Product Description
All that was left of the garage was a heap of charred and smouldering beams.In the driving seat of the burnt-out car were the remains of a body ...An accident, said the police. An accident, said the widow.She had been warning her husband about the danger of the car for months. Murder, said the famous detective Lord Peter Wimsey - and proceeded to track down the killer. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Harriet Vane
one of the most interesting things about the volume of Sayers short stories is that in any version after 1942 the character of Harriet Vane is included; but the data shown for this book by Amazon doesn't state any version information ... Read more

Product Description
Amusing and absolutely appalling things happen on the way to the gallows when murder meets Lord Peter Wimsey and the delightful working-class sleuth Montague Egg.This sumptuous feast of criminal doings and undoings includes a vintage double identity and a horrid incident of feline assassination that will tease the minds of cat-lovers everywhere.Not to be missed are "The Incredible Elopement of Peter Wimsey" (with a lovely American woman-turned-zombie) and eight more puzzlers penned in inimitable style by the mistress of murder. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

Intrigue
"Hangman's Holiday" is a collection of short stories.There are twelve mysteries around the twenties and thirties England in this book, each stands alone but has a common feel; they are:
"The Image in the Mirror"
"The Incredible Elopement of Lord Peter Wimsey"
"The Queen's Square"
"The Necklace of Pearls"
"The Poisoned Dow '08"
"Sleuths on the Scent"
"Murder in the Morning"
"One too Many"
"Murder at Pentecost"
"Maher-Shalal-Hashbaz"
"The Man Who Knew How"
"The Fountain Plays"

It may be my perception but the mysteries get better and more intriguing as the next one appears.Then it is over.


I will not pull them apart as the fun is listening to them unfold.You may also want to look for the unabridged tape, as the narrator is Ian Carmichael who played Lord Peter Wimsey.He changes his voice for the different people and you can tell the difference.There is a statement that tells you when the tape side ends.

The Best of Sayers' Short Stories
Few novelists write short stories with equal skill, and Dorothy Sayers (1893-1957) is no exception: given to a very wordy style, her talents do not show well in the form.HANGMAN'S HOLIDAY, however, collects the best of her short story work, and while she will never compete with the true masters of the genre fans will find this collection far superior to Sayers' short story collection LORD PETER VIEWS THE BODY.

HANGMAN'S HOLIDAY collects twelve Sayers stories: "The Image in the Mirror," "The Incredible Elopement of Lord Peter Wimsey," "The Queen's Square," and "The Necklace of Pearls," all featuring Lord Peter Wimsey; "The Poisoned Dow '08," "Sleuths on the Scent," "Murder in the Morning," "One too Many," "Murder at Pentecost," and "Maher-Shalal-Hashbaz," all featuring Montague Egg; and "The Man Who Knew How" and "The Fountain Plays," which are stand-alones without reliance on a continuing character.

Lord Peter Wimsey was Sayers' character of choice, and the four stories in which he features are enjoyably written, small sketches of the character who is better seen in Sayers' longer works.But the real prize are the six Montague Egg and the two stand-alone stories, which have never been widely available in any other collection.

Egg, a cheerful "commercial traveler" (i.e. salesman) representing a wine and port company, is quite different from Sayers' memorable Wimsey--clever but shallow all in one. The stories are also quite different in tone, emphasizing minute observation used to unravel highly specific puzzles.While all are of interest, "The Poisoned Dow '08" is easily the standout.The two stand alone stories are interesting for several reasons, most particularly because they show Sayers in the rare situation of working without a continuing character.Neither story is so much mystery as suspense with an ironic twist--one can imagine them being filmed, for example, by Alfred Hitchcock--with "The Man Who Knew How" quite possibly the single most disturbing thing Sayers ever wrote.

As previously noted, Sayers was not really a short story writer; her complicated constructions feel constricted by the form and her style seems forever straining against the restrictions of the genre.But fans will be greatly interested in this collection, and even a reader with only a casual interest in Sayers' work will find much to enjoy.Recommended.

GFT, Amazon Reviewer

A Deadly Dozen
In the first story of this collection, Lord Peter Wimsey refers to a book he has been reading as "handy for reading a few pages when you're stuck [in a hotel] for the night. You can always take it up and find something entertaining." The same could be said of this slim book of twelve short stories.

It took me a couple stories to realize that there was no point attempting to solve the crimes as I read them: essential clues are not detailed until the denouement or it is left to Wimsey's vast intellect or Egg's street-smarts to arrive at the correct conclusion. These are simply short stories that are a joy to read because they are well-written and deal with interesting crimes, as well as plots that are as carefully crafted as Sayers' amateur detectives with their commitment to seeing justice prevail.

