Join Amazon Prime and ship Two-Day for free and Overnight for $3.99. Already a member? Sign in.

 

or
Sign in to turn on 1-Click ordering.
 
 
More Buying Choices
66 used & new from $0.96

Have one to sell? Sell yours here
 
   
Murder Must Advertise (Lord Peter Wimsey Mystery)
 
 
Tell the Publisher!
I’d like to read this book on Kindle

Don’t have a Kindle? Get yours here.
 
  

Murder Must Advertise (Lord Peter Wimsey Mystery) (Mass Market Paperback)

by Dorothy L. Sayers (Author) "And by the," said Mr. Hankin, arresting Miss Rossiter as she rose to go,"there is a new copy-writer coming today..." (more)
Key Phrases: iron staircase, Miss Rossiter, Miss Meteyard, Miss Parton (more...)
4.6 out of 5 stars See all reviews (29 customer reviews)

List Price: $7.99
Price: $7.99 & eligible for FREE Super Saver Shipping on orders over $25. Details
  Special Offers Available
In Stock.
Ships from and sold by Amazon.com. Gift-wrap available.

28 new from $4.37 36 used from $0.96 2 collectible from $21.05
Also Available in: List Price: Our Price: Other Offers:
Hardcover 6 used & new from $1.50
Paperback 61 used & new from $0.01
Hardcover (Large Print) 6 used & new from $10.06
Audio Cassette (Audio Csst) Order it used!

Special Offers and Product Promotions

  • This item is eligible for our 4-for-3 promotion. Eligible products include select Books, Single Copy Magazines, and Home & Garden items. Buy any 4 eligible items and get the lowest-priced item free. Here's how (restrictions apply)
  • Over a hundred thousand items are eligible for our 4-for-3 promotion. How do I find more eligible items?


Frequently Bought Together

Customers buy this book with The Unpleasantness at the Bellona Club by Dorothy L. Sayers

Murder Must Advertise (Lord Peter Wimsey Mystery) + The Unpleasantness at the Bellona Club
  • This item: Murder Must Advertise (Lord Peter Wimsey Mystery) by Dorothy L. Sayers

    In Stock.
    Ships from and sold by Amazon.com.
    Eligible for FREE Super Saver Shipping on orders over $25. Details

  • The Unpleasantness at the Bellona Club by Dorothy L. Sayers

    In Stock.
    Ships from and sold by Amazon.com.
    Eligible for FREE Super Saver Shipping on orders over $25. Details


Customers Who Bought This Item Also Bought

Gaudy Night (Lord Peter Wimsey Mysteries)

Gaudy Night (Lord Peter Wimsey Mysteries)

by Dorothy L. Sayers
4.5 out of 5 stars (47)  $7.99
Strong Poison

Strong Poison

by Dorothy L. Sayers
4.5 out of 5 stars (29)  $7.99
Unnatural Death (Lord Peter Wimsey Mysteries)

Unnatural Death (Lord Peter Wimsey Mysteries)

by Dorothy L. Sayers
4.5 out of 5 stars (20)  $7.99
Busman's Honeymoon

Busman's Honeymoon

by Dorothy L. Sayers
4.7 out of 5 stars (25)  $7.99
Have His Carcase

Have His Carcase

by Dorothy L. Sayers
4.4 out of 5 stars (16)  $7.99
Explore similar items

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review
When advertising executive Victor Dean dies from a fall down the stairs at Pym's Publicity, Lord Peter Wimsey is asked to investigate. It seems that, before he died, Dean had begun a letter to Mr. Pym suggesting some very unethical dealings at the posh London ad agency. Wimsey goes undercover and discovers that Dean was part of the fast crowd at Pym's, a group taken to partying and doing drugs. Wimsey and his brother-in-law, Chief-Inspector Parker, rush to discover who is running London's cocaine trade and how Pym's fits into the picture--all before Wimsey's cover is blown.

