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Lord Peter Wimsey #14
In the Teeth of the Evidence and Other Mysteries
A fleeting killer's green mustache. A corpse clutching a note with misplaced vowels. A telephone with the unmistakable ring of death. A hopeful heir's dreams of fortune done in when nature beats him to the punch. A playwright's unwatered-down honor that is thicker than blood. In each case, the murder baffles the local authorities. For his Lordship and the spirited salesman-sleuth Montague Egg, a corpse is an intriguing invitation to unravel the postmortem puzzles of fascinating falsehoods, mysterious motives and diabolical demises.
272 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1939
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About the author
Dorothy L. Sayers
744Ìýbooks2,879ÌýfollowersThe detective stories of well-known British writer Dorothy Leigh Sayers mostly feature the amateur investigator Lord Peter Wimsey; she also translated the
Divine Comedy
of Dante Alighieri.
This renowned author and Christian humanist studied classical and modern languages.
Her best known mysteries, a series of short novels, set between World War I and World War II, feature an English aristocrat and amateur sleuth. She is also known for her plays and essays.
This renowned author and Christian humanist studied classical and modern languages.
Her best known mysteries, a series of short novels, set between World War I and World War II, feature an English aristocrat and amateur sleuth. She is also known for her plays and essays.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 251 reviews
November 14, 2016
This collection of short stories includes two Lord Peter Wimsey Stories (“In the Teeth of the Evidence,� and “Absolutely Elsewhere�), five Montague Egg stories (“A Shot at Goal,� “Dirt Cheap,� “Bitter Almonds,� “False Weight,� and “The Professor’s Manuscript�). There are also several stories which feature neither of Dorothy L. Sayers main characters � “The Milk Bottles,� “Dilemma,� “An Arrow O’er the House,� “Scrawns,� “Nebuchadnezzar,� “The Inspiration of Mr Budd,� “Blood Sacrifice,� “Suspicion,� “The Leopard Lady,� and “The Cyprian Cat.�
I am not a great fan of short stories, but am reading all of the Wimsey books in order and so, as this contained stories featuring him, it was on my list. I have to say that I am very fond of travelling salesman, Montague Egg, as well and so all of those stories were of interest to me. I also enjoyed the non character stories and my favourites included, “The Milk Bottles,� about a young couple who have been seen arguing and, after the husband leaves after a row, the milk bottles remain on the step; causing concern about whether a crime has been committed. I also enjoyed, “The Inspiration of Mr Budd,� about a hairdresser spying a wanted man and, “The Leopard Lady,� about a sinister, ‘removal company.� A good collection of stories, with a good mix of characters.
I am not a great fan of short stories, but am reading all of the Wimsey books in order and so, as this contained stories featuring him, it was on my list. I have to say that I am very fond of travelling salesman, Montague Egg, as well and so all of those stories were of interest to me. I also enjoyed the non character stories and my favourites included, “The Milk Bottles,� about a young couple who have been seen arguing and, after the husband leaves after a row, the milk bottles remain on the step; causing concern about whether a crime has been committed. I also enjoyed, “The Inspiration of Mr Budd,� about a hairdresser spying a wanted man and, “The Leopard Lady,� about a sinister, ‘removal company.� A good collection of stories, with a good mix of characters.
November 21, 2024
Only two Peter Wimsey stories with several Montague Egg stories with his trusty ‘The Salesman’s Handbook�. There are also several standalone stories. My favourite was ‘An Arrow O’er the House� and how a would be writer’s promotion of himself goes hilariously wrong. The Milk Bottles is about full milk bottles on a doorstep with a horrible smell coming from the apartment was also amusing.
I enjoyed these stories and his Sayers does the unexpected with some marvellous twists.
In the teeth of evidence where a dentist gets his just desserts.
Absolutely Elsewhere where a murder is solved by phone.
A Shot at Goal where Egg works out the murderer from a torn bit of writing.
Dirt cheap a story of greed and a clock.
Bitter Almonds where spirits in the 30s could be deadly. I will avoid the liqueur Noyeau.
False weight where a clock once again helps Egg identify the murderer.
The Professor’s Manuscript where Egg loses a client but finds a swindler.
The Milk Bottles is about suspicious minds.
Dilemma where a tall story helps a man who feels guilty about a man who saved valuable papers but not a drunken butler.
An Arrow O’er the House. An hilarious story about an author and his self promotion going wrong.
Scrawns a gothic house with strange inhabitants and a new maid with an over active imagination.
Nebuchadnezzar where a murderer’s guilt and an amateur play send him over the edge.
The Inspiration of Mr Budd where a barber with a knowledge of chemistry helps catch and hilariously identify a murderer.
Blood Sacrifice where a successful playwright gets out of success. Very odd.
Suspicion where Mr Mummery finds out his cook is not an arsenic poisoner. But his wife maybe not so innocent.
The Leopard Lady where murder for hire eliminates a young heir.
The Cyprian Cat a supernatural tale to end the series of short stories. Where a man’s discomfort of cats gets him likely hanged.
I enjoyed these stories and his Sayers does the unexpected with some marvellous twists.
In the teeth of evidence where a dentist gets his just desserts.
Absolutely Elsewhere where a murder is solved by phone.
A Shot at Goal where Egg works out the murderer from a torn bit of writing.
Dirt cheap a story of greed and a clock.
Bitter Almonds where spirits in the 30s could be deadly. I will avoid the liqueur Noyeau.
False weight where a clock once again helps Egg identify the murderer.
The Professor’s Manuscript where Egg loses a client but finds a swindler.
The Milk Bottles is about suspicious minds.
Dilemma where a tall story helps a man who feels guilty about a man who saved valuable papers but not a drunken butler.
An Arrow O’er the House. An hilarious story about an author and his self promotion going wrong.
Scrawns a gothic house with strange inhabitants and a new maid with an over active imagination.
Nebuchadnezzar where a murderer’s guilt and an amateur play send him over the edge.
The Inspiration of Mr Budd where a barber with a knowledge of chemistry helps catch and hilariously identify a murderer.
Blood Sacrifice where a successful playwright gets out of success. Very odd.
Suspicion where Mr Mummery finds out his cook is not an arsenic poisoner. But his wife maybe not so innocent.
The Leopard Lady where murder for hire eliminates a young heir.
The Cyprian Cat a supernatural tale to end the series of short stories. Where a man’s discomfort of cats gets him likely hanged.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 8, 2022
This is an easy read comprised of short stories starring Lord Peter Wimsey, Montague Egg, and other assorted protagonists. Some really good little stories and a couple which make the hair stand up on the back of your neck. Not your typical Dorothy Sayres but a good second book.
June 1, 2021
This rating only refers to my impressions for the Lord Peter Wimsey stories, as they were the only ones I read
September 14, 2015
A good mystery story is like a magic trick. We all try to find out what the secret is, but we are happy if we are defeated, and a trifle disappointed if we win. The only difference is that the mystery writer reveals her trick at the end, while the magician does not.
If a full length mystery novel is a grand illusion with all the props, the detective short is a parlour trick. The illusion is cumbersome to set up and execute, but when properly done, very effective and hard to see through: the parlour trick, on the other hand, depends entirely on the speed of the magician's hand, and there is a greater chance of failure and embarrassment as the cards come slipping out of the sleeve.
Which is why, I think, that there are very few "great" detective short stories compared to novels by the great authors. Dorothy Sayers is no exception.