If you are unfamiliar with Sayers' longer fiction, this is a good place to make her acquaintance. These stories provide good examples of her wit and technique, and with no story longer than a couple dozen pages (and most quite a bit shorter than that) you can enjoy a story whenever you find yourself with a few minutes to spare.

A delightful collection of Sayers' classics
In several short stories, Dorothy L. Sayers narrated several entertaining mysteries.

Beginning with two tales of Lord Peter Whimsey, Dorothy L. Sayers played with the theme of gothic horror in The Image in the Mirror and The Incredible Elopement of Lord Peter Whimsey.Having been forewarned though, readers were less likely to feel entertained, though these stories had excellent settings for a Twilight Zone evening.

The Queen's Square though, is a classic though tedious challenge for mystery readers to keep track of characters in a fancy dress party when one flirtacious young lady guest was strangled but every suspect appeared to have an alibi.

Necklace of Pearls would make a good holiday mystery, when a string of fine pearls went missing during a Christmas party.

Sayers, while supplying sufficient clues, would require readers to visual the atmospheres of parties in the 1930s, a gay affair but very formal compared to the present in the 21st century.

Montague Egg made his appearances in several short stories that followed, entertaining readers with various maxims for his Salesman Handbook.First, his professional standing was called into question when one of his clients died of poisoning after drinking one of the ports purchased through Egg.

In another tale, Egg almost became the suspect when he discovered a potential client had thoughtlessly died before Egg could even introduce himself.

In yet another tale, Egg found himself playing the chivalrous role of a knight aiding a girl in distress.

Humourously told, Montague Egg was one excellent observer of human nature, though apparently more innocent compared to Agatha Christie's Mr Parker Pyne.

Two other tales rounded up the book without recurring characters. One involved a man who was told of a perfect murder through the bath, and started noticing unusual number of deaths in baths being reported.

Readers would quickly finished this book and want for more. Sayers did not furnish unnecessary details but managed to allow the readers feel uncheated of being narrated tales of mysteries from the 1930s era. ... Read more

Product Description
This study looks at interwar British society as Sayers portrayed it in the 11 novels and 21 short stories concerning her famous creation, detective Lord Peter Wimsey. These works accurately represent the period and society the author was living in, and as such are primary sources for the period. ... Read more

Product Description
This collection contains: "The Unpleasantness At The Bellona Club", "Strong Poison", "Five Red Herrings", and "Have His Carcase". ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

More than just a mystery this is England
Dorothy L. Sayers writes many non-fiction books however among her best is the Lord Peter Wimsey series. I came to this series sort of though the back door. My first taste was the BBC productions with Petherbridge as Lord Peter that can now be found on DVD. So I read all of Dorothy's books containing the relationship of Lord Peter Wimsey and Harriet Vane. Now it is time to go through the whole series.

Lord Peter returns from Corsica. To find his older brother the Duke of Denver practically accused of murder. What is worse is his brother is not talking. So it is up to Peter to find out what happened and clear his brother.

In the process he puts his foot in it and practically gets all his relatives and friends accused. As with all Sayers' stories nothing is simple there are overlapping plots and foolish deeds, as if Peter can not figure them out. On the side we learn a little about English society and ballistics.

... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Inspiring reading!
A beautiful look at the life and mind of Dorothy Sayers.I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in Dorothy L. Sayers.

Remarkable Insights into Dorothy L. Sayers
As a long time admirer of the writings of Dorothy L. Sayers, I found Ms. Kenney's book to be highly insightful--both on Sayers the writer and Sayers the woman.As far as I'm concerned, this is the best book written onSayers and is a "must" for anyone who enjoys her works. ... Read more

Product Description
1993 marked the 100th birthday of Dorothy L. Sayers and in her honor Dale gathered a baker’s dozen of the finest and most popular mystery writers from the United States and United Kingdom who discuss the way Sayers taught them their trade. The collection was nominated for Malice Domestic’s non-fiction Agatha Award. ... Read more

Product Description
When Harriet Vane attends her Oxford reunion, known as the Gaudy, the prim academic setting is haunted by a rash of bizarre pranks: scrawled obscenities, burnt effigies, and poison-pen letters, including one that says, Ask your boyfriend with the title if he likes arsenic in his soup. Some of the notes threaten murder — and all are dreadful concoctions of a sick mind — yet in spite of their deplorable, criminal nature, the letters are perfectly worded. Soon, Harriet finds herself ensnared in a nightmare of romance and terror, with only the tiniest shreds of clues to challenge her powers of detection, and those of her paramour, Lord Peter Wimsey. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (9)

Absolutely Brilliant, wish it was back in print
Ian Carmichael has a rich theatrical voice that I enjoy quite a bit. I love his portrayals as Wimsey in film, even though they are hopelessly munged up by writers and producers, and this is perfect.. Sayer's own voice brought to us by Carmichael's wit and quick tongue. I wish it was in print so I didn't have to scrape to get them.. one person is selling it for almost $500!!!

