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Lord Peter Wimsey #9
Hangman's Holiday: A Collection of Short Mysteries
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.
Includes:
The image in the mirror --
The incredible elopement of Lord Peter Wimsey --
The queen's square --
The necklace of pearls --
The poisoned dow '08 --
Sleuths on the scent --
Murder in the morning --
One too many --
Murder at Pentecost --
Maher-Shalal-Hashbaz --
The man who knew how --
The fountain plays.
Includes:
The image in the mirror --
The incredible elopement of Lord Peter Wimsey --
The queen's square --
The necklace of pearls --
The poisoned dow '08 --
Sleuths on the scent --
Murder in the morning --
One too many --
Murder at Pentecost --
Maher-Shalal-Hashbaz --
The man who knew how --
The fountain plays.
191 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1933
About the author
Dorothy L. Sayers
661 books2,772 followersThe 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.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dorothy...
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.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dorothy...
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 309 reviews
April 23, 2018
Hangman’s Holiday is a collection of short stories and Dorothy L. Sayers’ writing is just as accomplished in this format as it is in her novels. The first 4 short stories feature Lord Peter Wimsey:
The Image in the Mirror What happens when a man can’t remember incidents that others claim he is involved in?
The Incredible Elopement of Lord Peter Wimsey In an isolated Basque community, can a magician resolve a frightening descent into darkness for one lost soul?
The Queen’s Square An entertaining costume party turns deadly and how did the White Queen and the Red Queen become confused with each other?
The Necklace of Pearls At a country mansion Christmas party, the priceless necklace goes missing and Lord Peter is the one to figure out whodunit – and where the necklace is.
The next 6 short stories involve a character who is new to me. His name is Montague (Monty) Egg and he is an astute and observant traveling sales person for a spirits and wine company in Piccadilly:
The Poisoned Dew ‘08 Montague Egg helps to figure out how the port wine was poisoned – and who did it.
Sleuths on the Scent A group of sales people are kept from their travels by bad weather, and at the Inn Monty helps to discover someone who has been evading the police.
Murder in the Morning Ah, but what time in the morning? That is what Monty is determined to figure out.
One Too Many The number of people on the train is correct and all are accounted for – yet one of them is missing. Riddle me this!
Murder at Pentecost Yes, the old professor pontificated and proselytized, but who would it bother enough for murder? Monty figures out who and how it was done.
Maher-Shalal-Hashbaz Rather a bold name for a ginger cat, but when he came back Monty had to find out why.
The last two short stories are less mysteries than they are a look inside the minds and motives of those who contemplate and/or commit murder:
The Man Who Knew How Why are all the papers filled with deaths by people in their baths? One man thinks he knows and is determined to put an end to it.
The Fountain Plays There are few ways to escape from blackmail – and most of them only lead to more trouble.
I enjoyed all of the stories in this collection. As always, Dorothy L. Sayers brings wit and ingenuity into each story and combines them into entertaining reads.
The Image in the Mirror What happens when a man can’t remember incidents that others claim he is involved in?
The Incredible Elopement of Lord Peter Wimsey In an isolated Basque community, can a magician resolve a frightening descent into darkness for one lost soul?
The Queen’s Square An entertaining costume party turns deadly and how did the White Queen and the Red Queen become confused with each other?
The Necklace of Pearls At a country mansion Christmas party, the priceless necklace goes missing and Lord Peter is the one to figure out whodunit – and where the necklace is.
The next 6 short stories involve a character who is new to me. His name is Montague (Monty) Egg and he is an astute and observant traveling sales person for a spirits and wine company in Piccadilly:
The Poisoned Dew ‘08 Montague Egg helps to figure out how the port wine was poisoned – and who did it.
Sleuths on the Scent A group of sales people are kept from their travels by bad weather, and at the Inn Monty helps to discover someone who has been evading the police.
Murder in the Morning Ah, but what time in the morning? That is what Monty is determined to figure out.
One Too Many The number of people on the train is correct and all are accounted for – yet one of them is missing. Riddle me this!
Murder at Pentecost Yes, the old professor pontificated and proselytized, but who would it bother enough for murder? Monty figures out who and how it was done.
Maher-Shalal-Hashbaz Rather a bold name for a ginger cat, but when he came back Monty had to find out why.