The present collection, even though enjoyable, fails to present us with any "great stories" (except one - Suspicion - which is excellently spine-chilling). The first two stories, featuring the famous Lord Peter Wimsey, are only average: in fact, the mystery in the first can be solved by any discerning reader immediately. The next five, featuring the travelling salesman Montague Egg, are only interesting with regard to their unusual sleuth - the stories are rather pedestrian. The remaining tales are all stand-alone stories, with two or three humorous ones where a dire secret is promised only to end in a comic whimper. While this is enjoyable once or twice, it does become stale when repeated too often.
The last two stories do not belong to the conventional mystery canon. The penultimate one straddles reality and fantasy: the last one is an out-and-out horror story. They are interesting, but nothing to write home about.
Overall verdict: a nice book to curl up with at the end of a tiring day.
If a full length mystery novel is a grand illusion with all the props, the detective short is a parlour trick. The illusion is cumbersome to set up and execute, but when properly done, very effective and hard to see through: the parlour trick, on the other hand, depends entirely on the speed of the magician's hand, and there is a greater chance of failure and embarrassment as the cards come slipping out of the sleeve.
Which is why, I think, that there are very few "great" detective short stories compared to novels by the great authors. Dorothy Sayers is no exception.
The present collection, even though enjoyable, fails to present us with any "great stories" (except one - Suspicion - which is excellently spine-chilling). The first two stories, featuring the famous Lord Peter Wimsey, are only average: in fact, the mystery in the first can be solved by any discerning reader immediately. The next five, featuring the travelling salesman Montague Egg, are only interesting with regard to their unusual sleuth - the stories are rather pedestrian. The remaining tales are all stand-alone stories, with two or three humorous ones where a dire secret is promised only to end in a comic whimper. While this is enjoyable once or twice, it does become stale when repeated too often.
The last two stories do not belong to the conventional mystery canon. The penultimate one straddles reality and fantasy: the last one is an out-and-out horror story. They are interesting, but nothing to write home about.
Overall verdict: a nice book to curl up with at the end of a tiring day.
September 12, 2023
LPW Group Read 2022/23 for English Mysteries Club
Well this is the penultimate Sayers (alone) Lord Peter book and contains 17 short stories. However only two of these contain our hero Lord Peter. That said they were both good funned enjoyable (4 stars ). There were also 5 Montague Egg stories (another of DLS's characters), these were quite fun, although I do find him sometimes a little too confident (cocky ! ) 3.5 stars. And finally there were 10 general mystery stories, some of which I found a little boring or just not that enjoyable. 2.5 stars
Overall I gave it 3 stars which I think is the lowest rating I have given a book during this Group Read. I hope the final book which again is short stories is better.
DLS did posthumously provide a lot of input to the first two Lord Peter books. So I will be continuing my read into at least those novels.
Well this is the penultimate Sayers (alone) Lord Peter book and contains 17 short stories. However only two of these contain our hero Lord Peter. That said they were both good funned enjoyable (4 stars ). There were also 5 Montague Egg stories (another of DLS's characters), these were quite fun, although I do find him sometimes a little too confident (cocky ! ) 3.5 stars. And finally there were 10 general mystery stories, some of which I found a little boring or just not that enjoyable. 2.5 stars
Overall I gave it 3 stars which I think is the lowest rating I have given a book during this Group Read. I hope the final book which again is short stories is better.
DLS did posthumously provide a lot of input to the first two Lord Peter books. So I will be continuing my read into at least those novels.
July 16, 2022
see review other edition
December 6, 2016
A good mix of Sayers' short fiction, which is not limited to her Wimsey stories.
In the title story, Lord Peter Wimsey is called upon by his fellow club member - and dentist - Mr Lamplough is called in by Scotland Yard to help identify a body:
"Apparently this man Prendergast was all alone there - and just going off for a holiday or something -and he contrived to set himself and his car and his garage alight last night and was burnt to death. In fact, when they found him, he was so badly charred that they couldn't be sure it was he. So, being sticklers for routine, they had a look at his teeth."
Wimsey steers the detectives and Mr Lamplough towards the truth, which they are completely overlooking. There are references to a real life murder that, unfortunately, give away what happened if you're familiar with historic crimes like I am. An excellent story, though, with humor and good supporting characters.
In "Absolutely Elsewhere," Wimsey investigates the murder of a wealthy moneylender. The complication is that all the suspects seem to have an alibi - they were all somewhere else at the time. Or were they? It got a little confusing at times, and I think the trick involved is rather dated now, but it is a good job of misdirection.
There are five stories involving a lesser-known Sayers detective, Montague Egg, a wine salesman. He reminded me of Jessica Fletcher - wherever he goes, people turn up dead ;) The stories are amusing and clever and have a light touch, but they don't really stand out like the Wimsey/Vane stories do.
"Dilemma" - A group of people discusses the case of a young doctor who had the choice of saving priceless papers that could lead to a cure for a deadly disease, or he could save the drunken butler who probably started the fire in the first place. He choose the papers and left the butler to his death. His act earns him widespread derision and hatred, and completely ruins him. Was his decision right or wrong?
"Nebuchadnezzar" is a party game similar to charades:
"You choose a name - and unless your audience is very patient, it had better be a short one - of some well-known character. Say, Job. Then you act in dumb show a character beginning with J, then one beginning with O, then one being with B. Then you act Job, and the spectators guess that Job is what you mean and applaud kindly."
Cyril Markham is attending the birthday party of one of his late wife's friends. The other guests are also her friends. They are not Cyril's friends. He has never fit in amongst them. He has always felt apart, especially since his wife's death. Why did they invite him to the party? Do they have an ulterior motive? A good psychological suspense story with a twist at the end.
"The Inspiration of Mr Budd" - a meek little barber hits upon a wonderful idea to catch a murderous fugitive - something that will definitely make the killer stand out. Very humorous, especially the ending.
All in all, a good mix of stories that show how versatile Sayers was as a writer.
In the title story, Lord Peter Wimsey is called upon by his fellow club member - and dentist - Mr Lamplough is called in by Scotland Yard to help identify a body:
"Apparently this man Prendergast was all alone there - and just going off for a holiday or something -and he contrived to set himself and his car and his garage alight last night and was burnt to death. In fact, when they found him, he was so badly charred that they couldn't be sure it was he. So, being sticklers for routine, they had a look at his teeth."
Wimsey steers the detectives and Mr Lamplough towards the truth, which they are completely overlooking. There are references to a real life murder that, unfortunately, give away what happened if you're familiar with historic crimes like I am. An excellent story, though, with humor and good supporting characters.
In "Absolutely Elsewhere," Wimsey investigates the murder of a wealthy moneylender. The complication is that all the suspects seem to have an alibi - they were all somewhere else at the time. Or were they? It got a little confusing at times, and I think the trick involved is rather dated now, but it is a good job of misdirection.
There are five stories involving a lesser-known Sayers detective, Montague Egg, a wine salesman. He reminded me of Jessica Fletcher - wherever he goes, people turn up dead ;) The stories are amusing and clever and have a light touch, but they don't really stand out like the Wimsey/Vane stories do.
"Dilemma" - A group of people discusses the case of a young doctor who had the choice of saving priceless papers that could lead to a cure for a deadly disease, or he could save the drunken butler who probably started the fire in the first place. He choose the papers and left the butler to his death. His act earns him widespread derision and hatred, and completely ruins him. Was his decision right or wrong?
"Nebuchadnezzar" is a party game similar to charades:
"You choose a name - and unless your audience is very patient, it had better be a short one - of some well-known character. Say, Job. Then you act in dumb show a character beginning with J, then one beginning with O, then one being with B. Then you act Job, and the spectators guess that Job is what you mean and applaud kindly."