Product Description
When ad man Victor Dean falls down the stairs in the offices of Pym's Publicity, a respectable London advertising agency, it looks like an accident.Then Lord Peter Wimsey is called in, and he soon discovers there's more to copywriting than meets the eye. A bit of cocaine, a hint of blackmail, and some wanton women can be read between the lines. And then there is the brutal succession of murders -- 5 of them -- each one a fixed fee for advertising a deadly secret.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

  • Mass Market Paperback: 368 pages
  • Publisher: HarperTorch (April 20, 1995)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 0061043559
  • ISBN-13: 978-0061043550
  • Product Dimensions: 6.7 x 4.2 x 1.1 inches
  • Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
  • Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars See all reviews (29 customer reviews)
  • Amazon.com Sales Rank: #35,915 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

    Popular in this category: (What's this?)

    #6 in  Books > Mystery & Thrillers > Authors, A-Z > ( S ) > Sayers, Dorothy L.

Inside This Book (learn more)


What Do Customers Ultimately Buy After Viewing This Item?

Murder Must Advertise (Lord Peter Wimsey Mystery)
79% buy the item featured on this page:
Murder Must Advertise (Lord Peter Wimsey Mystery) 4.6 out of 5 stars (29)
$7.99
Clouds of Witness
6% buy
Clouds of Witness 4.2 out of 5 stars (25)
$7.99
Gaudy Night (Lord Peter Wimsey Mysteries)
6% buy
Gaudy Night (Lord Peter Wimsey Mysteries) 4.5 out of 5 stars (47)
$7.99
Unnatural Death (Lord Peter Wimsey Mysteries)
5% buy
Unnatural Death (Lord Peter Wimsey Mysteries) 4.5 out of 5 stars (20)
$7.99

Tags Customers Associate with This Product

 (What's this?)
Click on a tag to find related items, discussions, and people.
Check the boxes next to the tags you consider relevant or enter your own tags in the field below.

Your tags: Add your first tag
 
Help others find this product — tag it for Amazon search
No one has tagged this product for Amazon search yet. Why not be the first to suggest a search for which it should appear?

Sell a Digital Version of This Book in the Kindle Store

If you are a publisher or author and hold the digital rights to a book, you can sell a digital version of it in our Kindle Store. Learn more

 

Customer Reviews

29 Reviews
5 star:
 (20)
4 star:
 (7)
3 star:
 (2)
2 star:    (0)
1 star:    (0)
 
 
 
 
 
Average Customer Review
4.6 out of 5 stars (29 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
Share your thoughts with other customers:
Most Helpful Customer Reviews

 
19 of 19 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Vintage Sayers, a great intro to the Peter Wimsey books, July 3, 1999
By A Customer
This is the best Wimsey book not featuring sometime-fellow-sleuth Harriet Vane which Sayers ever wrote. Not terribly serious, but great entertainment. I've read this book 6 times because it's just so much fun. Written in 1933, IMHO Sayers' prime, Wimsey is far more human and less of a caricature than in the early books, but much less goopy than in her latest books. The dialogue is a treat, even minor characters are exquisitely drawn, and the in-jokes at the advertising biz (Sayers worked as a copywriter herself for a while) are utterly hilarious. Plus, there's a puzzling, neatly-solved mystery. And even though I don't play cricket and don't understand the game, I adored the pivotal cricket game scene: Sayers at her best. My only complaint is the total absence of the delightful Bunter. THis is definitely the book to read first if you'r e interested in Sayers. Then read the Strong Poison-Have His Carcase-Gaudy Night trilogy. These are, IMHO, her four best books, and of the four, Murder Must Advertise is definitely the most charming and light-hearted.
Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)