The last two short stories are less mysteries than they are a look inside the minds and motives of those who contemplate and/or commit murder:
The Man Who Knew How Why are all the papers filled with deaths by people in their baths? One man thinks he knows and is determined to put an end to it.
The Fountain Plays There are few ways to escape from blackmail – and most of them only lead to more trouble.
I enjoyed all of the stories in this collection. As always, Dorothy L. Sayers brings wit and ingenuity into each story and combines them into entertaining reads.
March 5, 2023
February English Mysteries ongoing group read of LPW books
So , this book contains 4 short stories featuring Lord Peter, half a dozen or so of Mr M. Egg and a couple of non specific mystery shorts.
The LPW stories were all quite different and each had something to recommend but I think my favourite was The Incredible Elopement of Lord Peter Wimsey with The Necklace of Pearls as the weakest
I enjoyed Montague Egg and found them quite different to LPH but still fun.
The two final stories were quite different, the first, The Man Who Knew How was quite dark, and I felt The Fountain Plays was if I'm honest a little boring !
So , this book contains 4 short stories featuring Lord Peter, half a dozen or so of Mr M. Egg and a couple of non specific mystery shorts.
The LPW stories were all quite different and each had something to recommend but I think my favourite was The Incredible Elopement of Lord Peter Wimsey with The Necklace of Pearls as the weakest
I enjoyed Montague Egg and found them quite different to LPH but still fun.
The two final stories were quite different, the first, The Man Who Knew How was quite dark, and I felt The Fountain Plays was if I'm honest a little boring !
July 11, 2021
I really loved the short stories in Hangman’s Holiday. More so than even in Lord Peter Views the Body, the stories in this one very much reminded me of the short stories of Arthur Conan Doyle, and I do not refer to the Holmes stories here necessarily —
There was a dark side to many of the stories, and I loved that.
Overall, I prefer the Wimsey stories to the Egg stories, simply because Egg always ending up in situations where he is involved in an investigation is even more unlikely than Wimsey being asked to intervene.
The book also contained two standalone stories not featuring either Wimsey or Egg.
The Image in the Mirror – 4* (Wimsey) – More of a thriller, and there was something ABC Murders about this one.
The Incredible Elopement of Lord Peter Wimsey – 4.5* – Wow, this was dark. Quite gothic, in fact, and much reminded me of ACD.
The Queen’s Square – 3.5* (Wimsey) – This reminded me of an Agatha short story.
The Necklace of Pearls – 3.5* (Wimsey) – Just a plain, straight-forward puzzle.
The Poisoned Dow ’08 – 3* (Egg) – Interesting concept but the story fizzled out for me.
Sleuths on the Scent – 2* (Egg) – I forgot the story of this one almost instantly.
Murder in the Morning – 3.5* (Egg) – I wonder if this one served as the original idea for Have His Carcase.
One too Many – 2* (Egg) – I forgot the story of this one almost instantly.
Murder at Pentecost – 3* (Egg) – An Oxford mystery.
Maher-shalal-hashbaz – 4* (Egg) – Dark and involving cats.
The Man Who Knew How – 4.5* (standalone) – Really liked this as it was much more of a thriller and would have been at home in a Highsmith collection.
The Fountain Plays – 4* (standalone) – Darkly comic and showing off Sayers wicked sense of humor.
Review first posted on my blog:
https://brokentuneblog.com/2021/07/01...
There was a dark side to many of the stories, and I loved that.
Overall, I prefer the Wimsey stories to the Egg stories, simply because Egg always ending up in situations where he is involved in an investigation is even more unlikely than Wimsey being asked to intervene.
The book also contained two standalone stories not featuring either Wimsey or Egg.
The Image in the Mirror – 4* (Wimsey) – More of a thriller, and there was something ABC Murders about this one.
The Incredible Elopement of Lord Peter Wimsey – 4.5* – Wow, this was dark. Quite gothic, in fact, and much reminded me of ACD.
The Queen’s Square – 3.5* (Wimsey) – This reminded me of an Agatha short story.
The Necklace of Pearls – 3.5* (Wimsey) – Just a plain, straight-forward puzzle.
The Poisoned Dow ’08 – 3* (Egg) – Interesting concept but the story fizzled out for me.
Sleuths on the Scent – 2* (Egg) – I forgot the story of this one almost instantly.
