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The “Lord Peter Wimsey” series that is written by author Dorothy Sayers (and later Jill Paton Walsh) stars Lord Peter Death Bredon Wimsey. He is the protagonist in the series and solves mysteries, which tend to be murders, for his own amusement. He does not work alone, instead, he is helped by: Mervyn Bunter (his own valet), Harriet Vane (who appears in some books and later becomes Peter’s wife), and Charles Parker (who is a cop and Peter’s good friend and later becomes his brother in law).
Order of Lord Peter Wimsey Series
| # | Read | Title | Published | Details |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Whose Body? | 1923 | Description / Buy | |
| 2 | Clouds of Witness | 1926 | Description / Buy | |
| 3 | Unnatural Death | 1927 | Description / Buy | |
| 4 | Lord Peter Views the Body | 1928 | Description / Buy | |
| 5 | The Unpleasantness at the Bellona Club | 1928 | Description / Buy | |
| 6 | Strong Poison | 1930 | Description / Buy | |
| 7 | Five Red Herrings | 1931 | Description / Buy | |
| 8 | Have His Carcase | 1932 | Description / Buy | |
| 9 | Hangman's Holiday | 1933 | Description / Buy | |
| 10 | Murder Must Advertise | 1933 | Description / Buy | |
| 11 | The Nine Tailors | 1934 | Description / Buy | |
| 12 | Gaudy Night | 1935 | Description / Buy | |
| 13 | Busman's Honeymoon | 1937 | Description / Buy | |
| 14 | In the Teeth of the Evidence | 1939 | Description / Buy | |
| 15 | Striding Folly | 1973 | Description / Buy |
Order of Lord Peter Wimsey & Harriet Vane Series By: Dorothy L Sayers, Jill Paton Walsh
| # | Read | Title | Published | Details |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Thrones, Dominations | 1998 | Description / Buy | |
| 2 | A Presumption of Death | 2002 | Description / Buy | |
| 3 | The Attenbury Emeralds | 2010 | Description / Buy | |
| 4 | The Late Scholar | 2013 | Description / Buy |
He ages in real time, after being born in the year 1890. Peter is described as having hair the color of straw, a beak type nose, and it looks like he has a foolish face. His looks were patterned after Roy Ridley, a poet and academic, that Sayers met after she saw him read a prize winning poem of his. Peter is highly intelligent and considerable athletic ability, which he put on display while at Oxford as a cricket player (which got him a First).
The series began in the year 1923 with the release of “Whose Body”, which is the first novel in the series. It is set in Britain, during the time period they were written, in the twenties and thirties. Wimsey has become an archetype in crime fiction as the British gentleman detective.
LORD PETER WIMSEY BOOKS INTO MOVIES
There are many adaptations that have been made from the books in the series and many actors have played Peter Wimsey. A film called “The Silent Passenger” was made in the year 1935, to Sayers’ displeasure. Ian Carmichael played the part in some radio adaptations and in “Murder Must Advertise”. Edward Petherbridge played Peter in “Gaudy Night”.
BEST LORD PETER WIMSEY BOOKS
For those readers looking to get into the “Lord Peter Wimsey” series by Dorothy Sayers, this section will help with that. It will go over the novels “The Unpleasantness at the Bellona Club” and “Strong Poison”.
The Unpleasantness at the Bellona Club: This is the fourth novel in the “Lord Peter Wimsey ” series and it was released in the year 1928. The atmosphere at the Bellona Club is like a morgue, and even the most devoted of its members would say that much. Armistice Day only serves to heighten said gloom. The Great War’s veterans go there to talk about their old injuries, not to discuss any of their victories. They also talk of the shell shock they still have and the pensions that will soon be gone. Peter finds this holiday to be a grim one, and death joins in on the party this time around.
General Fentiman (who is getting older and was a hero in the Crimean War) died in his favorite chair. His sister dies, on the other side of town and on the same day. It sends the General’s estate (estimated at around half a million pounds) into turmoil. Peter has to figure out why the general was killed on the holiday.
Strong Poison: This is the fifth novel in the “Lord Peter Wimsey” series and it was released in the year 1931. Peter goes to Harriet Vane’s trial so that he can witness the most engaging murder trial that has hit London in many years. The details in the case are distracting in their salaciousness, and not many believe that she will be found innocent. She is a kind of popular author of mysteries and is accused of killing her fiance with poison. He was a literary author and advocated free love as much as he could.
Arsenic, prussic acid, and strychnine. These are the things that Harriet bought over a few weeks time. The police found enough in his blood to murder a horse with. Peter watches her and does not believe she did it, and finds that he is falling for her.
Peter is in a race against time, as the hour for Harriet to be hanged gets closer, to prove that she is innocent. All the while, he hopes that for once, love can triumph over death.
OTHER BOOK SERIES YOU MAY LIKE
You may also enjoy the “Mr. and Mrs. North” series by France and Richard Lockridge. This series stars a married couple (that are named Jerry and Pamela North) that works as amateur detectives. The series started in the year 1936, and 26 novels followed from there.
You should also check out the “Inspector Sloan” series by Catherine Aird. The series stars Christopher Dennis Sloan (his colleagues call him “Seedy”) works as a Detective Inspector, and is helped by Detective Constable William Crosby.
What Is The Next Book in The Lord Peter Wimsey Series?
There doesn't seem to be an upcoming book in The Lord Peter Wimsey Series. The newest book is Striding Folly and was released on October, 31st 1973.
