Whose Body?: A Quick Read edition: A Lord Peter Wimsey Novel
About this ebook
This Quick Read edition includes both the full text and a summary for each chapter.
- Reading time of the complete text: about 5 hours
- Reading time of the summarized text: 9 minutes
"Whose Body?" is a 1923 mystery novel by Dorothy L. Sayers, marking her debut and introducing the character of Lord Peter Wimsey. The story revolves around the discovery of a dead body in an architect's London flat, wearing only a pair of pince-nez. Lord Peter Wimsey, who has taken an interest in criminal investigation, decides to privately investigate the case alongside Inspector Charles Parker. The body is initially believed to be that of a famous financier, Sir Reuben Levy, who had recently disappeared. However, it is soon revealed that the cases may be unrelated. Wimsey connects the two cases through a chance encounter between a prostitute and Levy on the night of his disappearance. Eventually, Wimsey uncovers that a respected surgeon, Sir Julian Freke, lured Levy to his house and murdered him. Freke attempts to kill both Parker and Wimsey but is arrested before he can carry out his plan. The novel received praise for its clever plot and the introduction of the charismatic Lord Peter Wimsey.
About the author
Dorothy Leigh Sayers (1893-1957) compte parmi les reines incontestées de l’âge d’or du roman policier anglais. Après de brillantes études à Oxford, elle séjourne en France comme professeur d’anglais. De retour à Londres, elle travaille dans une agence de publicité, puis s’intéresse aux mouvements socialistes qui façonnent la société anglaise de l’Entre-deux-guerres avant de publier en 1923 son premier roman, Lord Peter et l’inconnu, mettant en scène l’aristocratique détective Lord Peter Wimsey. Elle apporte un ton humoristique au traditionnel roman d’énigme, quelques traits acérés contre la société bien-pensante de l’époque, et affuble son héros d’une vie sentimentale. À partir de 1940, elle se consacre à sa passion, la littérature médiévale.