Murder in the Morning – 3.5* (Egg) – I wonder if this one served as the original idea for Have His Carcase.
One too Many – 2* (Egg) – I forgot the story of this one almost instantly.
Murder at Pentecost – 3* (Egg) – An Oxford mystery.
Maher-shalal-hashbaz – 4* (Egg) – Dark and involving cats.
The Man Who Knew How – 4.5* (standalone) – Really liked this as it was much more of a thriller and would have been at home in a Highsmith collection.
The Fountain Plays – 4* (standalone) – Darkly comic and showing off Sayers wicked sense of humor.
Review first posted on my blog:
https://brokentuneblog.com/2021/07/01...
December 7, 2022
This is a delightful little book of short stories, written in the early 1930s, from one of the Queens of British mystery writers. It is set up in following manner.
Lord Peter Wimsey: The most famous of Sayres' ongoing characters, Lord Peter appears to be a rather scatterbrained member of the aristocracy, who used phrases like "what ho" and drops his g's. But under that somewhat expected persona, he is smart as a whip and insinuates himself into murders and kidnapping cases with ease. The stories are clever and the book contains four Wimsey tales.
Montague Egg: Some readers don't care for this lesser known character but I have always enjoyed his adventures. Sayers only wrote short stories about Mr. Egg, a nice man and successful purveyor of "fine wines and spirits" He travels to various towns in England and of course, a murder crops up everywhere he happens to be and he finds the answer. Interesting plots and there are six Egg tales included.
Other Stories: There are two stories here that are unrelated to any of Sayers established characters. One of them The Man Who Knew How is a bit of a spooky affair and rather takes the reader by surprise.
Overall, this little book (only 191 pages) is well worth finding if you are a Sayers fan......or maybe if you aren't.
Lord Peter Wimsey: The most famous of Sayres' ongoing characters, Lord Peter appears to be a rather scatterbrained member of the aristocracy, who used phrases like "what ho" and drops his g's. But under that somewhat expected persona, he is smart as a whip and insinuates himself into murders and kidnapping cases with ease. The stories are clever and the book contains four Wimsey tales.
Montague Egg: Some readers don't care for this lesser known character but I have always enjoyed his adventures. Sayers only wrote short stories about Mr. Egg, a nice man and successful purveyor of "fine wines and spirits" He travels to various towns in England and of course, a murder crops up everywhere he happens to be and he finds the answer. Interesting plots and there are six Egg tales included.
Other Stories: There are two stories here that are unrelated to any of Sayers established characters. One of them The Man Who Knew How is a bit of a spooky affair and rather takes the reader by surprise.
Overall, this little book (only 191 pages) is well worth finding if you are a Sayers fan......or maybe if you aren't.
May 12, 2021
I find that I prefer Dorothy Sayers' novels to her short fiction. But I never mind spending time with Sir Peter Wimsey, so I'm glad to have read this collection.
Other readers should be aware that not all of the stories feature Sir Peter, however. There are a number of tales starring Mr. Montague Egg, salesman of fine wines & spirits. He doesn't seek out crimes to solve, as Wimsey does, but he does have a talent for applying his observational skills and fairly devious brain to any mysterious situation that he runs across. I quite like him.
There are also two stories which do not include any repeating characters. I found both to be entertaining.
Ms. Sayers, like all writers, needed more outlets for her creativity than one character could provide. This collection certainly shows how many interests the author had and how much information she had at her finger tips. There's no denying her sharp intelligence or writing skill.
Those who love short mystery stories will enjoy this little volume.
Cross posted at my blog:
https://wanda-thenextfifty.blogspot.c...
Other readers should be aware that not all of the stories feature Sir Peter, however. There are a number of tales starring Mr. Montague Egg, salesman of fine wines & spirits. He doesn't seek out crimes to solve, as Wimsey does, but he does have a talent for applying his observational skills and fairly devious brain to any mysterious situation that he runs across. I quite like him.
There are also two stories which do not include any repeating characters. I found both to be entertaining.
Ms. Sayers, like all writers, needed more outlets for her creativity than one character could provide. This collection certainly shows how many interests the author had and how much information she had at her finger tips. There's no denying her sharp intelligence or writing skill.
Those who love short mystery stories will enjoy this little volume.
Cross posted at my blog:
https://wanda-thenextfifty.blogspot.c...