Cyril Markham is attending the birthday party of one of his late wife's friends. The other guests are also her friends. They are not Cyril's friends. He has never fit in amongst them. He has always felt apart, especially since his wife's death. Why did they invite him to the party? Do they have an ulterior motive? A good psychological suspense story with a twist at the end.
"The Inspiration of Mr Budd" - a meek little barber hits upon a wonderful idea to catch a murderous fugitive - something that will definitely make the killer stand out. Very humorous, especially the ending.
All in all, a good mix of stories that show how versatile Sayers was as a writer.
June 24, 2019
I'd read this years ago.
Enjoyable stories, for the most part. I hadn't completely remembered them. As I read "The Cypriot Cat" it came back to me.
Enjoyable stories, for the most part. I hadn't completely remembered them. As I read "The Cypriot Cat" it came back to me.
February 10, 2020
In the Teeth of the Evidence
Lord Peter Wimsey tags along to a dental identification of a burned body only to discover that not everything is what it seems.
I mean, the title gives it away and Peter is not truly a key participant in this case, but it’s still a fun little adventure for the golden boy of detective nonsense. 3.5 stars.
Absolutely Elsewhere
Peter’s brother-in-law invites him to listen in on a murder case, makes a snappish comment about relativity and absolute distance, and then slam-dunks the metaphor later.
Smart, sassy, and far into the dramatics: this is why I adore Peter Wimsey. Just swanning into a room of people to make his point in the most ridiculously over-the-top way possible. Very nice. 4 stars.
A Shot at Goal
Monty Egg returns to point out that a laborer is probably not writing in harried purple capital letters and is therefore innocent.
Am I supposed to know that this particular profession often misspelled ‘gauge� as ‘guage�????? 2 stars.
Dirt Cheap
Egg is startled awake in the night only to discover the next morning that he’s overheard the murder of his room-neighbor.
Am I supposed to be impressed that Egg is weirdly into clocks??? 2 stars.
Bitter Almonds
Egg figures out that a sexist grump probably didn’t die from drinking a liquor that he proclaims as a “drink for ladies�.
Am I supposed to know what the fuck Noyaux is????? 2 stars.
False Weight
Egg figures out a tipped over clock is SUSPICIOUS because of WEIGHTS.
Am I supposed to be able to follow the workings of a strange clock from that basic af description???? ALSO HE’S STILL WEIRDLY INTO CLOCKS???? 2 stars.
The Professor’s Manuscript
Egg thinks an old man is suspicious because of books.
Am I supposed to find hairy men suspicious now???? 2 stars.
The Milk-Bottles
A newspaper-man inadvertently gets a neighborhood up in arms when milk bottles begin to collect on a quiet stoop.
The twist made me laugh out loud, but man was that some heavy handed ~~foreshadowing nonsense. 3 stars.
Dilemma
Drunk men are racist before examining dilemmas that are, to their racist asses, more challenging than NOT KILLING OTHER HUMAN BEINGS.
Seriously, though: this racist af. It literally opens with a debate about killing “Chinamen� for money, before descending into n-word territory. NOT GREAT. 1 star.
An Arrow O’er the House
An author proceeds down a dubious path of advertisement for his overwritten books that results in DEATH.
MORE DICKHEADS!!! YAY?? 2 stars.
Scrawns
A new housemaid jumps to conclusions and flees her employer’s house in terror.
I don’t know if we were meant to end up amused at Susan’s assumptions, but I did not?? 1 star.
Nebuchadnezzar
A charades game works wonders on a man’s tumultuous conscience.
Had to google the answer (a classics scholar I am not) but still dark af. 2.5 stars.
The Inspiration of Mr Budd
A barber meets a new customer.
I did actually laugh aloud at this one: good for Mr. Budd. 3.5 stars.
Blood Sacrifice
A theater owner/actor gets injured and the playwright who hates him must save his life�
OR DOES HE??? (horrifying, and also HORRIFYING.) 2 stars.
Suspicion
A man fears poisoning!
OH HOW THE TURNS HAVE TABLED. (horrifying, but not bad.) 3 stars.
The Leopard Lady
A man hires Smith & Smith Removers to Remove his nephew.
Twisty and dark and horrifying. JFC. 2 stars.
The Cyprian Cat
A man gives his explanation for how he came to commit murder. He alleges he shot at a cat.
He needs you to know that there was NOTHING going on and also he HATES cats. Which means he’s basically trash. 1.5 star.
Lord Peter Wimsey tags along to a dental identification of a burned body only to discover that not everything is what it seems.
I mean, the title gives it away and Peter is not truly a key participant in this case, but it’s still a fun little adventure for the golden boy of detective nonsense. 3.5 stars.
Absolutely Elsewhere
Peter’s brother-in-law invites him to listen in on a murder case, makes a snappish comment about relativity and absolute distance, and then slam-dunks the metaphor later.
Smart, sassy, and far into the dramatics: this is why I adore Peter Wimsey. Just swanning into a room of people to make his point in the most ridiculously over-the-top way possible. Very nice. 4 stars.
A Shot at Goal
Monty Egg returns to point out that a laborer is probably not writing in harried purple capital letters and is therefore innocent.
Am I supposed to know that this particular profession often misspelled ‘gauge� as ‘guage�????? 2 stars.
Dirt Cheap
Egg is startled awake in the night only to discover the next morning that he’s overheard the murder of his room-neighbor.
Am I supposed to be impressed that Egg is weirdly into clocks??? 2 stars.
Bitter Almonds
Egg figures out that a sexist grump probably didn’t die from drinking a liquor that he proclaims as a “drink for ladies�.
Am I supposed to know what the fuck Noyaux is????? 2 stars.
False Weight
Egg figures out a tipped over clock is SUSPICIOUS because of WEIGHTS.
Am I supposed to be able to follow the workings of a strange clock from that basic af description???? ALSO HE’S STILL WEIRDLY INTO CLOCKS???? 2 stars.
The Professor’s Manuscript
Egg thinks an old man is suspicious because of books.
Am I supposed to find hairy men suspicious now???? 2 stars.
The Milk-Bottles
A newspaper-man inadvertently gets a neighborhood up in arms when milk bottles begin to collect on a quiet stoop.
The twist made me laugh out loud, but man was that some heavy handed ~~foreshadowing nonsense. 3 stars.
Dilemma
Drunk men are racist before examining dilemmas that are, to their racist asses, more challenging than NOT KILLING OTHER HUMAN BEINGS.
Seriously, though: this racist af. It literally opens with a debate about killing “Chinamen� for money, before descending into n-word territory. NOT GREAT. 1 star.
An Arrow O’er the House
An author proceeds down a dubious path of advertisement for his overwritten books that results in DEATH.
MORE DICKHEADS!!! YAY?? 2 stars.
Scrawns
A new housemaid jumps to conclusions and flees her employer’s house in terror.
I don’t know if we were meant to end up amused at Susan’s assumptions, but I did not?? 1 star.
Nebuchadnezzar
A charades game works wonders on a man’s tumultuous conscience.
Had to google the answer (a classics scholar I am not) but still dark af. 2.5 stars.
The Inspiration of Mr Budd
A barber meets a new customer.
I did actually laugh aloud at this one: good for Mr. Budd. 3.5 stars.
Blood Sacrifice
A theater owner/actor gets injured and the playwright who hates him must save his life�
OR DOES HE??? (horrifying, and also HORRIFYING.) 2 stars.
Suspicion
A man fears poisoning!
