Clouds of Witness by Dorothy Sayers

This novel raises the stakes for Lord Peter--this time he has to find the solution to his brother's murder charge. I particularly enjoyed Peter's difficulty in moving past both his brother's and his sister's additional obstructions. Very satisfying.

Lord Peter Views the Body by Dorothy Sayers

This collection of short stories is entirely comprised of Lord Peter stories. The stories are generally good--but if you've read Lord Peter, they're all repeats...

In the Teeth of the Evidence by Dorothy Sayers

This collection of short stories has some Lord Peter, some Monty Egg, and lots of other stories. I thought some of the stories were quite intriguing. I particularly liked "The Professor's Manuscript" (a Montague Egg story) and "The Milk-Bottles." The last story gets a bit super-natural before it's all said and done. A solid collection.

Hangman's Holiday by Dorothy Sayers

I enjoyed this collection of short stories. All the Lord Peter stories are available in the Lord Peter omnibus edition, but there are many more stories in this book. Montague Egg, a traveling wine salesman solves a number of mysteries (although these mysteries are sometimes more puzzles than murders). I also loved "The Man Who Knew How," which is a really creepy story.

The Nine Tailors by Dorothy Sayers

In this novel, when Lord Peter has a car accident in East Anglia, he finds himself conscripted to help ring the bells for the nine-hour-long celebration of the New Year. He fills in ably (is there anything Lord Peter can't do?), and goes on his merry way. He's summoned back around Easter once a strange body is found in a fresh grave. This mystery is full of top-notch detecting (especially figuring out a note encrypted in the tolling of the church bells) and a dash of divine intervention (both in the means of murder and in the way a rather dubious character is brought to justice). There's also a fantastic hiding place for a long-lost emerald necklace.

Thrones, Dominations by Dorothy Sayers and Jill Paton Walsh

This novel is quite interesting. It doesn't read quite like Sayers unadulterated, of course, and one might notice the literary references are less subtle and the characters slightly updated (also one wonders whether knowledge of WWII changed some of the foreshadowing). The book is as much a psychological novel about Peter and Harriet (as indeed, Have His Carcase, Gaudy Night, and Busman's Holiday turned out) as it is a murder mystery. There's also some heavy-handed and rather self-conscious theorization about why it isn't frivolous to write murder mysteries (hope for a world in which things are neatly ordered)--and you do end up wondering which author these fears come from (especially as the beginnings of the draft were started as Sayers put away her murder mysteries for more religious and academic work [like Harriet's treatise on Sheridan LeFanu]). Of course, it's a pleasure to see the Wimseys again. If you expect another Gaudy Night, I think this book will disappoint you, but if you don't ask it to be what it's not, it may pleasantly surprise you.

Have His Carcase by Dorothy Sayers

This mystery was a bit slow in starting, but I liked the way it worked out in the end. Bunter is particularly well-done (and independent) in this installment. I particularly liked the development of the relationship between Lord Peter and Harriet Vane. Her reflections about the process of novel writing were illuminating, to say the least. Ultimately, it turned on a really good fact, in my opinion, and I liked the ciphering and decoding mid-way through. Very enjoyable.

Whose Body? by Dorothy Sayers

There are moments in this mystery that clearly identify it as a first novel--places where Sayers hasn't quite hit her stride, or where she has hit, but hadn't expected to. Still, as far as mysteries go, this one is worth reading. Lord Peter as shell-shocked is a bit of a surprise, and there are unexpected moments of humor--like the examination of the unwitting medical student. Not the best mystery in terms of completely twisted plots, but something any Lord Peter fan will want to read.

Strong Poison by Dorothy Sayers

This mystery introduces Harriet Vane, though she's by no means the most compelling supporting character in this novel--that honor goes to Miss Climpson, who runs a typing agency/investigative force. The plot is fairly straightforward as far as mysteries go, but it's endearing to see Lord Peter in love, and it does build up Lord Peter's world quite a bit. The writing is fairly elegant and erudite, as usual for Sayers. A good starting point for reading Dorothy Sayers. 

Lord Peter by Dorothy Sayers

This complete collection of Dorothy Sayers's short stories featuring Lord Peter Wimsey is simply delightful. It's easier to leap to the proper conclusion in the short stories than in the novels, partially because there's less room for things to unfold, but the stories are uniformly written with the wit and grace that makes Sayers's writing so enjoyable. This collection would be especially good if one didn't have the time or energy to read an entire novel. I particularly liked the story solved by a crossword puzzle, the story whose key lay in an old book, and the story in which Lord Peter showed off his fine palate.

Unnatural Death by Dorothy Sayers

I liked this Lord Peter mystery. In some ways it seems unfair to the reader, as a motive for the murder appears midway through as the result of a change in inheritance law. Lord Peter is brilliant as ever, of course, and I didn't see the mode of death coming at all. It raises some interesting moral questions, but answers them pretty well by the end. Overall an enjoyable mystery.

The Unpleasantness at the Bellona Club by Dorothy Sayers

I enjoyed this mystery. An elderly gentleman is found dead in his armchair at the Bellona Club on Armistice Day, and the time of his death becomes important for the resolution of his estranged sister's will. Lord Peter Wimsey agrees to step in and investigate. There's a partial solution about half-way through the book, which I was able to anticipate, but I was surprised by the revelation of the murderer. While not the best of Sayers's work, this novel kept me interested and guessing till the end.