August 6, 2016
I rarely read short stories, but I greatly enjoyed this collection by Dorothy L.Sayers, which includes four Lord Peter Wimsey stories, six featuring travelling salesman Montague Egg (I do wish he had merited his own novel) and two stand alone stories.
I read this as part of my attempt to, finally, read all of the Lord Peter Wimsey novels/stories. However, I have to say that my very favourites in this collection were the two final stories in this book; the stand alone stories, “The Man Who Knew How,” and “The Fountain Plays.” Of the Lord Peter stories, “The Queen’s Square,” concerning a murder at a ball had a lot of good Wimsey banter, while “The Necklace of Pearls,” had a Christmas house party setting.
Montague Egg is a fun character, who appeared in eleven short stories – six appear in this volume, while five appear, “In the Teeth of the Evidence.” With his maxim’s from the, “Salesman’s Handbook,” and his intelligent mind, he is a really great amateur detective and interesting character. I look forward to meeting him again in, “In the Teeth of the Evidence,” and recommend this collection of stories.
I read this as part of my attempt to, finally, read all of the Lord Peter Wimsey novels/stories. However, I have to say that my very favourites in this collection were the two final stories in this book; the stand alone stories, “The Man Who Knew How,” and “The Fountain Plays.” Of the Lord Peter stories, “The Queen’s Square,” concerning a murder at a ball had a lot of good Wimsey banter, while “The Necklace of Pearls,” had a Christmas house party setting.
Montague Egg is a fun character, who appeared in eleven short stories – six appear in this volume, while five appear, “In the Teeth of the Evidence.” With his maxim’s from the, “Salesman’s Handbook,” and his intelligent mind, he is a really great amateur detective and interesting character. I look forward to meeting him again in, “In the Teeth of the Evidence,” and recommend this collection of stories.
June 27, 2021
Note: rating only refers to the Wimsey stories
I think "The Necklace of Pearls" was the most successful for this batch of stories, as it lent itself best to the no frills, tell rather than show style Sayers adopts in her short stories
I think "The Necklace of Pearls" was the most successful for this batch of stories, as it lent itself best to the no frills, tell rather than show style Sayers adopts in her short stories
September 18, 2016
Includes:
The image in the mirror --
The incredible elopement of Lord Peter Wimsey --
The queen's square --
The necklace of pearls --
The poisoned dow '08 --
Sleuths on the scent --
Murder in the morning --
One too many --
Murder at Pentecost --
Maher-Shalal-Hashbaz --
The man who knew how --
The fountain plays
This is a really good collection of short stories featuring Lord Peter Wimsey, and Montague Egg. This is my first encounter with Mr Egg and I am looking forward to reading more featuring this very sharp minded travelling salesman.
The image in the mirror --
The incredible elopement of Lord Peter Wimsey --
The queen's square --
The necklace of pearls --
The poisoned dow '08 --
Sleuths on the scent --
Murder in the morning --
One too many --
Murder at Pentecost --
Maher-Shalal-Hashbaz --
The man who knew how --
The fountain plays
This is a really good collection of short stories featuring Lord Peter Wimsey, and Montague Egg. This is my first encounter with Mr Egg and I am looking forward to reading more featuring this very sharp minded travelling salesman.
May 10, 2020
The book’s epigraph, “No Noose is Good News.” A book of short stories, Sayers’ famous Lord Peter Wimsey, four longer stories, and her Montague Egg, a sleuth wine-merchant, six stories. My wife found the very first story, of Lord Wimsey, the best, “The Image in the Mirror,” where a man finds himself approached by his own image in the mirror, after which terrible things happen, though collapsed he can’t remember; yet he cannot deny he may have, because he wakes up a couple days later.
I, on the other hand, found the complex second Wimsey story resonant, “The Incredible Elopement of Lord Peter.” Wimsey’s solves a prominent physician’s withdrawal to an obscure town in the Pyrenees mountains, where the doctor’s wife undergoes yearly diminution and recovery. Lord Peter’s solution depends on my own personal health for fifty years, “thyroid deficiency”(59). In fact, in my case a prominent U Minnesota surgeon, Varco, excised some nodes on my thyroid, and one of my parathyroids. Then a fine female endocrine specialist (Dr. Funk, as I recall) prescribed synthroid, which I have taken for a half-century, to great benefit.