OH HOW THE TURNS HAVE TABLED. (horrifying, but not bad.) 3 stars.
The Leopard Lady
A man hires Smith & Smith Removers to Remove his nephew.
Twisty and dark and horrifying. JFC. 2 stars.
The Cyprian Cat
A man gives his explanation for how he came to commit murder. He alleges he shot at a cat.
He needs you to know that there was NOTHING going on and also he HATES cats. Which means he’s basically trash. 1.5 star.
February 6, 2020
Only Two Wimsey Shorts, Five with Montague Egg, several miscellaneous
Review of the Hodder & Stoughton paperback edition (2016) of the 1939 original
Review of the Hodder & Stoughton paperback edition (2016) of the 1939 original
February 9, 2021
A disappointing collection of short stories from Dorothy L. Sayers. While a couple of the mysteries involve Lord Peter, the majority feature Montague Egg, another detective, or no detective at all. Maybe I'm just burned out on short stories at the moment, but I really did not enjoy this collection. The ones featuring Wimsey and Egg seem more developed than the rest, perhaps because readers of previous Sayers works know these detectives.
December 4, 2011
Just finished up In the Teeth of the Evidence by Dorothy L Sayers. This collection represents the last bit of Sayers' fiction that I wanted to read...just so I could say I'd re-read all of her fiction this year. The collection is okay. Decent. But I don't think it represents her best work. I much prefer her earlier collections (Lord Peter Views the Body and Hangman's Holiday) and even her final stories found in Striding Folly. The writing itself isn't at fault--it's terrific as always--but the stories seem more contrived and almost as if she were pushing a bit to produce them. Here's a brief run-down of the stories:
Wimsey stories (read in the previous month):
"In the Teeth of the Evidence": Lord Peter goes to his dentist for a filling and finds himself involved in a mystery he can really sink his teeth into. His dentist is called in to identify a man who has died in a blazing fire...only his dental records can prove his identity. And it's up to Lord Peter to help prove if it was death by accident or suicide....or even murder.
"Absolutely Elsewhere": In which Lord Peter proves that a murderer just might be able to travel at the speed of light.
Montague Egg stories:
"A Shot at Goal": The boss at the local mill is murdered and Monty shows that the solution depends on an error in spelling.
"Dirt Cheap": A case of murder and missing jewels. Monty's evidence makes it seem impossible for anyone to have done it.
"False Weight": Where the clue rests with a grandfather clock--is it telling the truth or not?
"The Professor's Manuscript": Is the professor really who he says he is? And, if not, who is he?
Others:
"The Milk Bottles": Hector Puncheon, intrepid report, is pulled into an odd story of the milk bottles. For there's something decidedly fishy when the bottles start piling up outside the apartment where a man and his wife regularly quarreled--and now he's gone and she hasn't been seen for a week.
"Dilemma": This one is more a human interest story than a mystery. A night of tale-telling helps one man regain his self-respect.
"An Arrow O'er the House": What happens when a crime author's story is a bit too much like real life?
"Scrawns": Where Susan learns that appearances can be deceiving.
"Nebuchadnezzer": Can a murderer stand to watch his deed acted out before him? Or will he break under pressure?
"The Inspiration of Mr. Budd": Mr. Budd, hairdresser, uses an ingenious method to help catch a crook. His fellow barbers will soon be green with envy.
"Blood Sacrifice": Would a man give his own life, his own blood to be sure someone else would...die?
"Suspicion": Mr. Mummery suspects that he's harboring a poisoner in his house. It could be that he's right.
"The Leopard Lady": How to effect the removal of extraneous people. 1,000 pounds payable in one lump sum--no questions asked.
"The Cyprian Cat": A very strange story about a man who can't abide cats and shoots one. Or did he?
Wimsey stories (read in the previous month):
"In the Teeth of the Evidence": Lord Peter goes to his dentist for a filling and finds himself involved in a mystery he can really sink his teeth into. His dentist is called in to identify a man who has died in a blazing fire...only his dental records can prove his identity. And it's up to Lord Peter to help prove if it was death by accident or suicide....or even murder.
"Absolutely Elsewhere": In which Lord Peter proves that a murderer just might be able to travel at the speed of light.
Montague Egg stories:
"A Shot at Goal": The boss at the local mill is murdered and Monty shows that the solution depends on an error in spelling.
"Dirt Cheap": A case of murder and missing jewels. Monty's evidence makes it seem impossible for anyone to have done it.
"False Weight": Where the clue rests with a grandfather clock--is it telling the truth or not?
"The Professor's Manuscript": Is the professor really who he says he is? And, if not, who is he?
Others:
"The Milk Bottles": Hector Puncheon, intrepid report, is pulled into an odd story of the milk bottles. For there's something decidedly fishy when the bottles start piling up outside the apartment where a man and his wife regularly quarreled--and now he's gone and she hasn't been seen for a week.
"Dilemma": This one is more a human interest story than a mystery. A night of tale-telling helps one man regain his self-respect.
"An Arrow O'er the House": What happens when a crime author's story is a bit too much like real life?
"Scrawns": Where Susan learns that appearances can be deceiving.
"Nebuchadnezzer": Can a murderer stand to watch his deed acted out before him? Or will he break under pressure?
"The Inspiration of Mr. Budd": Mr. Budd, hairdresser, uses an ingenious method to help catch a crook. His fellow barbers will soon be green with envy.
"Blood Sacrifice": Would a man give his own life, his own blood to be sure someone else would...die?
"Suspicion": Mr. Mummery suspects that he's harboring a poisoner in his house. It could be that he's right.
"The Leopard Lady": How to effect the removal of extraneous people. 1,000 pounds payable in one lump sum--no questions asked.
"The Cyprian Cat": A very strange story about a man who can't abide cats and shoots one. Or did he?
September 13, 2023
Of the 17 stories in this collection only two feature Wimsey, five feature the delightful Montague Egg and the rest are stand-alone. Some of these latter stories remind me of the No9 TV series with their black comedy and the last one - "The Cyprian Cat" - seems to stray into Agatha Christie territory with its supernatural elements.
Overall, an enjoyable collection.
Overall, an enjoyable collection.
July 4, 2022
This was actually such a great collection of short stories, although if you’re going into it expecting much of Lord Peter Wimsey, you’d be pretty disappointed. Our affable Lord Peter only appears in a grand total of 2 out of 17 short stories. Nevertheless, I thoroughly enjoyed most of these stories and they all offer something new and refreshing. Might I even say that I enjoy these short stories a bit more than the iconic Agatha Christie’s collections, if only because Sayers’s mysteries aren’t quite as formulaic?
Every title in this one offers something different to remember them by, and they don’t all blend together, which is already saying a lot. The titular “In The Teeth of Evidence� and “Absolutely Elsewhere� are the two that feature Lord Peter Wimsey, and are perhaps the most conventional murder mystery type of short stories.
Then, we have several short stories featuring a character I’ve never heard of before, Montague Egg. He’s apparently some kind of traveling salesman (also called “commercial gentleman� or “travellers�, facts I learned from this book) peddling the wares of a liquor company. He finds himself getting into all kinds of scrapes and, for some reason, being trusted enough by the police to be let in on the investigation for crimes. He helps them out by referring to The Salesman’s Handbook, which offers a lot of quotable quotes presumably for salesmen to do their jobs but which also somehow becomes apt for crimefighting. I was at first not very interested in another “detective� other than Wimsey, but then grew to really enjoy the voice of Monty Egg and the quirky way he quotes his Handbook at every turn.