 
12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Bravo! Knock-out Mystery!, December 1, 1999
By A Customer
I must preface this review by confessing a bias - I'm a huge fan of Dorothy Sayers and consider it a tragedy that she did not write more detective fiction. This is definitely one of the strongest entries in the Lord Peter Wimsey series, both for mystery and entertainment value. An interesting tactic used by Sayers is to point in the direction of the culprit about three-fourths of the way through the book and then lead the reader through the detection process that actually leads to his/her unmasking. We saw this used in "Unnatural Death", also in "Whose Body?" Surprisingly, the resulting lack of suspense at the end does not deter from the mystery at all as it is fascinating to see the patient unraveling of clues and pulling together of threads that lead to evidence against a killer. It is also a better reflection of what usually happens in reality, as opposed to a lot of detective fiction where the most unlikely person did it! While we all find whodunits interesting, the reality is that the police and private eyes are usually smart enough to figure out the most likely candidate fairly early and thus narrow their investigations. In this book, the fun is added to by the setting in an ad agency. Sayers had worked in an ad agency at some point in her career and you can see that she really knows her stuff. The interplay between the various characters is very funny and surprisingly not dated in feel, considering the book was written 70 odd years ago! I found the cricket match scene to be the most fascinating part as well the sense the reader gets that with every page, the hangman's noose is slowly closing around the killer. Richly detailed and very descriptive, this is a book you'll want to go back and re-read many times - there will always be something fresh to see!
Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)



 
9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars The Two Sides of Lord Peter Wimsey, February 16, 2004
By C. T. Mikesell (near Eugene, Oregon) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)      
This review is from: Murder Must Advertise (Paperback)
Lord Peter has the rare and highly enjoyable (for himself and the reader) opportunity to play a dual role in this book: himself and his "cousin," Death Bredon. This plot device would be perfected decades later when Peter Brady simultaneously kept dates with two girls, but Ms. Sayers acquits herself admirably in this novel.

An author who frequently made her novels deliver more than just a solid whodunit, Sayers gives the reader a fly-on-the-wall view of an advertising agency in this book. Having worked on the production side of several publications I can verify that her descriptions are spot on. Sayers also includes a couple editorial asides (in the guise of internal soliloquies) about rampant consumerism and middle-class aspirations to luxury and first class footwear. They're as true today as they were in 1930's (and probably the 17- and 1830's as well). And if you hated the idea of The Beatles' music being used to hawk cars, you can imagine how consumers of a previous age felt to see the works of Shakespeare or Tennyson used to promote nerve powder. This is all to say that this novel's verisimilitude has weathered the years exceedingly well.

The central mystery - who slew Victor Dean - gets lost occasionally in the goings-on at the ad agency, but Wimsey, er Bredon, er whoever, is always at work, picking up the odd clue here and there as he goes. Even when the depth of the crime grows - to multiple murders and drug trafficking - Sayers keeps bringing it back to Dean's murder. By the end of the cricket match I found myself floored that I almost understood the game, but also by the way Sayers expertly wove in two crucial revelations about the mystery.

I was satisfied with the story's conclusion. At first the ending seemed cold-blooded and -hearted, but upon reflection I realized that the resolution was well forshadowed - if Wimsey's middle name were Steve it'd be another matter, perhaps. Although we'd spent most of the book with the impish, playful side of Lord Peter, there's another side to his character which values honor most and is not above going beyond the law to preserve it.

If you're not a Dorothy Sayers fan you should probably get to know her detective in an earlier work like Strong Poison first. Then, once you're comfortable with his character, give this novel a read. If you are a Sayers fan, why aren't you reading this book already? 9 out of 10 readers agree, this is a five-star mystery.

Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)


Share your thoughts with other customers: Create your own review
 
 
 
Most Recent Customer Reviews

4.0 out of 5 stars Antidote to Spring Showers
With the arrival of spring we can expect soggy weather. In many regions around the country the showers linger well into May. Read more
Published 2 months ago by Chad Hague

5.0 out of 5 stars Good detective story
I don't know how many times I've read this over the years and thoroughly enjoyed each read. I'm re-reading it again just now! Read more
Published 11 months ago by Gillian Buchanan

5.0 out of 5 stars A classic
When a young advertising copywriter tumbles down a steep flight of stairs, the coroner deems his death an unfortunate accident. Mr. Read more
Published 13 months ago by K. Huff

4.0 out of 5 stars Good, but lacks "atmosphere"
I don't know where Dorothy L. Sayers got the idea for this one but I do consider it one of her lesser works. Read more
Published 22 months ago by Patrick W. Crabtree

