Gaudy Night was actually the first Sayers novel I ever read, and still my favorite, but I don't recommend reading it first. At the very least, before tackling it, I'd read the two previous novels featuring Harriet Vane, Strong Poison and Have His Carcase. I think Sayers' Wimsey novels are different than say Christie's Poirot because they're not really standalones with no character development in the detective. There's an arc to and emotional life to Wimsey. Having said that, the later novels in my opinion are much stronger, so if you don't care for Whose Body? I hope you'll try some of the later ones, such as The Nine Tailors or the two other novels in this omnibus.

Whose Body? I found Wimsey's aristocratic manner irksome at first, and I was put off with his attitude that murder was a hobby and puzzle. It's akin to an attitude you see in Sherlock Holmes, but somehow seemed more callous in a wealthy aristocrat who seems equally as diverted by collecting rare books. However, more and more as I read the novel I got hints that Wimsey is more than a dilettante, yet a charmer, and that there's more to his behavior than what lies on the surface. The mystery plot hangs together well, but what's most striking is that there's a lightness, a deft humor and wordplay that sets Sayers apart from Christie or Doyle. I should mention there are anti-semitic views expressed by characters in this book--but given the positive depiction of the Jewish character in the book, I think that's meant to reflect on those characters and the times, and not the views of the author. Three Stars

Murder Must Advertise In this novel, after a half-finished letter implying corruption is found among the effects of a seeming accident victim, Lord Peter Wimsey goes undercover in an advertising agency to investigate. Dorothy Sayers herself worked as a copy-writer in an advertising agency, and it shows in the details of the workings of the agency and the theme throughout of the ethical complexities, nay, more like the ethical shortcomings, of the business. There are also the running themes of class distinctions based on education and the futility of the drug war. The book seems quite relevant still today. There's also a sophisticated style apparent at times--even some passages that use the stream-of-consciousness technique. For all that I don't want you to think this makes for dry reading. As with all of Sayers' books, there's plenty of wit and humor to be found. Particularly striking in that regard is the boy Ginger Joe, who aspires to be a detective and the incident with Mr Copley, where his view of himself as savior of the firm is punctured the next day. Sayers paints a deliciously comic yet insightful picture of office politics among a murder investigation. Unfortunately, as is often the case with the Sayers books I've read, not everything comes across as credible (the identical cousins subplot made me raise my eyebrows almost to my hairline), but this one did have a clever resolution. Not so much as to who--Sayers tips her hat to that fairly early--as to how. A clever, enjoyable, and thoughtful novel. Four Stars

Gaudy Night This is the third book with Harriet Vane, Lord Peter Wimsey's romantic interest, and indeed Gaudy Night is more centered on her, with Wimsey, although often on her mind, not appearing until over half-way through the book. Vane's a mystery writer herself, and at one point in this book Wimsey challenges her to delve deeper into her characters, and tells her that she can do better than just writing puzzle pieces. That made me smile the second time reading through, and after having read other Wimsey books, because I do think this is both what separates this book from books earlier in the series, and say even the best of Agatha Christie. Purely as a mystery, I find this the most satisfying Sayers I've read--it kept me guessing to the end, it wrapped up the strange goings on at an Oxford women's college very neatly, and it didn't feel at all contrived or too clever. But it also was a lot more than a mystery. I loved the picture of Oxford in the mid-1930s. It was fascinating to read in a book published in 1936 all the hints of the war to come in references to Hitler's Germany and Mussolini's Italy. It was amusing to hear the dons describe the generation of students in terms reminiscent discussing students of say the 1960s or today--rowdy, undisciplined, wild. The more things change... There was a feminist theme evident in Have His Carcase, the second book with Harriet Vane, but I'd say the entire theme of men, women and their relations is even more to the fore in Gaudy Night and I loved the way Sayers played with that. This novel has richness and complexity befitting literature, and indeed even on second read I felt I hadn't peeled all layers and certainly haven't caught all the different literary and classic allusions. Wimsey is also at his most appealing here, and I'd put his conversation at the end with Harriet high up in my personal list of favorite romantic scenes--all the more for how it fits the themes throughout the novel. I finished the book wanting to cry "Bravo!" Five Stars ( )

Murder Must Advertise (Whimsy is great, not just a murder, probably better on tape because of accents.) - Whose Body (Didn't understand the 2nd person writing, the ending explanation was too long - seemed amatuerish. But it was fun.)

Affection may be clouding my judgement here, but I love these stories. Sayers is one of the few mystery authors who really repays re-reading. Subtext and style matter far more than the 'mystery' - and she was, if uneven, a fine writer, of active, vigorous, tenacious mind and delightful humor. Re-reading allows one to truly savor her strengths. These three are excellent examples of her abilities and concerns... Particularly in reading Murder Must Advertise or, most notably, Gaudy Night (much less Busman's Honeymoon!), it's hard to dispute the idea that for Sayers, the mystery truly was secondary. As much work as she put into them, the ideas she was able to explore under their auspices came first.

Which is not to denigrate Wimsey! I wouldn't dream of it. Hurrah for piffle and poetry, Bach and Bunter.....et al.!!! ( )