Both Wimsey and Egg stories take up only half the short stories in this book. The rest are ones that don’t have a detective per se, and are just standalone mysteries or just highly interesting/mysterious incidents which were all pretty entertaining to read.
Overall, this book was such a great comfort read for me and was fantastic for me to read and relax with on a lazy weekend afternoon. If you like cozy mysteries, this is a great collection to try out, even if you have no previous experience with Dorothy Sayers and Lord Peter Wimsey.
Every title in this one offers something different to remember them by, and they don’t all blend together, which is already saying a lot. The titular “In The Teeth of Evidence� and “Absolutely Elsewhere� are the two that feature Lord Peter Wimsey, and are perhaps the most conventional murder mystery type of short stories.
Then, we have several short stories featuring a character I’ve never heard of before, Montague Egg. He’s apparently some kind of traveling salesman (also called “commercial gentleman� or “travellers�, facts I learned from this book) peddling the wares of a liquor company. He finds himself getting into all kinds of scrapes and, for some reason, being trusted enough by the police to be let in on the investigation for crimes. He helps them out by referring to The Salesman’s Handbook, which offers a lot of quotable quotes presumably for salesmen to do their jobs but which also somehow becomes apt for crimefighting. I was at first not very interested in another “detective� other than Wimsey, but then grew to really enjoy the voice of Monty Egg and the quirky way he quotes his Handbook at every turn.
Both Wimsey and Egg stories take up only half the short stories in this book. The rest are ones that don’t have a detective per se, and are just standalone mysteries or just highly interesting/mysterious incidents which were all pretty entertaining to read.
Overall, this book was such a great comfort read for me and was fantastic for me to read and relax with on a lazy weekend afternoon. If you like cozy mysteries, this is a great collection to try out, even if you have no previous experience with Dorothy Sayers and Lord Peter Wimsey.
January 1, 2025
Una colección de relatos detectivescos.
🌟🌟🌟Sacrificio de sangre: un relato ambientado en un teatro, donde no hay asesino, pero si muerte y azar.
🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 La dama de los leopardos: la ambición siempre juega un papel importante en un buen asesinato, no importan los lazos familiares ni la edad de la vÃctima, cuando el dinero es el objetivo.
🌟🌟🌟Sospecha: algo peor que la sospecha es la certeza sobre todo cuando es inesperada.
🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟Scrawns: una casa tenebrosa, unos habitantes más que extraños y un terrible secreto, que más puede pedir una nueva criada.
🌟🌟La inspiración del señor Budd: un relato lleno de humor y de ingenio sobre un peluquero con un golpe de suerte.
🌟🌟🌟🌟Una flecha sobre la casa: la publicidad y el atrevimiento se mezclan en esta historia llena de giros, sobre un escritor y su fiel secretaria.
🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 Nabucodonosor: la conciencia nunca descansa, un inocente juego llevado a tintes dramáticos.
🌟🌟🌟Sacrificio de sangre: un relato ambientado en un teatro, donde no hay asesino, pero si muerte y azar.
🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 La dama de los leopardos: la ambición siempre juega un papel importante en un buen asesinato, no importan los lazos familiares ni la edad de la vÃctima, cuando el dinero es el objetivo.
🌟🌟🌟Sospecha: algo peor que la sospecha es la certeza sobre todo cuando es inesperada.
🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟Scrawns: una casa tenebrosa, unos habitantes más que extraños y un terrible secreto, que más puede pedir una nueva criada.
🌟🌟La inspiración del señor Budd: un relato lleno de humor y de ingenio sobre un peluquero con un golpe de suerte.
🌟🌟🌟🌟Una flecha sobre la casa: la publicidad y el atrevimiento se mezclan en esta historia llena de giros, sobre un escritor y su fiel secretaria.
🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 Nabucodonosor: la conciencia nunca descansa, un inocente juego llevado a tintes dramáticos.
December 2, 2017
Removals
In dieser Sammlung von Kurzgeschichten gibt es Auftritte von Lord Peter Wimsey, Montague Egg und anderen. Dabei macht sich Lord Peter in gewohnter Manier an die Arbeit und mit seinem scharfen Verstand löst Rätsel, die die Polizei vor Probleme stellen. Montague Egg, mit ähnlich scharfen Verstand ausgestattet, aber weniger bekannt, ist als Handlungsreisender unterwegs. Als solcher kommt er viel rum und in seinem Buch für Handlungsreisende werden viele Tipps gegeben, die helfen die Menschen zu durchschauen. Und so kann er die Menschen einschätzen, die seine Waren kaufen oder auch solche, die ein Verbrechen planen. Manche Geschichten drehen sich einfach nur um sich selbst. Ein geschickt eingefädelter Plot führt nach ein paar Verwicklungen zu einem überraschenden Ende.
Ein kleines Büchlein aus einem öffentlich Büchertauschregal erneut abgedruckt im Jahr 1980 da kann man eigentlich nicht viel verkehrt machen. Zumal wenn es eine Autorin verfasst hat, deren Geschichten um Lord Peter wohlbekannt und gerne gelesen sind. Das gewisse Flair der Zeit zwischen den Kriegen ansprechend eingefangen. Allerdings sind Kurzgeschichten für mache Leser eine kleine Herausforderung, insbesondere, wenn diese doch lieber die ausgefeilteren und auch langsamer aufgebauten Romane lesen. Dennoch sind einige der hier zusammengestellten Geschichten schnell auf dem Punkt, überraschend und manchmal geradezu fies.
Liebhaber von Kriminalkurzgeschichten kommen hier sicherlich auf ihre Kosten, andere können wenigstens versuchen, sich auf diese Form einzulassen.
In dieser Sammlung von Kurzgeschichten gibt es Auftritte von Lord Peter Wimsey, Montague Egg und anderen. Dabei macht sich Lord Peter in gewohnter Manier an die Arbeit und mit seinem scharfen Verstand löst Rätsel, die die Polizei vor Probleme stellen. Montague Egg, mit ähnlich scharfen Verstand ausgestattet, aber weniger bekannt, ist als Handlungsreisender unterwegs. Als solcher kommt er viel rum und in seinem Buch für Handlungsreisende werden viele Tipps gegeben, die helfen die Menschen zu durchschauen. Und so kann er die Menschen einschätzen, die seine Waren kaufen oder auch solche, die ein Verbrechen planen. Manche Geschichten drehen sich einfach nur um sich selbst. Ein geschickt eingefädelter Plot führt nach ein paar Verwicklungen zu einem überraschenden Ende.
Ein kleines Büchlein aus einem öffentlich Büchertauschregal erneut abgedruckt im Jahr 1980 da kann man eigentlich nicht viel verkehrt machen. Zumal wenn es eine Autorin verfasst hat, deren Geschichten um Lord Peter wohlbekannt und gerne gelesen sind. Das gewisse Flair der Zeit zwischen den Kriegen ansprechend eingefangen. Allerdings sind Kurzgeschichten für mache Leser eine kleine Herausforderung, insbesondere, wenn diese doch lieber die ausgefeilteren und auch langsamer aufgebauten Romane lesen. Dennoch sind einige der hier zusammengestellten Geschichten schnell auf dem Punkt, überraschend und manchmal geradezu fies.
Liebhaber von Kriminalkurzgeschichten kommen hier sicherlich auf ihre Kosten, andere können wenigstens versuchen, sich auf diese Form einzulassen.
May 12, 2022
This collection of short stories with assorted protagonists wasn't as interesting as I expected. I think it was rather weak, except a couple of Peter Wimsey stories.
