Unnatural Death (The Lord Peter Wimsey Mysteries Book 3)

I really enjoyed this mystery. I prefer the old British classics. They just don't write like this anymore. If you like books that were actually written in the 1920's and 1930's, you will enjoy this.

Dorothy L. Sayers was an amazing woman. Graduated from Oxford, well read in Divinity studies, she could incorporate more subjects about 1920s English life than the ordinary mystery reader would expect. In this book she exposes racism, sexism, ethics and morality, all the while telling a very good story. She’s not to everyone’s taste of course, she probably appeals to readers who enjoy drawing room, aristocratic mysteries a la Margery Allingham. Who the murderer is isn’t the crux of the mystery. It’s whether, and then how, murder was committed. Lord Peter Wimsey is certain as soon as the doctor tells his story of a patient’s sudden death but has to convince his friend Inspector Parker. Once two more deaths follow, Parker is convinced but, again, how are they done. When the chief suspect has a solid alibi, Wimsey and Parker have to chase around although an astute reader could probably see what they are missing. I listened to half of this, wonderfully read by Ian Carmichael, who played Wimsey on Telly decades ago, and then read the second half. Pedantic, yes. But if you enjoy that genre, Sayers was a master.

In this case, you know who dunnit, but not how. These days the solution would occur to you asap but it wasn't a common murder in Sayers day. I could not put it down even so! What a writer!

Dorothy Sayers once described Peter Wimsey as a cross between Fred Astaire and Bertie Wooster, and I think that captures the character perfectly -- just the right mix of dashing, erudite and silly. Like all Dorothy Sayers's mystery work, "Unnatural Death" is charming, funny and highly readable. However, the actual mystery here is a little convoluted and the smoking gun a little less evident, which sometimes makes the plot feel like it's wandering. Still, if you're a devoted fan, you'll find all the things you love in these books. The dialogue is always witty and the characters engaging. On the other hand, if this is your first Peter Wimsey experience, I would recommend starting with one of the two earlier books that have more concrete "sleuthin'," as Lord Wimsey would say, to get a feel for the Wimsey style and the little ensemble that make up his circle.

Dorothy Sayers's Lord Peter Wimsey novels are an excellent example of Golden-Age-Detective fiction. Lord Peter is a young aristocrat who enjoys collecting rare books, drinking fine liquor, and solving murder mysteries. His valet, Bunter, and a detective from Scotland Yard, Parker, aid him in his sleuthing. UNNATURAL DEATH is a solid entry in this excellent series. Lord Peter seems to be confronted by the perfect crime, murder that looks just like natural death and leaves no traces. Sayers is an excellent author. Her prose is full of wit, charm, and social commentary. Readers interested in the years between the wars will enjoy her ideas. This book also has some nice scenes in which Peter and others engage in some soul searching and questioning of the conscience. How much is justice really worth? I highly recommend the book. I have a few thoughts on this Kindle edition by Open Road. This edition is very well done, and it includes an active table of contents that links to each of the twenty-three chapters. Pressing forward and backward on the five-way controller will bring you to the ToC, Part One, Part Two, Part Three, and the appendices. This edition has a biography of Dorothy Sayers in an appendix, which includes photographs. The novel also has a genealogy of the victim's family in an appendix, which is unfortunately unreadable in this kindle edition (both on e-ink Kindle and iPad). I was a little disappointed to find a handful of typos in the text. It's much cleaner than the average free ebook you get from Amazon, but for almost $8, I expected the text to be of the same quality as a printed copy.

As readers of my reviews will know, I have recently gotten interested in the Lord Peter Wimsey novels and have been reading them through. I find Lord Peter to be a wonderful character as well as his sidekicks, manservant Bunter and Scotland Yard detective Parker. Of the novels I’ve read so far, however, I must admit this one to be a slight disappointment. Though this mystery has many pleasures, I have a couple issues with it. First, the solution to the mystery seems a bit unlikely. Perhaps that’s because it wouldn’t pose a mystery at all to modern techniques, but there you are. Second, part of the pleasure of these books for me is the look into upper crust British life at the period which is mostly lacking in this novel. Still, Lord Peter stars as his interesting self and the addition of Ms. Climpson adds a new flavor to the cast of characters. Also, there is something fascinating about the idea that deaths that on the surface seem natural are, in fact, murder. This novel is definitely worth a read.

