero, previously an entitled young man, is forced to go to work with the lower classes to keep from starving. Similarly, Lord Peter Whimsy is at his best not when dealing with his peers, but with the working class. He goes undercover at an advertising firm, where he experiences a rather different lifestyle than that to which he is accustomed. There are some great scenes about classism, as there always are, and sever...more
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Read in December, 2004
This is my all-time favorite Lord Peter Wimsey mystery so far. It's incredibly funny, and satisfyingly twisty, with so many red herrings that I'd considered and discarded the villain because he seemed to simple... It's set at an advertising agency, where a young copywriter has met his untimely demise in an (apparent) accident. But the head of the agency is suspicious of fowl play, and thus Lord Peter is brought in to investigate. The dialogue sparkles and the whole thing, especially all of the g...more
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Again, although Lord Peter is at his amusing best, this story is bogged down with too many minor character that it's impossible to keep straight unless you read it with a flow chart in front of you. Also, I found the plot way too convoluted to be dealt with in the 150 or so pages here.
The advertising angle is very funny, however, and we get to see more of Wimsey's brother-in-law Chief Inspector Charles Parker than we normally do. There's not enough Bunter though. I think he makes a one- or ...more
The advertising angle is very funny, however, and we get to see more of Wimsey's brother-in-law Chief Inspector Charles Parker than we normally do. There's not enough Bunter though. I think he makes a one- or ...more
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Read in March, 2007
Although at this point in the Lord Peter Wimsey series, I believe he has met Harriet Vane and they have fallen in love, she does not appear in this book. He is off on a tangent and what a tangent! A whole career is opened up to him, as he goes undercover at at ad agency to solve mysterious death of one of the copywriters. Of course, he writes a lot of hilarious ads, and ends up being a successful ad-man while solving the crime. The office politics are handled well, with zippy dialog and sa...more
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Read in November, 2007
Of the Lord Peter Wimsey books I've read so far, this was my favorite. Wimsey goes undercover as a copy-editor at an advertising firm. He's been called in by the owner to investigate--not, as you might expect, the suspicious death of one of the firm's employees, but an unfinished letter written by the dead employee, which hints that something scandalous is happening in the firm. The book was hilarious, but had depth (not that I think one necessarily excludes the other). The almost mock-epic ...more
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Read in October, 2007
This Lord Peter mystery stands out from those I've read so far. It's got the most heft and mood. Lord Peter goes undercover in an ad agency as Death Bredon. And he does unwittingly bring death in his wake -- the body count is quite high by the end of the book.
The description of office politics in the ad agency are quite delightful and comedic, and the meditations on the impact of advertising on society prophetically spot-on.
There are hints at a darker edge to Lord Peter's character and I f...more
The description of office politics in the ad agency are quite delightful and comedic, and the meditations on the impact of advertising on society prophetically spot-on.
There are hints at a darker edge to Lord Peter's character and I f...more
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2 comments
recommends it for:
lovers of mysteries, those interested in advertising or in life in Britain in the 20's and 30's
This is the best Wimsey book. A marvelously venomous send-up of the advertising world, still sickeningly applicable today, it has lots of biting wit and some compassion as well for those caught up in this silly little world. Wimsey's incarnations here...ad man, himself, evil man-about-town, and outstanding cricketer...are fascinating. One is so intrigued with the book that one doesn't notice that Wimsey can be, adn sometimes is, soporifically perfect. Nevertheless, for fans of the literate myste...more
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Read in June, 2006
recommends it for:
mystery lovers
This was very thoroughly one of my favorite Dorothy Sayer's books, possibly because it was the first one I read. There's quite a nice surprise at the beginning if you haven't already read any Lord Peter Wimsey novels. But mostly it has to do with a very good plot, a clever murder, and plenty of humor. The setting was especially fun in my opinoin, and I really enjoyed seeing Peter take on several different personalities throughout the novel, I believe the reader views him in at least three ver...more
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Read in January, 2005
recommends it for:
anyone who likes agatha christie and pg wodehouse
her books are a treasure, intelligently written, original plots, no loose ends and wonderful characters. Read them all!! This was my first and still my favorite (nine tailors is especially good as well). A terrific mystery but also a description of what it's like to work at an English ad agency that makes it sound incredibly fun and interesting. All her characters are amazing, and to paraphrase Bridget Jones.. when it comes to Lord Peter I have, frankly, a bit of a crush.
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I found this Lord Peter Wimsey novel extremely interesting. I enjoyed the characters and story line, and was only disappointed at the very end when Wimsey suggested the criminal kill himself in order to save his wife and new baby heartache and humiliation. Instead the criminal walks out, knowing he will be killed on his way home, and hence escapes notoriaty and embarrassment.
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Read in January, 1983
recommends it for:
British mystery fans
Lord Peter Wimsey is smart and rich, and here he gets a job with an advertising agency to solve a crime. I don't remember why, but I enjoy all the Wimsey mysteries by Sayers. Except when there's latin, and no translation for it. I can't always figure it out, and that bugs me. The American editions MUST have translations, we're not that educated. Latin in schools, yeah, right.
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This is a slightly different read for me. There's a lot of drugs in it. And a mystery. I know who I *want* the murderer to be, but I don't think it's that person. I really should get on finishing this. Too easy to put down and pick up something else. Probably because I don't read a lot of mysteries.
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Read in March, 2007
Lord Peter Wimsey goes undercover at an advertising agency, where he proves that what appeared to be an accidental death was really murder, and that the agency is tangled in a drug-running operation. But he's British, so he's unflappable about the situation, and he never misses his tea.
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The best Lord Peter Wimsey story. Lord Wimsey goes undercover at an advertising agency. The advertising agency in and of itself is enough to make this book worth reading. I'm not much of a murder mystery person myself, but this one is charming, witty, and occasionally hilarious.
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Read in March, 2007
This is the First Dorothy Sayers book I've read, and I found it too tedious and too thinky. I don't like my mysteries handed to me easily, but I also don't want a dozen layers of subtext to sift through. By the time I got to the end, I was just relieved it was over.
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2 comments
I got pretty confused in the beginning, I guess cuz I'm a dork and can't figure out when Lord Peter's dressing up, but I got it straightened out after a couple of pages.
This was a bit slower than Sayer's other books, not my favorite. But I loved the cricket. ;)
This was a bit slower than Sayer's other books, not my favorite. But I loved the cricket. ;)
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