Whose Body? by Dorothy Sayers

Dear Jim,

This book is your fault. If it had not been for your brutal insistence, Lord Peter would never have staggered through to the end of this enquiry. Pray consider that he thanks you with his accustomed suavity.

                                   Yours ever,

                                        D.L.S.

The above dedication for the book Whose Body? by Dorothy Sayers reveals two of the most endearing aspects of Sayers' book -- the characters and the wittiness of her writing.

This book introduces her series of mystery novels involving Lord Peter Wimsey, the younger brother of a British Duke who gets his kicks from solving mysteries. Whose Body? introduces him as he takes on his first murder mystery.

Actually there are two mysteries in this book, the murder of an unknown man and the disappearance of another. The reader can easily see from the start that the murdered man is meant to be assumed as the missing man, but the question becomes is he really? And if he's not, then where is the missing man and whose body is this one? (Hence the title.) Of course, the question of 'who done it' also lurks in the background. The actual mystery in this book is complex enough to be interesting but not obtuse or confusing. You might be able to guess the answers before you quite reach the end, but you'll enjoy the book as a whole regardless.

(At least, I did.)

The enjoyment comes from the characters, who really carry the book. The reader isn't really told very much about the characters from the beginning (though they may assume that they have been told all they need to know). Instead, the characters themselves become a bit of a mystery to figure out by the end too. For example, Lord Peter's relationship with Bunter is much more familiar than the typical master/servant relationship. There are hints here and there about some sort of shared past, and when you find out what it is, it gives both characters a new depth that sheds light on a number of other details about them.

I suspect that many readers miss out on these details in the similar way that many readers miss the intricacies in Jane Austen's writing: they aren't expecting it, so they miss it entirely. It's the same with wit as with the characters. I think the unobservant reader will miss the wit completely if they are not expecting it. Look for it, expect it to be witty (and on occasion sarcastic), and you may enjoy it much more. (I give this same advice about Jane Austen -- if you aren't chuckling a few times while reading, then you are probably not paying enough attention.)

Things to notice about Lord Peter as you read include his dialogue intricacies (he speaks very formally sometimes and at others loses sense of proper English all together), his interest in somewhat morbid things (like murder), his place in society (he is very eccentric, but his societal circle doesn't seem to shun him - ask yourself why), his relationship with his brother, and his relationship with Bunter. All of these things says a little something about his character, each one rounding him out just a little bit more.

Each of the main characters has similar details to look for and notice.

Some parallels between Sayers' mysteries and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes novels may be noticed. The paradigm of Lord Peter/Bunter compared to Holmes/Watson is probably the most obvious, but the differences can at some times be stark. For instance, Doyle  tells you who the characters are from the beginning. As already noted, Sayers does the opposite. She makes you think you have all the information about who the characters are and then shows you that you were wrong. Additionally, where Doyle's stories mostly revolve around Holmes's brilliance, Sayers' story takes on just a bit more depth in that the characters are rounder and society/ the world outside of Lord Peter plays a larger roll.

In short, there is a lot here for such a short book if the reader is willing to look for it. I find it very well written and enjoyable. I already have a copy of the next book in the series sitting on my bookshelf.