Hangman's Holiday (Mass Market Paperback)

by Dorothy L. Sayers (Author)

Editorial Reviews

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.

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?,ÿ 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?,ÿ 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,Dominionsÿ 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.ÿ

We are sure that Thrones,Dominionsÿ 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,Dominionsÿ 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

• Mass Market Paperback: 224 pages
• Publisher: HarperTorch (August 25, 1995)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0061043621
• ISBN-13: 978-0061043628
• Product Dimensions: 7 x 4.2 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,043,904 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A Deadly Dozen, December 22, 2003

By	C. T. Mikesell (near Eugene, Oregon) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Hangman's Holiday: A Collection of Short Mysteries (Paperback)

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.

4.0 out of 5 stars The Best of Sayers' Short Stories, January 22, 2005

By	Gary F. Taylor "GFT" (Biloxi, MS USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 50 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Hangman's Holiday: A Collection of Short Mysteries (Paperback)

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

1 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A delightful collection of Sayers' classics, September 19, 2002

By	snowy "Lorne Vallen" (Singapore) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Hangman's Holiday: A Collection of Short Mysteries (Paperback)

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.