Dorothy L. Sayers: The Complete Stories [Paperback]

Dorothy L. Sayers (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 23, 2002

Gathered here for the first time in one volume are all the short stories by the legendary mystery writer Dorothy L. Sayers. In this beguiling collection, Sayers conveys in her incomparable way the gruesome, the grotesque, and the bewitching.

Here is the inimitable aristocrat, Lord Peter Wimsey, one of fiction's most popular detectives of all time, up to his usual exploits as he solves tantalizing puzzles, as only he can. And then there's the clever working-class salesman-sleuth, Montague Egg, who uses his everyday smarts to solve the cases that baffle the professionals.

A sumptuous feast of criminal doings and undoings, Dorothy L. Sayers: The Complete Stories is a mystery lover's treasure trove of the amusing and appalling things that happen on the way to the gallows.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Dorothy L. Sayers is the author of novels, short stories, poetry collections, essays, reviews and translations. Although she was a noted Christian scholar, she is most known for her detective fiction. Born in 1893, she was one of the first women to be awarded a degree from Oxford University. Her first book featuring Lord Peter Wimsey, Whose Body?, was published in 1923 and over the next 20 years more novels and short stories about the aristocratic amateur sleuth appeared. Dorothy L. Sayers is recognized as one of the greatest mystery writers of the 20th century.

Letter from the Editor:

Dorothy L. Sayers is recognized as one of the greatest mystery writers of the 20th century. In 1923, Whose Body?, her first book, featuring the aristocratic amateur sleuth, Lord Peter Wimsey, was published, and over the next 20 years more novels and short stories appeared. All 15 of Sayers' mysteries are available from HarperPaperbacks.

Now there is a new Dorothy L. Sayers novel. A long-lost partial manuscript titled Thrones, Dominions was discovered last year, and acclaimed mystery writer Jill Paton Walsh has completed it. St. Martin's Press will publish this book in February. This is a signal publishing event, and HarperCollins congratulates St. Martin's Press.

We are sure that Thrones, Dominions will delight Sayers' fans and find new ones for her, and in the process whet appetites for Sayers' other mysteries. A list of these books is attached. In the words of Dorothy L. Sayers herself, "Murder must advertise." So, in addition to an announcement about Thrones, Dominions in a recent issue of Publisher's Weekly, the next edition of the HarperCollins mystery newsletter, Deadline, will include a piece on the Sayers books, as will St. Martin's Press' newsletter, Murder at the Flatiron Building. HarperCollins will also feature information about the Sayers' backlist on its web page.

Dorothy L. Sayers died in 1957, but her books continue to enthrall readers today. Please help us celebrate the doyenne of the Golden Age of the Mystery, Dorothy L. Sayers.

Product Details

• Paperback: 816 pages
• Publisher: William Morrow Paperbacks; First edition. edition (July 23, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0060084618
• ISBN-13: 978-0060084615
• Product Dimensions: 8.1 x 5.4 x 1.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #208,635 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

23 of 24 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Great book for the armchair detective !, March 27, 2003

By 

Tara Chklovski (Marina Del Rey, CA United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Dorothy L. Sayers: The Complete Stories (Paperback)

This one is a real gem ! It has one section devoted to non-Lord-Peter-Wimsey adventures and the stories are actually funny and have the most unexpected endings. Lots of fun to read and guess along. It also has the smart salesman, Montague Egg, running around in another section solving crimes. On the whole, a varied experience.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A Pleasing Introduction to Mysteries and Sayers, June 1, 2006

By 

Alexander W. Jech (South Bend, IN United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Dorothy L. Sayers: The Complete Stories (Paperback)

I'm not a huge fan of mysteries; however, Sayers' writing in other fields, such as _The Mind of the Maker_, her book on writing, made me interested in investigating some of her mysteries. I began here rather than try to figure out which of the novels to begin with, and found the stories interesting, entertaining, and thought provoking (not to mention disturbing, from time to time). I didn't manage to complete the book before I had to return it to the library but I'm going to pick up a copy as soon as I can to read the rest of the stories. Sayers' prose sparkles and her wit is top-notch. The stories are awfully short but I'm willing to accept that for the quality of writing that Sayers' provides. Anyone looking for an introduction to Sayers or to mysteries could do a lot worse than this: indeed, I highly recommend this collection of stories to anyone interested in either of those things, or possessed of a cerebral bent. I rarely had the patience to try to solve some of her puzzles but I imagine that there are those who could get quite a bit out of them.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Still (mostly) relevant, definitely worthwhile!, April 26, 2007

By 

Only Sometimes Clever "Karen Joy" (Phoenix, AZ) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Dorothy L. Sayers: The Complete Stories (Paperback)

Similar to another reviewer, my introduction to Sayers' works was through The Mind of the Maker. I tried to pick up her fiction at the time, but, as a 19yo college student, just couldn't get "into" it. Now that 15 years have added appreciation beyond standard quick-read bestseller-type mystery books, I recently thought I'd try Sayers again, starting with this book. I was very pleasantly satisfied with the book. As each section, with stories centering around its own investigator, came to an end, I found myself wanting more. Satisfied-but-wanting-more is a good place for an author to leave a reader, in my opinion.

Sayers is witty and clever, trusting her readers to think for themselves, causing them to dig and think a bit for most of the answers, instead of just laying it out. She's also decidedly English, which may be off-putting to some American readers, but in my opinion, only adds to the interest and charm.

I found almost all of the mysteries to be relevant, even in this era of CSI and Criminal Minds. Humanity and humor transcends innovation. It's rather like Jane Austen's novels are still worth a read, even though all her characters travel by horse, and we now use cars.