Gaudy Night by Dorothy L. Sayers
The third of Dorothy Sayer's Harriet Vane/Lord Peter Wimsey novels, Gaudy Night takes Harriet back to her Oxford college in the 1930's to help the female dons discover the identity of a potential murderer who is plaguing them with poison pen letters and vandalism. Peter Wimsey soon enters the plot of this fine novel that is part mystery, part love story, full of high drama and wry humor, and that also offers insight into the social issues of the day.At the heart of the novel is Oxford University itself with its ancient colleges, swaying towers and, not least, its tradition of intellectual integrity. This unabridged audio edition is brilliantly read by Ian Carmichael who has frequently played the part of Wimsey on radio and TV.Highly recommended!

Brilliant but flawed
"Gaudy Night" is one of my two favorite Sayers books. "Nine Tailors" is the other. So I don't need any reviews to know it's a great story and well written. And I wanted it unabridged. I wasn't crazy about having to buy the CD version by Ian Carmichael because I don't really care for his voice, but that was the only thing available. I'm enjoying it anyway. What I didn't like was that the final track of 4 of the discs would not load onto my iPod. I'm not enough of a technician to understand why, and am talking to the manufacturer about it.

Superlative all the way!
Lord Peter Wimsey is the urbane, civilized, gourmand, bon vivant sleuth created by Dorothy L. Sayers in the 30s. Yet the Gaudy is not totally about him. It is more Harriet Vane's book. Peter comes in later and as they say saves the day.
What a stupendous achievement! Twice the length of most detective stories of its day, this book boasts of no murder and keeps the interest in the book unflagging till the end. How did Ms. Sayers manage it? Simply by her wonderful writing skill, her command of the English language (next to none-puts Christie to shame)and her characters. Long before the women's lib movement, this spunky character braved public opinion, police scrutiny and nearly the hangman's noose, without losing her inflappable belief in herself. True, it reflected the author's own life but a character that Gloria Steinem would have revered.
Oxford, Shrewsbury College, Sayers' own alma mater, come to life like no one city and institution in the entire history of mystery fiction. Yes, Harriet is the heroine but Oxford is the crown prince. That is what distinguishes this book. It is more realized as a novel not just a detective story. Sadly, though the quality of writing remains the same, the next and last Wimsey novel with Harriet: Busman's Honeymoon, is overwritten and meandering. But that shows that Ms. Sayers was human, too.
The narration is typically British which adds to the enjoyment of this wonderful book.

A Dithering Mess
If you have enjoyed other Peter Winsey mysteries, you will be disappointed. The "crime" is a poison pen writer at (Harriet's alma mater, as if she is not competent to investigate anything more serious)

Manners and language of another age form an intrusive barrier to following the germ of plot through many vagaries - a most unsatisfying foray, yet testament to the waning influence of the English upper class system, despite the author's clear snobbery regarding lower class persons and tiresome pontificating aboutthe 'role of women' . Having enjoyed other Sayers works, this one is a big null set. ... Read more

Product Description
After Dorothy L. Sayers became famous for her fictional sleuth, Lord Peter Wimsey, she began investigating the mysteries of Anglo-Catholic Christianity, writing plays for both stage and radio. However, because her modernist contemporaries disdained both best-sellers and religious fiction, Sayers has been largely overlooked by the academy. Writing Performances is the first work to position Sayers' diverse writings within the critical climate of high modernism. Employing exuberant illustrations from Sayers' detective fiction to make theoretical issues accessible, the book employs insights from performance theory to argue that Sayers, though a popularizer, presciently anticipated the postmodern ironizing of Enlightenment rationality and scientific objectivity.
... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Knows her stuff
These stories are taken from the days when mysteries were still good literature; able to stand on their own as stories or mysteries. An added bonus is that Sayers really knows her stuff. A complete and interesting history tracing the developement of the English Mystery Novel

Must Read!
Pure and simple: if you are a mystery fan, this is a book you must read.

A wonderful compilation of early 20th C. crime/horror s-stor
This is a wonderful compilation of tales of mystery and the macabre by various authors (primarily British) dating from the first quarter of the 20th Century. ... Read more