From the Bookshelf of Reading the Detectives…

The Nine Tailors (Lord Peter Wimsey, #11)

Dorothy L. Sayers,

Elizabeth George (Introduction)

Start date: May 1, 2023

Finish date: May 31, 2023

Discussion: Group Challenges

Why we're reading this: Next in our Scenes of Classic Crime challenge.
[close] Next in our Scenes of Classic Crime challenge.

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Group Challenges

* 2026 Challenge
By Susan · 24 posts · 27 views

last updated Oct 17, 2025 02:23AM

* Oct 25: A Murder Is Announced (1950) by Agatha Christie
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last updated Oct 16, 2025 07:31AM

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What Members Thought

Sep 21, 2016 Susan rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

The eleventh Lord Peter Wimsey novel sees him and Bunter on their way to spend New Years with friends, when their car funs off the road, into a ditch, in a snowstorm. They find themselves stranded in the village of Fenchurch St Pauls, where they are taking in by the kindly Reverend Venables and his wife. However, far from being a relaxing evening, the Reverend discovers that Lord Peter has some experience bell ringing – his personal passion. With the village decimated by influenza, and a man sho ...more

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Jul 28, 2016 Bev rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: british-mystery, audionovel, edwardian, virtual-mount-tbr-2020, mystery, vintage-mystery

The New Year holiday finds Lord Peter and Bunter traveling to the fen country to stay with friends of his lordship. On the way, the Daimler has a misunderstanding with a narrow, hump-backed bridge and the pair find themselves nose down in a ditch. They make for Fenchurch St. Paul and soon become acquainted with most of the main characters in the upcoming mystery. A bout of influenza has also arrived in Fenchurch St. Paul and the Rector finds himself one man short for the bell-ringing scheduled t The New Year holiday finds Lord Peter and Bunter traveling to the fen country to stay with friends of his lordship. On the way, the Daimler has a misunderstanding with a narrow, hump-backed bridge and the pair find themselves nose down in a ditch. They make for Fenchurch St. Paul and soon become acquainted with most of the main characters in the upcoming mystery. A bout of influenza has also arrived in Fenchurch St. Paul and the Rector finds himself one man short for the bell-ringing scheduled to bring in the New Year. Fortunately, Lord Peter has rung a bell or two in his time and he gallantly offers to fill the gap. This gives him the opportunity to befriend and exchange gossip with most of the central actors.

A couple of months later finds a grave being opened to bury Sir Henry Thorpe with his wife (who had succumbed to the 'flu over New Year's). The gravediggers are surprised to find an unexpected corpse--the body of an unknown man, with features disfigured, and no coffin. The Rector decides to call in Lord Peter and he assists Inspector Blundell in the unraveling of the this very complicated case. Who is the man in the grave? How and when did he get there? Does it have anything do with the emeralds that were stolen at Sir Henry's wedding many years ago?

When I took off for a three-hour trip to visit my parents last weekend, I took along Lord Peter Wimsey, Mr. Bunter and the rest of the folks that we meet at Fenchurch St. Paul. Or rather the remarkable talents of Ian Carmichael who brought them all to life. I thoroughly enjoyed Carmichael as Wimsey in the visual adaptations and only wish that things had worked out when the project was first broached so Carmichael could have played him when younger. Ideally, of course, they would have started at the beginning and been able to go all the way through to Busman's Honeymoon (if only those dratted rights could be wrestled away from MGM). Carmichael did a splendid job voicing the multitude of male characters--from Wimsey and Bunter to the Rector and all the bell-ringers to Cranton, the jewel thief. The female voices were bit tougher for him, but he still managed to produce distinctive tones for Mrs. Venables, Hilary Thorpe, and the others. Since the story is so very familiar to me (I can't tell you how many times I've read it), I was able to lose myself in the storytelling and the miles just flew by on my journey there and back. A thoroughly enjoyable audio novel--with a story from one of the Queens of crime.

First posted on my blog My Reader's Block. Please request permission before reposting. Thanks.

Listened again 1/28/20

This was a comfort read (listen) for me. I was sick last week and spent a couple of days on the couch (when not sleeping) with Lord Peter Wimsey. The Sayers books are always comfortable reads for me. I love them so and I have read/listened to them so often that it's like settling down with a good friend for a nice quiet chat. It was especially nice to have that chat with Ian Carmichael reading in my ears. Carmichael does Wimsey so well and gives such life to Sayers's other characters that it is always a delight to listen to the audio versions. I don't have much new to say--so if you'd like to see more of my insights into The Nine Tailors, please see review of the audio version above and a review of the hard copy on another edition. ...more

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Apr 28, 2016 Bev rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: british-mystery, mystery, vintage-mystery, mount-tbr-2020

This is going to be a far more informal review than usual. If you'd like more detail on the story itself, please see my previous reviews linked below. I was quite surprised when I decided to read this for the 52 Book Club Reading Challenge's "Mensa Reading list grades 9-12" prompt (having tried JFK's Profiles in Courage and just not being able to get through it)...as I said, I was quite surprised to find that I had not used The Nine Tailors previously for my very own Mount TBR Challenge. So, I'm ...more

3 likes · Like · see review

Jul 23, 2014 Julie Durnell rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: england-uk, mystery

This was my firt Dorothy Sayers book, and it was worth the read. The plot was excellent albeit a little confusing list of characters. I have to admit to skimming over most of the bells information. She must have done a lot of research for that!

1 like · Like · see review