Lord Peter disguises himself as a wizard, with the help of his Greek and Latin, which of course Sayers would have known from her Oxford Language training; the wizard Lord quotes a line from Vergil, noting it’s “a line notorious for its grave spondaic cadence”(54).
The Montague Egg stories are all short, ten pages. In one, the Butler Did It, literally. In another, I learned about Phi Books at the Bodleian— those guarded as "indelicate," sexually explicit. In another Egg, a man confesses to every murder, so he is discounted should he commit one. "The Poisoned Dow '08" is not the stock market, but a wine with nicotine added to it, or the decanter--in Lord Peter, wine not poured from a mere bottle. Could the decanter have harboured the poison? No, it was thoroughly washed out, with a tetch of brandy. (As a nightly brandy drinker, this hurts.)
A century ago the English pubs had many fewer drafts, often only a bitter and a mild-and-bitter, as at the Pig and Pewter in Mugbury, near Drabblesford. In addition to great characters and plots, Sayers' invents wonderful town and river names, not the real Ribble, but the Drabble, not Musbury, but Mugbury.
Reading during the Corona virus in 2020, I learned Corona a century ago was not a Mexican beer, but a Cigar.
I, on the other hand, found the complex second Wimsey story resonant, “The Incredible Elopement of Lord Peter.” Wimsey’s solves a prominent physician’s withdrawal to an obscure town in the Pyrenees mountains, where the doctor’s wife undergoes yearly diminution and recovery. Lord Peter’s solution depends on my own personal health for fifty years, “thyroid deficiency”(59). In fact, in my case a prominent U Minnesota surgeon, Varco, excised some nodes on my thyroid, and one of my parathyroids. Then a fine female endocrine specialist (Dr. Funk, as I recall) prescribed synthroid, which I have taken for a half-century, to great benefit.
Lord Peter disguises himself as a wizard, with the help of his Greek and Latin, which of course Sayers would have known from her Oxford Language training; the wizard Lord quotes a line from Vergil, noting it’s “a line notorious for its grave spondaic cadence”(54).
The Montague Egg stories are all short, ten pages. In one, the Butler Did It, literally. In another, I learned about Phi Books at the Bodleian— those guarded as "indelicate," sexually explicit. In another Egg, a man confesses to every murder, so he is discounted should he commit one. "The Poisoned Dow '08" is not the stock market, but a wine with nicotine added to it, or the decanter--in Lord Peter, wine not poured from a mere bottle. Could the decanter have harboured the poison? No, it was thoroughly washed out, with a tetch of brandy. (As a nightly brandy drinker, this hurts.)
A century ago the English pubs had many fewer drafts, often only a bitter and a mild-and-bitter, as at the Pig and Pewter in Mugbury, near Drabblesford. In addition to great characters and plots, Sayers' invents wonderful town and river names, not the real Ribble, but the Drabble, not Musbury, but Mugbury.
Reading during the Corona virus in 2020, I learned Corona a century ago was not a Mexican beer, but a Cigar.
March 29, 2015
Where I got the book: audiobook on Audible. One from the vaults, as I bought it back in 2002 (can I just stop for a minute and praise Audible for keeping my library intact even though I suspended my subscription for several years?)
The fact that this is a pretty old audiobook really shows in the quality, and makes me realize just how much audiobooks have progressed since I started listening to them. My main complaint about this one was the changes in sound quality every so often, and narrator Nadia May (who’s well suited to reading Golden Age detective stories) could have done with a better mic to take the brittle edge off her voice—although I suppose it was quite suitable that she sounded as if she were speaking into a mic from the 1930s.
The stories themselves are pretty entertaining. There are, I think, four Lord Peter Wimsey stories, several Montague Egg stories and about three or so other stories at the end. Lacking the character development that forms such an attractive (and substantial) part of Sayers’ novels, what you’re left with is the cleverness—nicely worked out little detective puzzles in the Sherlock Holmes style. Some of the resolutions can be guessed early on, some not.
You can read this book on two levels: one is for mere entertainment, and one is for the Sayers enthusiast who wants to get a better understanding of her development as a writer. The stories work pretty well for either type of reader.
The fact that this is a pretty old audiobook really shows in the quality, and makes me realize just how much audiobooks have progressed since I started listening to them. My main complaint about this one was the changes in sound quality every so often, and narrator Nadia May (who’s well suited to reading Golden Age detective stories) could have done with a better mic to take the brittle edge off her voice—although I suppose it was quite suitable that she sounded as if she were speaking into a mic from the 1930s.
