Information
Goodreads: Whose Body?
Series: Lord Peter Wimsey #1
Age Category: Adult
Source: Library
Published: 1923
Summary
The discovery of a body in the bathtub of a seemingly harmless architect is just what Lord Peter Wimsey wants. His hobby is detecting, and it's not every day such a bizarre case falls into one lap. But is his case connected to that of a missing financier?
Review
The first Lord Peter Wimsey story is a fine example of the classic whodunit, with all the clues fairly given to the reader. Perhaps more of interest to some readers, however, is not the mystery but rather the detective. Wimsey is a gentleman detective, vaguely reminiscent of Bertie Wooster with his foolish airs, though these often prove but the mask behind which he hides his lively intellect. His personality is masterfully counterbalanced by his valet Mervyn Bunter (who not only sees that his lordship is properly attired, but also assists in cases) and by the stolid police detective Parker. Whose Body? may initially draw in readers with its puzzle, but it will surely be the characters who keep them returning to the series.
The mystery itself is an intriguing one, though doubtless fans of the genre will not be overly perplexed by the solution. Yet there is something that always seems fun about mysteries were bodies appear seemingly out of nowhere (if "fun" is a proper word to be used in such cases...). It is the oddity or the absurdity of the situation that proves most compelling. Here, Sayers livens things up by having the body appear in the bathtub of a seemingly harmless architect and his very deaf mother. Furthermore, the body is nude except for a pair of golden pince-nez. This is the type of humor that is threaded throughout the book. Who can help but laugh at the bumbling officials attempting to interview a woman who mishears everything they say?
Indeed, the humor perhaps is what makes this book stand out. A good mystery perhaps is not so hard to find, but a series with captivating characters is what really makes mysteries stand out. I very much suspect I read Sherlock Holmes for the larger-than-life personality of Holmes as much as for the puzzles. Here, Lord Peter Wimsey is not larger-than-life, but he is amusing, and his relationship with Bunter has a Jeeves and Wooster quality that is endearing. It is actually his relationships in general that make him less annoying (with all his aristocratic babbling) and more interesting; he contrasts nicely with his capable and forceful mother the Duchess, as well as with the cautious and dependable Parker. He, in short, needs his foils just as Holmes needs his Watson. They are what make him so highly entertaining.
Also of interest for me is the knowledge that Wimsey progresses through the series and does not stay static like Holmes or Nancy Drew. That is, he apparently does things fall in love and so do the characters around him; he is not an ageless hero simply solving case after case. Though I suppose this means that his character could take turns readers do no appreciate, I for one am intrigued ot see how his relationships with the other characters develop.
Whose Body? is definitely a fun classic mystery sure to appeal to fans of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle or Agatha Christie. I particularly enjoy mysteries where all the clues are given to the reader, so I appreciated that Sayers is dedicated to that concept here. And I can't wait to read more in the series, and to see how Wimsey and the other characters develop--especially the incomparable Bunter.
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