From the Bookshelf of Reading the Detectives…

Lord Peter Views the Body (Lord Peter Wimsey #4)

Dorothy L. Sayers

Start date: April 1, 2016

Finish date: April 30, 2016

Discussion: Group Challenges

Find A Copy At

Libraries

Group Discussions About This Book

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 · 16 views

last updated 10 hours, 19 min ago

showing 2 of 2 topics view all »

What Members Thought

Feb 26, 2017 BrokenTune rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: reviewed

On re-reading the stories, I liked them a whole lot better. However, I'd recommend to readers that the short stories are best left until you've read the novels.

Updated review on my WP blog here.

Original review:

2.5*

I like Peter and Bunter but the stories in this collection were lacking something - either the development of other characters or a hook. I stand by my hypothesis that some authors are great at creating novels but can't quite transfer the same skill to short stories or - without refe ...more

33 likes · Like · see review

Aug 06, 2020 Jazzy Lemon rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: english-authors, classics

12 short stories featuring the inimitable Lord Peter Wimsey

4 likes · Like · see review

Feb 28, 2016 Damaskcat rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: dls-challenge

This is a delightful collection of short stories - all featuring Lord Peter Wimsey detecting crimes in his own inimitable fashion. Some are just gruesome - 'The Man with the Copper Fingers' for example and one at least contains no murder and not even a crime - just an attempted one - 'The Piscatorial Farce of the Stolen Stomach.' I must admit the latter has always been a particular favourite of mine as it contrives to make a hugely entertaining story out of an attempted crime.

All these stories a ...more

2 likes · Like · see review

Feb 15, 2015 Julie rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: detectives, short-stories, reviewed

"Lord Peter could have been an insurance investigator," I remember latching onto this vague thought as I read through 12 short stories featuring our favorite amateur detective, full-time lordling, His Lordship Peter Wimsey. A number of these stories involved wills - either missing or ridiculously confusing - which Lord Peter, in his curiosity and general nosiness, just had to solve for the benefit of the people around him. And us, of course, because who doesn't like a good inheritance mystery.

I "Lord Peter could have been an insurance investigator," I remember latching onto this vague thought as I read through 12 short stories featuring our favorite amateur detective, full-time lordling, His Lordship Peter Wimsey. A number of these stories involved wills - either missing or ridiculously confusing - which Lord Peter, in his curiosity and general nosiness, just had to solve for the benefit of the people around him. And us, of course, because who doesn't like a good inheritance mystery.

In my quest to finish all Lord Peter books before I conk out, I accidentally passed over this, and was actually already reading Five Red Herrings before I got the timelines straight and went back for these short stories. Now, I love short stories. I just adore how easily one can squeeze them in in daily life. I particularly find this form very rewarding in mystery and horror, like Sherlock Holmes and Poe and Lovecraft. So, when I found out I was missing out on some (possibly very quality) Lord Peter short stories, I dropped Five Red Herrings and started on them immediately.

And it all worked very well, except that it was 2 am and the first story, The Abominable History of the Man with Copper Fingers almost gave me a nightmare.

Lord Peter shows off his prowess in various areas, which include but are not limited to: (1) languages; (2) crossword puzzles; (3) wine; (4) books; (5) being a Glorified Uncle; and (6) criminal organizations. His nephew Gherkins, or Gerald, Viscount Saint-George, appears in The Learned Adventure of the Dragon's Head and it's no surprise that it's my favorite story of the bunch. Wimsey! With a kid! I wish Gherkins appeared more often because their dynamic was just golden.

A couple stories were quite silly and unbelievable, and there were about 5 paragraphs or untranslated French which I had to Google Translate, but I enjoyed them nonetheless. They weren't all about murders too, which is a plus in my book. All in all a very entertaining collection of shorts, with the most charming detective I know! ...more

Like · see review