The stories themselves are pretty entertaining. There are, I think, four Lord Peter Wimsey stories, several Montague Egg stories and about three or so other stories at the end. Lacking the character development that forms such an attractive (and substantial) part of Sayers’ novels, what you’re left with is the cleverness—nicely worked out little detective puzzles in the Sherlock Holmes style. Some of the resolutions can be guessed early on, some not.
You can read this book on two levels: one is for mere entertainment, and one is for the Sayers enthusiast who wants to get a better understanding of her development as a writer. The stories work pretty well for either type of reader.
October 1, 2021
I believe I read this years ago. And didn't recall being crazy about the Montagu Egg stories. They seemed okay this time.
But the story that really knocked me out was "The Man Who Knew How". Guy is reading a detective story on the train (author taking a swipe at writers who write intelligent school stories - possibly at Edmund Crispin or Michael Innes?) who isn't too sure about how a guy is looking at him. Other fellow tells him that he knows how to kill people without getting caught. Just look at all these people being found dead in their baths. The reader starts noticing that many people are being found dead in their baths. This story falls in the ironic category. But I really liked it.
But the story that really knocked me out was "The Man Who Knew How". Guy is reading a detective story on the train (author taking a swipe at writers who write intelligent school stories - possibly at Edmund Crispin or Michael Innes?) who isn't too sure about how a guy is looking at him. Other fellow tells him that he knows how to kill people without getting caught. Just look at all these people being found dead in their baths. The reader starts noticing that many people are being found dead in their baths. This story falls in the ironic category. But I really liked it.
June 4, 2019
Featuring Lord Peter Wimsey
The Image in the Mirror
Peter encounters a man who believes he's living a nightmarish second life—something directly from the "fourth dimension". When the man is arrested for murder, Peter steps in to find out the truth.
Fine. A little too experimental for my tastes, although it does all turn out to be grounded in alleged actual phenomena. Probably 3 stars.
The Incredible Elopement of Lord Peter Wimsey
A man visits a remote corner of France where he studies the local language and culture. While there he runs into an old acquaintance of his—and is reintroduced to his wife, a woman who suddenly presents as mad and grotesque. When the man later relays this to Peter, he sets up shop as a wizard in order to get close to—and allegedly elope with—the woman.
Slightly more entertaining, although I wasn't a huge fan of the """mystery""" of the woman. I guess it rather feels like cheating to use non-story evidence to result in a solution. But ultimately I enjoyed Peter swanning around this tiny village in a ridiculous costume in order to convince them that he was a wizard. 4 stars
The Queen's Square
The Necklace of Pearls
Peter attends a houseparty where a guest's pearl necklace goes missing during the parlor games section of the evening. After crawling all over the floor like a snail, Peter solves the theft.
I really love Peter, you guys. There is just something about how self-contained he is that I love: even while he acts silly, there's this core of certainty that appeals. The mystery was hand-wavey, but I enjoyed it because it was Peter solving it. 3.5 stars
Featuring Montague "Monty" Egg
The Poisoned Dow '08
Monty Egg, Booze Seller, shows up at a customer's house only to discover that the man has been murdered—and APPARENTLY, it was the liquor Egg sold him that did him in! :O
Monty's a good episodic detective: in a longer piece, I think his reliance on his book of rhymes would grow wearisome, as would his strangely passive way of investigation. But I can't appreciate him as a "on the spot" sort of solver. HOWEVER, I freaking HATE how the stories involving him end. So. Prepare yourselves for my later reviews. That said: this felt like a rather disappointing little case with too much being left out of the hands of the reader. 3 stars
Sleuths on the Scent
Monty ends up dining with the common folk and discovers there is someone present who isn't who they claim!!!
This story felt more built for solving although the solution was telegraphed a little too loudly??? IDK, perhaps I am just overly particular since I had planned to read a book of shorts about Peter and am still adjusting. Nonetheless: 3 stars
Murder in the Morning
Monty stumbles upon the scene of a crime and then has to help the inquest along because of shy witnesses and because he has a car big enough.
