Of course, my favorite part of the book is contained on one page, where Peter wakes Bunter up in the night while suffering a breakdown after his epiphany of the killer. Besides his photography skills, he’s not a bad actor, as he’s able to affect a long-suffering attitude about his master’s detective hobby and ingratiate himself with other servants to learn about their households. I also love the introduction of Bunter as a super-competent butler with a fleshed-out personality: he served with Peter in the war, he’s willing to physically bar Peter from leaving the house unless he’s abiding by a high sartorial standard, and he plays a substantial role in gathering evidence for the mystery.

(One criticism, however, is that the murderer’s name is a tad too obvious.) Moreover, that scene throws some genuine angst on the apprehension of said murderer, since Peter observes the real good he’s accomplishing with many of the public, including child refugees. The mystery is sufficiently perplexing, there’s a good assortment of characters (almost all men, though), and excellent suspense at the end when Wimsey visits the man whom he knows to be a cold-blooded and highly intelligent murderer to seek his professional opinion. Please.īesides the opening, there’s lots to admire in the first Peter Wimsey novel. Show me another book that compares its hero’s face to maggots (while still alive).

His long, amiable face looked as if it had generated spontaneously from his top hat, as white maggots breed from Gorgonzola. If for nothing else, I admire this book for its unparalleled introduction of the protagonist, on the very first page:

Whose Body? by Dorothy L. Sayers