October 24, 2023
2 Lord Peter and 5 Montague Egg stories, several other tales of horror not so much detection, and the closest thing that Sayers gets to a werewolf tale, I think.
May 10, 2015
I haven't read any Dorothy L. Sayers in a while, so this was a nice reminder of just what a polished author she is! In this collection of 17 stories, I loved 15 of them and the remaining two were average. just a little too melodramatic for my tastes.
Although I am a huge fan of Wimsey, my absolute favourites this time round were the stories starring Travelling Salesman Egg. These were quick reads, enjoyable reads that unfolded very naturally. A reminder of how much is possible in the short story format.
Although I am a huge fan of Wimsey, my absolute favourites this time round were the stories starring Travelling Salesman Egg. These were quick reads, enjoyable reads that unfolded very naturally. A reminder of how much is possible in the short story format.
March 21, 2022
I did not quite finish this collection before my library loan expired and I didn’t like it enough to renew it so I could finish. That was likely because there were only 2 Lord Peter stories. Below are reviews for the stories that I finished.
In theTeeth of Evidence: A Lord Peter story. He goes to the dentist and learns that he has to go identify a burnt body using dental records so Lord Peter tags alone. A man, a dentist himself, was found dead in his car after it apparently caught fire from a petrol leak. The man was married but had been having an affair for years. I soon figured out that the body of the dead man was faked and was not the dentist. The dentist killed a patient and then drilled his teeth to look like his own so that he could fake his death and marry his mistress. 4 stars
Absolutely Elsewhere: A Lord Peter Story. Parked calls Lord Peter in to help with a locked room murder. A man was killed while eating alone in his dining room. The butler was on the phone speaking with the man’s two nephews in London when the murder happened. The house was locked so how was he killed? Lord Peter figured out pretty quickly, as I did, that the nephews were lying and only one was in London while the other had driven up and his in the house. When the phone rang, he picked up the phone in the library and spoke as if he was with his brother in London to establish his alibi. He then went in to kill his uncle while his brother kept the butler on the phone. 3 stars
A Shot at Goal: A Montague Egg story. I didn’t quite get this one. A lot of talk about soccer (or football) and an argument over playing time and who gets to play in goal. Then a man ends up dead and there is a note found threatening him so they assume that the author of the note killed him. They think that it is the man who was mouthing off at the pub about playing goal but Egg points out something about the note being written quickly and by a bad speller and instead of it meaning goal as in a goalkeeper it means gaol or jail. 2 stars
Dirt Cheap: A Montague Egg story. Another lack luster story about a murder in the middle of the night at an unkempt inn full of traveling salesmen. Egg hears a man cry out in the middle of the night through the thin walls. When he goes to ask if he is ok, the door is locked and he says it was just a nightmare. Before Egg falls back to sleep, he hears the clock chime midnight. When the man is found dead the next morning, his bag of jewelry he was selling is missing and the murder is solved by listening to different clock chimes and synchronizing watches. The murderer was another salesmen. Yawn. 2 stars.
Bitter Almonds: A Montague Egg story. One of Egg’s clients dies after drinking his liquor, which looks bad for business, so Egg attends the inquest. It looks like his son killed him since he was the last to see him alive and his father was going to cut him out of the will so he had motive. But is was just an accident from the old man drinking old liquor that had turned toxic. The man’s nephew, who stood to inherit if the son was convicted, fixed it up to look like murder. 3 stars
False Weight: A Montague Egg story. Another nonsensical story about clocks. It is so similar to the story in Dirt Cheep that it doesn’t bear repeating. 2 stars
The Professor’s Manuscript: A Montague Egg story. Egg goes to a professor’s house to sell him port and becomes suspicious that he isn’t who he says he is. He is heavily disguised with facial hair and dentures and tells Egg that he is writing a book. But, upon further investigation by Egg’s acquaintances, he stole the manuscript and is really the missing financier who absconded with stolen funds. 3 stars
The Milk Bottles: A strange short story about an apartment with unused milk bottles building up outside. Everyone thinks that something sinister has happened since the husband and wife were arguing and he left, alone, with a suitcase. Suspicions are heightened when, a few days later, a terrible smell is coming from the apartment, along with flies. It turns out the man finally sold a story or book, got a big check and moved out, leaving a haddock laying on the counter. 2 stars
Dilemma: Another strange short story about morality. A group of men discuss the ultimate dilemma - do you save a human life or do you save papers or evidence that could save another life? 3 stars
An Arrow O’re the House: A story about life imitating fiction or vice versa. An author struggling to get his manuscript published decides to launch an obscure letter writing campaign to a publisher. But the letter look suspicious and when they start demanding a minimum amount of money, for the advance, of course, they look like blackmail. Then the publisher kills himself. But it was letters about his wife’s affair that did him in, not the one about a manuscript. 3 stars
Scrawns: A weird gothic tale about a creepy family in a dark house with crippled house staff who dig graves in the garden in the middle of the night. But it wasn’t a body in the grave, it was an ugly statue. 2 stars
NEBUCHADNEZZAR: An incomprehensible story about a parlor game similar to charades where a man with a guilty conscience admits to murdering his wife. 2 stars
The Inspiration of Mr. Budd: A barber catches a killer by dying his hair and going to the police. He knew that the dark brown hair treatment he applied would turn green overnight. 3 stars
In theTeeth of Evidence: A Lord Peter story. He goes to the dentist and learns that he has to go identify a burnt body using dental records so Lord Peter tags alone. A man, a dentist himself, was found dead in his car after it apparently caught fire from a petrol leak. The man was married but had been having an affair for years. I soon figured out that the body of the dead man was faked and was not the dentist. The dentist killed a patient and then drilled his teeth to look like his own so that he could fake his death and marry his mistress. 4 stars
Absolutely Elsewhere: A Lord Peter Story. Parked calls Lord Peter in to help with a locked room murder. A man was killed while eating alone in his dining room. The butler was on the phone speaking with the man’s two nephews in London when the murder happened. The house was locked so how was he killed? Lord Peter figured out pretty quickly, as I did, that the nephews were lying and only one was in London while the other had driven up and his in the house. When the phone rang, he picked up the phone in the library and spoke as if he was with his brother in London to establish his alibi. He then went in to kill his uncle while his brother kept the butler on the phone. 3 stars
A Shot at Goal: A Montague Egg story. I didn’t quite get this one. A lot of talk about soccer (or football) and an argument over playing time and who gets to play in goal. Then a man ends up dead and there is a note found threatening him so they assume that the author of the note killed him. They think that it is the man who was mouthing off at the pub about playing goal but Egg points out something about the note being written quickly and by a bad speller and instead of it meaning goal as in a goalkeeper it means gaol or jail. 2 stars
Dirt Cheap: A Montague Egg story. Another lack luster story about a murder in the middle of the night at an unkempt inn full of traveling salesmen. Egg hears a man cry out in the middle of the night through the thin walls. When he goes to ask if he is ok, the door is locked and he says it was just a nightmare. Before Egg falls back to sleep, he hears the clock chime midnight. When the man is found dead the next morning, his bag of jewelry he was selling is missing and the murder is solved by listening to different clock chimes and synchronizing watches. The murderer was another salesmen. Yawn. 2 stars.