WHO ACTUALLY DID THE MURDER THO. 2 stars
One Too Many
Some guys disappears on a train. Monty happened to be riding the train at the same time and shows up to provide an inordinate amount of evidence that allows everyone to figure out that there are 2 men using 3 names between them or something, I don't know.
WHERE IS HE ACTUALLY THO ARREST HIS DUMB ASS. 2.5 stars
Murder at Pentecost
There's a murder at Oxford and Monty ends up tagging along with an undergraduate who happily introduces him to all the prime suspects.
BUT DID HE DO IT THO????????? 2 stars
Maher-Shalal-Hashbas
Monty rescues a cat from a tree, helps the cat's owner sell the cat, helps the cat's owner deliver the cat, sees the cat rescued, and then realizes a murder was committed, probably.
BUT DID IT ACTUALLY HAPPEN LIKE THAT THO????????????????? 1.5 stars.
Other Stories
The Man Who Knew How
Two men converse about murder on a train; one tells the other he has the formula to a solution that will kill a man in the bath without fuss or evidence. The other laughs it off—until he realizes how many dudes turn up dead in their bath. The two men cross paths again, and the bath-obssessed one comes away from it convinced that murder-formula man is trying to kill him!!!
Dark, psychological, morbid. It rather seems like Sayer wants to prove that any man can be a murderer if given motivation and half a chance and that's not a philosophy I particular enjoy? 2 stars
The Fountain Plays
A man is enjoying his house party in peace when his blackmailer unexpectedly dies. He covers it up. The cycle continues. METAPHOR.
Again: Dark, psychological, rather morbid. Not really appealing, but points for crafting such a thing. 2.5 stars.
The Image in the Mirror
Peter encounters a man who believes he's living a nightmarish second life—something directly from the "fourth dimension". When the man is arrested for murder, Peter steps in to find out the truth.
Fine. A little too experimental for my tastes, although it does all turn out to be grounded in alleged actual phenomena. Probably 3 stars.
The Incredible Elopement of Lord Peter Wimsey
A man visits a remote corner of France where he studies the local language and culture. While there he runs into an old acquaintance of his—and is reintroduced to his wife, a woman who suddenly presents as mad and grotesque. When the man later relays this to Peter, he sets up shop as a wizard in order to get close to—and allegedly elope with—the woman.
Slightly more entertaining, although I wasn't a huge fan of the """mystery""" of the woman. I guess it rather feels like cheating to use non-story evidence to result in a solution. But ultimately I enjoyed Peter swanning around this tiny village in a ridiculous costume in order to convince them that he was a wizard. 4 stars
The Queen's Square
The Necklace of Pearls
Peter attends a houseparty where a guest's pearl necklace goes missing during the parlor games section of the evening. After crawling all over the floor like a snail, Peter solves the theft.
I really love Peter, you guys. There is just something about how self-contained he is that I love: even while he acts silly, there's this core of certainty that appeals. The mystery was hand-wavey, but I enjoyed it because it was Peter solving it. 3.5 stars
Featuring Montague "Monty" Egg
The Poisoned Dow '08
Monty Egg, Booze Seller, shows up at a customer's house only to discover that the man has been murdered—and APPARENTLY, it was the liquor Egg sold him that did him in! :O
Monty's a good episodic detective: in a longer piece, I think his reliance on his book of rhymes would grow wearisome, as would his strangely passive way of investigation. But I can't appreciate him as a "on the spot" sort of solver. HOWEVER, I freaking HATE how the stories involving him end. So. Prepare yourselves for my later reviews. That said: this felt like a rather disappointing little case with too much being left out of the hands of the reader. 3 stars
Sleuths on the Scent
Monty ends up dining with the common folk and discovers there is someone present who isn't who they claim!!!
This story felt more built for solving although the solution was telegraphed a little too loudly??? IDK, perhaps I am just overly particular since I had planned to read a book of shorts about Peter and am still adjusting. Nonetheless: 3 stars
Murder in the Morning
Monty stumbles upon the scene of a crime and then has to help the inquest along because of shy witnesses and because he has a car big enough.
WHO ACTUALLY DID THE MURDER THO. 2 stars
One Too Many
Some guys disappears on a train. Monty happened to be riding the train at the same time and shows up to provide an inordinate amount of evidence that allows everyone to figure out that there are 2 men using 3 names between them or something, I don't know.
