Whose Body?

Dorothy L. Sayers (1883–1957) is thought to be a brilliant writer; funnier, more nuanced and unafraid to address social issues, she is often cited as an inspiration by authors like PD James, Ruth Rendell and Elizabeth George.

But has her work stood the test of time?

In Whose Body she pushes the boundaries of the crime genre, creating an original and thought-provoking work that put her in a position way above more ordinary crime authors. It has her detective, Lord Peter Wimsey, in a psychologically much darker place than usual, with post-traumatic reactions from WW1. And whilst we are asked to solve the puzzle of the two dead bodies, we are also drawn into the psychology of how the master criminal’s mind works. It’s not a mere puzzle to be solved purely through intellect, and that is the overriding sentiment you are left with after reading the novel. It’s a real murder with sordid details, putting a brutal end to a human life. Well, fictionally anyway.