Dorothy L. Sayers is one of my favorite authors. I have read every one of her novels about Lord Peter Wimsey several times, and I never fail to be delighted. Some of her mysteries are simple, some are wickedly complex, but all are entertaining and just plain fun to read! Her slow development of the romance between Lord Peter and Harriet Vane is from another time, when love took time to grow and patience was a primary virtue. This novel is third in the series, before the entry of Harriet Vane, so the focus is on Lord Peter and Bunter, his wonderful valet. The mystery builds around the unexpected, and possibly suspicious death of an elderly cancer patient. There is some violence in this novel, but in the manner of Greek plays it happens off-stage and we are left to deal with the consequences. It isn't necessary to read the Lord Peter Wimsey novels in sequence, but doing so affords the reader the pleasure of watching the author and the characters develop their many talents.

So I have got accustomed to the style of the writer and the way the protagonist speaks. This book starts out slowly with to me actually some confusion as to what has occurred or being investigated. The book picks up nicely in the second act and builds to an exciting crescendo in the third. I believe it is better than the first book. The characters are well-fleshed out and the details of the crime are believable.

Couldn't put it down

三枚のディスクに7話のエピソードが入っています。ＣＤできくと、話の途中でディスク交換に。 ストレス無しで聴くには、iPodなどのMP3プレーヤーが必要です。 朗読ではなく、ラジオドラマなので、会話が主体。 コクニーなどのアクセントの強い台詞はなく、聴きやすかったです。 ただスピードは日本人にとっては速めです。ヒアリングに自信がない人にはきついかも。 また、シャーロックホームズの有名な台詞などをジョークで入れたりしているので、慣れない人にはそれも困惑の元になるかもしれません。 筋運びのサクサクとすすんでよかったですが、オープニングとエンディングのテーマ音楽が長いのは減点です。

Not as good as Gaudy Nights, it is a racier read with perhaps a slightly predictable ending. How Wimsey gathers enough evidence to catch the murderer is what is of greatest interest - and maybe the personality of the murderer - which is the unique Dorothy Sayers touch that makes her books a little more than detective thrillers.

A book of its time and genre but still an excellent enjoyable read. Lord Peter triumphs eventually tho the reader is ahead of him for the final scenes.

First published in 1927, this is the third of Drothy L Sayers' Lord Peter Wimsey mysteries. This review is for the 1975 full cast radio dramatisation starring Ian Carmichael as Lord Peter. In this story a chance encounter with a Doctor sets Lord Peter off on a puzzling mystery. The Doctor lost his standing in his local community and subsequently had to leave his practice after he voiced his concerns over the death of an elderly patient. No-one else believed that it was suspicious, except Lord Peter. What follows is an interesting set up from Sayers, where Wimsey not only has to find the murderer and show how the crime was committed, but he also has to prove that a crime has indeed been committed. At his side is the ever reliable Inspector Parker and the infallible Bunter, and this story introduces a new ally in the form of Mrs. Climpson. Sayers skilfully builds up the mystery and peels away the layers to reveal the truth, in a fascinating tale that hinges on a dry piece of legislation, but told in an exciting fashion. All the cast are on form here, Ian Carmichael really IS Lord Peter, Peter Jones strikes just the right note as Bunter, full of contrition as he makes a rare mistake. Gabriel Woolf is a joy as Parker. The three leads clearly got on very well in the studio, and there is a real feeling of warmth from them. Originally broadcast as seven half hour episodes, all seven are here complete with theme music and credits at the end of each episode. They are split across three discs in a double size jewel case. Liner notes are limited to a chapter list and a brief note about Sayers' career. Sound quality is excellent - for a series nearly 40 years old is sounds really clear. 5 star in all for another enthralling outing for Wimsey and Co.