Bitter Almonds: A Montague Egg story. One of Egg’s clients dies after drinking his liquor, which looks bad for business, so Egg attends the inquest. It looks like his son killed him since he was the last to see him alive and his father was going to cut him out of the will so he had motive. But is was just an accident from the old man drinking old liquor that had turned toxic. The man’s nephew, who stood to inherit if the son was convicted, fixed it up to look like murder. 3 stars
False Weight: A Montague Egg story. Another nonsensical story about clocks. It is so similar to the story in Dirt Cheep that it doesn’t bear repeating. 2 stars
The Professor’s Manuscript: A Montague Egg story. Egg goes to a professor’s house to sell him port and becomes suspicious that he isn’t who he says he is. He is heavily disguised with facial hair and dentures and tells Egg that he is writing a book. But, upon further investigation by Egg’s acquaintances, he stole the manuscript and is really the missing financier who absconded with stolen funds. 3 stars
The Milk Bottles: A strange short story about an apartment with unused milk bottles building up outside. Everyone thinks that something sinister has happened since the husband and wife were arguing and he left, alone, with a suitcase. Suspicions are heightened when, a few days later, a terrible smell is coming from the apartment, along with flies. It turns out the man finally sold a story or book, got a big check and moved out, leaving a haddock laying on the counter. 2 stars
Dilemma: Another strange short story about morality. A group of men discuss the ultimate dilemma - do you save a human life or do you save papers or evidence that could save another life? 3 stars
An Arrow O’re the House: A story about life imitating fiction or vice versa. An author struggling to get his manuscript published decides to launch an obscure letter writing campaign to a publisher. But the letter look suspicious and when they start demanding a minimum amount of money, for the advance, of course, they look like blackmail. Then the publisher kills himself. But it was letters about his wife’s affair that did him in, not the one about a manuscript. 3 stars
Scrawns: A weird gothic tale about a creepy family in a dark house with crippled house staff who dig graves in the garden in the middle of the night. But it wasn’t a body in the grave, it was an ugly statue. 2 stars
NEBUCHADNEZZAR: An incomprehensible story about a parlor game similar to charades where a man with a guilty conscience admits to murdering his wife. 2 stars
The Inspiration of Mr. Budd: A barber catches a killer by dying his hair and going to the police. He knew that the dark brown hair treatment he applied would turn green overnight. 3 stars
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 17, 2020
There is one good story in this collection called "Blood Sacrifice." Its climax
The two Peter Wimsey stories pass muster, especially "Absolutely Elsewhere," and the Montague Egg stories are very enjoyable, mainly because of his character and endless quoting from his Salesman's Handbook. The rest are well-told--you'll definitely want to finish them--but with uniformly weak endings.
The two Peter Wimsey stories pass muster, especially "Absolutely Elsewhere," and the Montague Egg stories are very enjoyable, mainly because of his character and endless quoting from his Salesman's Handbook. The rest are well-told--you'll definitely want to finish them--but with uniformly weak endings.
November 24, 2018
A mixed bag of Sayers� short stories - whodunnits and mysteries, a mixture of her novels, and of the more chilling works of Patricia Highsmith and Raoul Dahl. Most enjoyable, if disconcerting!
The GR blurb:
‘All that was left of the garage was a heap of charred and smouldering beams. In the driving seat of the burnt-out car were the remains of a body...
An accident, said the police.
An accident, said the widow. She had been warning her husband about the danger of the car for months.
Murder, said the famous detective Lord Peter Wimsey--and proceeded to track down the killer.
This is vintage Sayers, a collection of her finest crime and detection stories.�
The GR blurb:
‘All that was left of the garage was a heap of charred and smouldering beams. In the driving seat of the burnt-out car were the remains of a body...
An accident, said the police.
An accident, said the widow. She had been warning her husband about the danger of the car for months.
Murder, said the famous detective Lord Peter Wimsey--and proceeded to track down the killer.
This is vintage Sayers, a collection of her finest crime and detection stories.�
March 30, 2018
In the Teeth of the Evidence is a collection of short stories by Dorothy L Sayers. The cover features Lord Peter Wimsey's name prominently (and the edition I had has the same Elizabeth George introduction as the recent editions of the Wimsey novels), but in fact only two of the stories feature Wimsey. Several more feature the travelling salesman Montague Egg (whose frequent references to the Salesman's Handbook set me musing about a Ferengi detective who frequently refers to the Laws of Acquisition), and about half of the stories are standalones, several quite creepy and Gothic in tone and including a couple which definitely verge on the supernatural. I prefer my detective fiction novel-length really, but this was quite good fun.
April 16, 2024
I felt a bit betrayed by this book - I had assumed it was a number of short stories ALL about Lord Peter Wimsey. Not so - many were of Montague Egg - Sayer's traveling salesman who solves mysteries using the wisdom of a book on sales techniques. Some were interesting - but overall I was disappointed in this compendium
June 28, 2022
In the Teeth of Evidence was a great collection of short stories, some of them featuring Lord Peter Wimsey and some with Montague Egg. A few of the stories were creepy with endings that weren't so happy such as "The Cyprian Cat", "The Leopard Lady" and "Blood Sacrifice".
April 27, 2018
Well executed short stories with a variety of twists.
April 1, 2021
Even though the majority of the stories weren't Lord Peter or even really Montague Egg they were engaging, often with strange twists.
August 30, 2023
I liked these short stories for the most part. There wasn't enough Lord Peter IMO.
Montague Egg has a hand full & there were some other random ones. I really liked the barber story.
Montague Egg has a hand full & there were some other random ones. I really liked the barber story.
October 14, 2022
The missing Monties....
Really, I could kick myself. I bought this book on sale a year ago, but didn't read it. I thought it was one of Sayer's book-length Lord Peter Wimsey mysteries and I'm not a Wimsey enthusiast. I AM a huge fan of her Montague Egg stories. Had I realized that this was a collection of short stories and that five of them were Monty Egg stories, I would have read it the day I bought it. Rats.
The first two stories feature Lord Peter, whom I like in small doses. In the title story, Lord Peter has gone to his dentist, as even aristocrats have to do. Of course, the dentist is called in to identify a burned body and (naturally) Lord Peter trails along. Pottering around the scene of a gristly death (murder, accident, or suicide?) beats having your teeth drilled any day.
In "Absolutely Elsewhere", Lord Peter has accompanied his Scotland Yard buddy Chief Inspector Parker to investigate the murder of an elderly money lender. As Parker explains, the chief suspect is a disgruntled client who's been denied extra time to pay off his loan. There are two nephews and a youngish mistress, all of whom will inherit. But all of the suspects were demonstrably somewhere else when the murder occurred. It's very irritating and Lord Peter must keep examining those air-tight alibis for a weak spot.
Five stories feature Montague Egg, traveling sales representative for Plummet & Rose, Wines and Spirits, Piccadilly. We know all about Lord Peter and his background, but Monty Egg is a mystery man. From his personality, he seems a young man from a modest background who has raised himself in the world through intelligence, hard work, and a likable personality.
While one of Sayer's amateur detectives is a wealthy, classically educated aristocrat and one is a working man, both are men of above average intelligence and curious minds. Monty Egg's base of knowledge is more limited than Lord Peter's, but he appears to remember everything he's heard or read and that knowledge makes him a formidable ally for the police.
In the 1930's there were no motel chains in England and Monty spends his evenings and nights at country inns. A friendly man, he gets to know local drinkers in the hotel bars as well as other commercial travelers. A casual conversation over drinks can lead to a new customer and other travelers are good sources of information. Monty knows that a successful salesman is one who keeps his ear to the ground.
There's a story about a shocking murder in a small town where everything centers on the local mill. Although there's one obvious suspect, Monty guides the police by politely pointing out the unusual printing on the note clutched in the murdered man's hand. Apparently, it's not just Americans who are confused about the English word "gaol" (meaning jail.) I agree with Monty that simplified spelling is best all around.
