Gaudy Night

Dorothy L. Sayers

Jul 2012 · The Lord Peter Wimsey Mysteries Book 10 · Open Road Media

About this eBook

Oxford is full of memories—and threats of murder—for Harriet Vane and Lord Peter Wimsey in this mystery that “stands out even among Miss Sayers’s novels” (The Times Literary Supplement).

Since she graduated from Oxford’s Shrewsbury College, Harriet Vane has found fame by writing novels about ingenious murders. She also won infamy when she was accused of committing a murder herself. It took a timely intervention from the debonair Lord Peter Wimsey to save her from the gallows, and since then she has devoted her spare time to resisting his attempts to marry her. Putting aside her lingering shame from the trial, Harriet returns to Oxford for her college reunion with her head held high—only to find that her life is in danger once again.
 
The first poison-pen letter calls her a “dirty murderess,” and those that follow are no kinder. As the threats become more frightening, she calls on Lord Peter for help. Among the dons of Oxford lurks a killer, but it will take more than a superior education to match Lord Peter and the daring Harriet.
 
Gaudy Night is the 12th book in the Lord Peter Wimsey Mysteries, but you may enjoy the series by reading the books in any order.
 
This ebook features an illustrated biography of Dorothy L. Sayers including rare images from the Marion E. Wade Center at Wheaton College.

Ratings and reviews

I read all the original Dorothy Sayers books when I was young (I was born the year after she died). It is so nice to read them again on my phone. The relationship between Harriet Vane and Peter Wimsey is still model many decades after the books were written.

Perhaps the best of the Lord Peter Wimsey books, but don't read it first. _Strong Poison_ provides background for Gaudy Night_, but all the other books help build your image of Lord Peter, and that just makes it more fun. I particularly like _Murder Must Advertise_.

This is my favorite of all the books though I love them all. Though it stands on its own, you probably should read the previous few books first.

About the author

Dorothy L. Sayers (1893–1957) was a British playwright, scholar, and acclaimed author of mysteries, best known for her books starring the gentleman sleuth Lord Peter Wimsey. While working as an advertising copywriter, Sayers began writing Whose Body? (1923), the 1st Wimsey mystery, followed by 10 sequels and several short stories. Sayers set the Wimsey novels between the World Wars, giving them a realistic tone by incorporating details from contemporary issues such as advertising, women’s education, and veterans’ health. Sayers also wrote theological essays and criticism during and after World War II, and in 1949 published the 1st volume of a translation of Dante’s Divine Comedy. Although she considered this translation to be her best work, it is for her elegantly constructed detective fiction that Sayers remains best remembered.