From the Bookshelf of Reading the Detectives…

Whose Body? (Lord Peter Wimsey, #1)

Dorothy L. Sayers

Start date: May 1, 2022

Finish date: May 31, 2022

Discussion: Group Challenges

Why we're reading this: Next in our Detection Club challenge.
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Showing 2 of 166 topics — 7,786 comments total

Group Challenges

* Sept 25: The Mystery of the Blue Train (1928) by Agatha Christie
By Susan · 14 posts · 18 views

last updated Sep 02, 2025 12:08AM

* Sept 25: The Mystery of the Blue Train (1928) - SPOILER Thread
By Susan · 6 posts · 17 views

last updated Sep 11, 2025 09:26AM

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What Members Thought

Dec 21, 2015 Teri-K rated it really liked it

Shelves: mystery, old-favorites, z-own-audio, audio-recommended, mystery-golden-age, z-own-kindle, best-series-book-1

I've read this book a number of times before, and it has never been my favorite of the series. However, this time I listened to the audio, narrated by Frederick Davidson (David Case). The strength of the narrator carried me happily through the long inquest at the beginning, as well as a few other sections that drag when I'm reading, making it 4 stars.

Having now had the opportunity to hear the version narrated by Nadia May, I can also recommend it. She makes everything interesting!

The series gets ...more

3 likes · Like · see review

Jan 01, 2016 Jan C rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: rtd-2016-sayers-challenge, 2016, mystery, england, sleuth

I expect that I have read this 4-5 times. So much that I remember and so much that I forget.

A friend of Lord Peter Wimsey's mother, the Duchess Dowager, finds a naked body in his bath. At approximately the same time a wealthy magnate goes missing. Are they the same person?

This is the first of the Lord Peter Wimsey stories, published in 1923. So it follows shortly after the conclusion of the First World War and we still see some of the after-effects of the war. Wimsey himself has a nervous atta ...more

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Dec 31, 2016 Nanosynergy rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: mysteries-thrillers-espionage, british, reviewed, fiction-1920s, fiction, series, 2016read

Published in 1923, this is the first book in the Sayers' Lord Peter Wimsey series. Imagine Bertie Wooster decides to become an amateur detective. Solid book. Be prepared, however, for the prejudicial views of that time towards Jews. ...more

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Jul 09, 2015 Grisette rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: my-kind-of-detective-thriller, 3rd-pers-narration

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.
3.4 stars

⏳ [Re-read project #12 of 2025, 1st proper review, rating maintained]

I read this one years ago (almost 10 years to the date!) and beside the manner in which the body in the title was discovered, I did not recall the puzzle solution at all. So I was ripe was for a re-read. And I can say now that re-reading it was a real interesting experience.

Just like my memory of Peter Wimsey, he was indeed both easy to dislike and love. As quoted from the book:

He talked the most fatuous nonsense, cert

...more

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Aug 10, 2018 P. rated it liked it

I especially like the extended paean to Peter that was chapter 10.

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Jun 27, 2018 Stephanie rated it really liked it

Shelves: mystery-cozy

I really liked this mystery and especially, the narration by Ian Carmichael. I did find though, that I had to get the ebook and reread some at the beginning because I'd forgotten some stuff significant to the ending mostly because I had to keep starting and stopping and time passed. Now that I've made clear, this will be a delightful relisten in my car when I go on trips. Definitely a keeper book for me although not a top, top book. ...more

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Jun 14, 2016 Helen (read247_instyle_inca) rated it liked it

Shelves: golden-age-of-mystery

I had a hard time with the dialogue and writing style used in this mystery. As the book progressed more focus was placed on the actual case making it easier to read. This is my first time reading Dorothy L. Sayers so I really didn't know what to expect. I am looking forward to more Lord Peter Wimsey. ...more

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