In another story, a traveller in expensive jewelry is murdered and robbed in the room next to where Monty is TRYING to get some sleep. The suspects' alibis hinge on several clocks that chime the hour. Which one did Monty hear and was it correct or had it been fiddled with? Chiming clocks (and their accuracy or inaccuracy) used to be a regular clue in old mystery stories. Now we glance at cell phones.
There's nothing sadder than the death of a good client and when Mr Bernard Whipley is poisoned, Monty is happy to help the police shift through the evidence. The ne'er-do-well son suspects the oily nephew (and vice versa) but it seems there's a third option, one that would occur only to a man who knows obscure vintages and their unique characteristics. Once again, Monty's memory comes to the rescue.
Monty Egg is a clean-living young man, but some commercials take advantage of their travels to set up bogus domestic partnership. When you consider some of the inns Monty stays at, having a "wife" and a comfortable home and a nice meal at every stop sounds a fine alternative. Unfortunately, the deceived women and their relatives don't agree. One such bigamist is murdered and there's no shortage of suspects. Again, Monty's knowledge of clocks solves the crime.
I think the pick of the crop is "The Professor's Manuscript", in which Monty is tipped off about a potential new client and meets a very odd academic gentleman and his even odder library. While no scholar himself, Monty knows their habits. AND that a man who orders regularly from the local butcher needs something to chew with.
Ten of the stories don't feature either of Sayers' detectives. As much as I love the Monty Egg stories, I have to admit that Sayer's non-detective stories are excellent. Many aren't crime stories at all, although someone may THINK that a crime has been committed. It seems to me that these stories have more humor than Sayers' detective stories.
Several are about marital betrayal and I find it interesting that it's usually the wife who is the erring partner. Sayers doesn't seem to have thought much of her own sex. I've called them "non-detective" stories, but in "The Inspiration of Mr Budd" a likable little man who's down on his luck finds a clever way to mark a wanted man so that the police can't miss him. I hope he got the reward!
"Blood Sacrifice" is a long story abut a starving young writer who strikes pay-dirt when his play is bought by a popular actor/producter. Sayers knew that a writer's control ends when a manuscript is purchased. Truly, a dream can turn into a nightmare very quickly.
"The Leopard Lady" and "The Cyprian Cat" are clever, but disturbing. How exactly did Sayers feel about cats? Sometimes she's sympathetic to cat lovers, but in these stories she associates felines with danger, death, and betrayal. "The Cyprian Cat" has appeared in anthologies and deservedly so.
This collection was published in 1939, after the last of Sayers' Lord Peter novels and before she started concentrating on religious writing. If you love good short stories, it's a must-read.
Really, I could kick myself. I bought this book on sale a year ago, but didn't read it. I thought it was one of Sayer's book-length Lord Peter Wimsey mysteries and I'm not a Wimsey enthusiast. I AM a huge fan of her Montague Egg stories. Had I realized that this was a collection of short stories and that five of them were Monty Egg stories, I would have read it the day I bought it. Rats.
The first two stories feature Lord Peter, whom I like in small doses. In the title story, Lord Peter has gone to his dentist, as even aristocrats have to do. Of course, the dentist is called in to identify a burned body and (naturally) Lord Peter trails along. Pottering around the scene of a gristly death (murder, accident, or suicide?) beats having your teeth drilled any day.
In "Absolutely Elsewhere", Lord Peter has accompanied his Scotland Yard buddy Chief Inspector Parker to investigate the murder of an elderly money lender. As Parker explains, the chief suspect is a disgruntled client who's been denied extra time to pay off his loan. There are two nephews and a youngish mistress, all of whom will inherit. But all of the suspects were demonstrably somewhere else when the murder occurred. It's very irritating and Lord Peter must keep examining those air-tight alibis for a weak spot.
Five stories feature Montague Egg, traveling sales representative for Plummet & Rose, Wines and Spirits, Piccadilly. We know all about Lord Peter and his background, but Monty Egg is a mystery man. From his personality, he seems a young man from a modest background who has raised himself in the world through intelligence, hard work, and a likable personality.
While one of Sayer's amateur detectives is a wealthy, classically educated aristocrat and one is a working man, both are men of above average intelligence and curious minds. Monty Egg's base of knowledge is more limited than Lord Peter's, but he appears to remember everything he's heard or read and that knowledge makes him a formidable ally for the police.
In the 1930's there were no motel chains in England and Monty spends his evenings and nights at country inns. A friendly man, he gets to know local drinkers in the hotel bars as well as other commercial travelers. A casual conversation over drinks can lead to a new customer and other travelers are good sources of information. Monty knows that a successful salesman is one who keeps his ear to the ground.
There's a story about a shocking murder in a small town where everything centers on the local mill. Although there's one obvious suspect, Monty guides the police by politely pointing out the unusual printing on the note clutched in the murdered man's hand. Apparently, it's not just Americans who are confused about the English word "gaol" (meaning jail.) I agree with Monty that simplified spelling is best all around.
In another story, a traveller in expensive jewelry is murdered and robbed in the room next to where Monty is TRYING to get some sleep. The suspects' alibis hinge on several clocks that chime the hour. Which one did Monty hear and was it correct or had it been fiddled with? Chiming clocks (and their accuracy or inaccuracy) used to be a regular clue in old mystery stories. Now we glance at cell phones.
There's nothing sadder than the death of a good client and when Mr Bernard Whipley is poisoned, Monty is happy to help the police shift through the evidence. The ne'er-do-well son suspects the oily nephew (and vice versa) but it seems there's a third option, one that would occur only to a man who knows obscure vintages and their unique characteristics. Once again, Monty's memory comes to the rescue.
Monty Egg is a clean-living young man, but some commercials take advantage of their travels to set up bogus domestic partnership. When you consider some of the inns Monty stays at, having a "wife" and a comfortable home and a nice meal at every stop sounds a fine alternative. Unfortunately, the deceived women and their relatives don't agree. One such bigamist is murdered and there's no shortage of suspects. Again, Monty's knowledge of clocks solves the crime.
I think the pick of the crop is "The Professor's Manuscript", in which Monty is tipped off about a potential new client and meets a very odd academic gentleman and his even odder library. While no scholar himself, Monty knows their habits. AND that a man who orders regularly from the local butcher needs something to chew with.
Ten of the stories don't feature either of Sayers' detectives. As much as I love the Monty Egg stories, I have to admit that Sayer's non-detective stories are excellent. Many aren't crime stories at all, although someone may THINK that a crime has been committed. It seems to me that these stories have more humor than Sayers' detective stories.
Several are about marital betrayal and I find it interesting that it's usually the wife who is the erring partner. Sayers doesn't seem to have thought much of her own sex. I've called them "non-detective" stories, but in "The Inspiration of Mr Budd" a likable little man who's down on his luck finds a clever way to mark a wanted man so that the police can't miss him. I hope he got the reward!
"Blood Sacrifice" is a long story abut a starving young writer who strikes pay-dirt when his play is bought by a popular actor/producter. Sayers knew that a writer's control ends when a manuscript is purchased. Truly, a dream can turn into a nightmare very quickly.
"The Leopard Lady" and "The Cyprian Cat" are clever, but disturbing. How exactly did Sayers feel about cats? Sometimes she's sympathetic to cat lovers, but in these stories she associates felines with danger, death, and betrayal. "The Cyprian Cat" has appeared in anthologies and deservedly so.
This collection was published in 1939, after the last of Sayers' Lord Peter novels and before she started concentrating on religious writing. If you love good short stories, it's a must-read.
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