5.0 out of 5 stars Classic British Mysteries
Fun to read, awesome vocabulary..be entertained and gently reminded of the learning we Americans did not get in Vocabulary class.
Published 22 months ago by Older than Dirt

3.0 out of 5 stars Lord Peter at work
Like PG Wodehouse or the early Agatha Christie, this offers a window on a bygone British world (perhaps largely fictitious even then) in which every class had its place and its... Read more
Published on January 14, 2007 by Roger Brunyate

3.0 out of 5 stars An intriguing look at advertising, a mediocre mystery

The presence of Dorothy Sayers's aristocratic super detective Lord Peter Wimsey is not plainly evident when this book starts. Read more
Published on August 6, 2006 by J. Carroll

5.0 out of 5 stars What ho! Another delightful mystery novel from Sayers!
Lord Peter goes undercover as an advertising copywriter to investigate a mysterious death. His detective work leads him to explore the wild party scene of the 20's where he... Read more
Published on July 26, 2006 by Snowbrocade

5.0 out of 5 stars "They start new copywriters at four quid a week--about enough to pay for a pair of your shoes."
When Lord Peter Death Breden Wimsey, privately investigating the "accidental" death of an employee of an advertising firm, takes a copywriting job there, he raises curiosity among... Read more
Published on June 17, 2006 by Mary Whipple

4.0 out of 5 stars Isn't that....
...Lord Peter Wimsey working in an advertising agency?

A young copy writer has met with a fatal on the job accident. Read more
Published on May 15, 2006 by Jeanne Tassotto

Only search this product's reviews



Customer Discussions

 Beta (What's this?)
New! See all customer communities, and bookmark your communities to keep track of them.
This product's forum (0 discussions)
  Discussion Replies Latest Post
  No discussions yet

Ask questions, Share opinions, Gain insight
Start a new discussion
Topic:
First post:
Prompts for sign-in
  [Cancel]


   


Product Information from the Amapedia Community

Beta (What's this?)

Murder Must Advertise (Lord Peter Wimsey Mystery)

This is a: Lord Peter Wimsey Novel

  Dorothy Leigh Sayers:  (June 13, 1893- Dec. 17, 1957) Graduated from Somerville College, Oxford (1915) majoring in modern languages; went to work in publishing. She wrote mystery novels; radio and stage scripts; poetry; scholarly translations of ...

(Report this)
Created on Jul 11, 2006, last edited on Mar 19, 2007.

 Read More and Edit at Amapedia.com opens new browser window




Look for Similar Items by Category


Get Within Reach

Shop for extension cords

Expand your power options with an extension cord. Get the cord type, indoor or outdoor, in the length you need in Lighting & Electrical.

Shop all extension cords

 

Best Books of 2008

Best of 2008
Find our top 100 editors' picks as well as customers' favorites in dozens of categories in our Best Books of 2008 Store.
 

Buy Three Books, Get a Fourth Free

4-for-3 Books
Order any four eligible books under $10 and get the lowest-price book free in our 4-for-3 Books Store. See more details.
 

See What Delta Can Do

Shop the Delta Faucet Store
Delta goes beyond excellent design and incorporates smart thinking in order to anticipate your needs.

Shop the Delta Faucet Store

 

 

Feedback

If you need help or have a question for Customer Service, contact us.
 Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?
Is there any other feedback you would like to provide?

Your comments can help make our site better for everyone.


Where's My Stuff?

Shipping & Returns

Need Help?

Your Recent History

  (What's this?)
You have no recently viewed items or searches.

After viewing product detail pages or search results, look here to find an easy way to navigate back to pages you are interested in.

Look to the right column to find helpful suggestions for your shopping session.

Continue shopping: Top Sellers
Paranoia
Paranoia by Joseph Finder
My Soul to Lose
My Soul to Lose by Rachel Vincent
Glenn Beck's Common Sense
Glenn Beck's Common Sense

Conditions of Use | Privacy Notice © 1996-2009, Amazon.com, Inc. or its affiliates