View Well This Body

Lord Peter Views The Body by Dorothy Sayers

I think I'm becoming addicted.

Thanks to several friends I have started reading Dorothy Sayers. Despite being a long-time mystery fan, I had not heard of nor read her work before this past summer. But the raves of these three talented writers encouraged me to pluck a Sayers novel from the library shelf. After reading one (see my earlier review of Busman's Honeymoon), I picked up about eight more of them for 50 cents a piece at our library's used book store.

The next one I read was a collection of short stories, Lord Peter Views the Body. I find it as impossible to review a book of short stories without address the individual stories as I do the reviewing of CDs without addressing each track (this might be the reason I rarely do either!). So here is the quick and dirty on each story in this wonderful collection of stories:

The Abominable History of the Man with the Copper Fingers
Five stars

OK, I wish someone had warned me not to read this story before going to bed. I ended up leaving the lights on after reading this until my husband came up to bed a few hours after I'd fallen asleep. It was both grotesque and suspenseful. It was creepy in the extreme.

The Entertaining Episode of the Article in Question
One star

If you don't know French, skip this story. Knowledge of French grammar is essential to the plot of this story. To say more would give too much away. I read it a second time to decide if there was anything to recommend the short story and I couldn't find anything. There were a few lines that coax smiles, but nothing else.

Fascinating Problem of Uncle Meleager's Will
Four stars

This was a fun story. It's not a murder mystery, instead, Peter is commissioned to find a will. Uncle Meleager is convinced his niece is too dour, so he forces her to act silly and be frivolous to find his will. Within this story is a crossword puzzle that is the most challenging one I've ever seen. There were a few clues that I could vaguely figure out to what it referred, but not a single word could I get. Here was one the characters said was easy:

One that works for Irish men
Both by word and deed and pen**

It's a two-letter word.

The Fantastic Horror of the cat in the Bag
Two stars

This story was rather dull. It had entertaining moments that would play well as a farce on stage or screen, but there wasn't much of a puzzle and the mystery part was unintriguing.

The Unprincipled Affair of the Practical Joker
Three stars

It's not bad. It is interesting enough to see the portrayal of Wimsey's character and his handling of a delicate situation. It showcases Sayers' ability to leave much unstated, yet clear to the readers. Nonetheless, the story is not particularly clever or intriguing.

The Undignified Melodrama of the Bone of Contention
Four stars

This is the longest story in the book and there is much more character development than in the other stories. It has an interesting plot and great detecting in it. The beginning drags somewhat, but it soon launches into an interesting, mood-intense, exciting story.

The Vindictive Story of the Footsteps that Ran
Four stars

This is a detective story that is almost Holmsian, except that Wimsey has a better sense of humor. It is a clever story that the reader has a better chance of solving than most of Sayers' cases.

The Bibulous Business of a Matter of Taste
Four stars

This is a fun story showcasing the spy side of Wimsey's profession. The wine and spirit lovers on this site will find much to admire in this tale and (if the 1928 copyright didn't make the chronology impossible) there are moments when one would almost believe Sayers was spoofing Ian Fleming's James Bond.

The Learned Adventure of the Dragon's Head
Three stars

This is a tale for book lovers and those who like to chase after hidden treasure. The beginning is much more interesting than the end.

The Piscatorial Farce of the Stolen Stomach
Three stars

Sayers is creative and original in this tale, but not very compelling. Wimsey is slow to figure out the obvious, but it is quite entertaining once he does figure it out. The title tells it true-this story is farcical.

The Unsolved Puzzle of the Man with No Face
Five stars

Wimsey's detection skills are at their finest in this story-as is his sensibility and sensitivity. He pits wits with an investigator who is quite sure of himself and condescending to Wimsey in a manner reminiscent of Lestrade and Holmes.

The Adventurous Exploit of the cave of Ali Baba
Five stars

This is truly an awesome tale. It is suspenseful, tense, and fearful. The protagonist must use his wits to survive and he pulls off an incredible feat. My hat is off to Sayer that she is able to accomplish what she does in the spanse of a short story. Most writers would use a novel to tell this tale of this extremely discipline criminal organization. Sayer's makes every word count.

Treat yourself: Read this collection of short stories. It may sometimes be hard work, but it will be very rewarding.

**The answer to the clue above is AE --B. Redman