WHERE IS HE ACTUALLY THO ARREST HIS DUMB ASS. 2.5 stars
Murder at Pentecost
There's a murder at Oxford and Monty ends up tagging along with an undergraduate who happily introduces him to all the prime suspects.
BUT DID HE DO IT THO????????? 2 stars
Maher-Shalal-Hashbas
Monty rescues a cat from a tree, helps the cat's owner sell the cat, helps the cat's owner deliver the cat, sees the cat rescued, and then realizes a murder was committed, probably.
BUT DID IT ACTUALLY HAPPEN LIKE THAT THO????????????????? 1.5 stars.
Other Stories
The Man Who Knew How
Two men converse about murder on a train; one tells the other he has the formula to a solution that will kill a man in the bath without fuss or evidence. The other laughs it off—until he realizes how many dudes turn up dead in their bath. The two men cross paths again, and the bath-obssessed one comes away from it convinced that murder-formula man is trying to kill him!!!
Dark, psychological, morbid. It rather seems like Sayer wants to prove that any man can be a murderer if given motivation and half a chance and that's not a philosophy I particular enjoy? 2 stars
The Fountain Plays
A man is enjoying his house party in peace when his blackmailer unexpectedly dies. He covers it up. The cycle continues. METAPHOR.
Again: Dark, psychological, rather morbid. Not really appealing, but points for crafting such a thing. 2.5 stars.
August 18, 2016
This is a highly enjoyable collection of short stories. It's interesting to read this alongside Sayers' novels, since there are quite a few similarites in theme and location. The book starts off with four Lord Peter Wimsey stories. The first of these is rather weak, but the second one has a creepy horror story quality to it (Sayers edited a collection of detection and horror tales) and has stuck in my mind from my first reading of the book years ago.
These are followed by two lighter mysteries involving a fancy dress ball and a pearl necklace, where Wimsey is seen amid high society and there's plenty of witty banter. It is also fun to catch a glimpse of his mother, the Dowager Duchess, with her stream of consciousness talking.
However, on this reading of the book I enjoyed the stories involving Sayers' second sleuth, Montague Egg, even more than the Wimsey ones. Monty is a commercial traveller selling wine who keeps turning up on the scene of murders.
He is an amusing character who, like Wimsey, is always dropping quotes into his conversation - but, where Wimsey quotes from famous literary works, Monty repeats clever rhyming couplets from his personal Bible, the Salesman's Handbook. He has some similarities with Wimsey, but is able to move in everyday environments more naturally. A shame Monty never starred in a novel.
There are also two standalone stories at the end of the book, which both have clever plots and twists in the tail.
These are followed by two lighter mysteries involving a fancy dress ball and a pearl necklace, where Wimsey is seen amid high society and there's plenty of witty banter. It is also fun to catch a glimpse of his mother, the Dowager Duchess, with her stream of consciousness talking.
However, on this reading of the book I enjoyed the stories involving Sayers' second sleuth, Montague Egg, even more than the Wimsey ones. Monty is a commercial traveller selling wine who keeps turning up on the scene of murders.
He is an amusing character who, like Wimsey, is always dropping quotes into his conversation - but, where Wimsey quotes from famous literary works, Monty repeats clever rhyming couplets from his personal Bible, the Salesman's Handbook. He has some similarities with Wimsey, but is able to move in everyday environments more naturally. A shame Monty never starred in a novel.
There are also two standalone stories at the end of the book, which both have clever plots and twists in the tail.
March 5, 2013
At the onset, I thought of writing a review in my usual way. A sinuous and rather elongated way of saying whether I liked the book. After writing a few lines I hit the backspace button continuously until all of it disappeared. Being totally honest to the narrative which was straight as an arrow, it is way better to cut through the archaic descriptions and call this a damn fine set of stories ! It was my first by Dorothy Sayers and she is a fine writer by all means.
The stories (except two of them) feature amateur sleuths : Lord Peter Wimsey and Montague Egg. Unlike their much famous literary brethren, these are rather unlikely detectives especially Mr.Egg who is a travelling salesman of all people ! The mysteries themselves are rather well etched as puzzles even when the content is that of a murder and such is the beauty of writing. The subtle wit of the stories and the very British way of story telling rubbed off on me very well. You have found a taker in me Senorita ! I shall read more.
The stories (except two of them) feature amateur sleuths : Lord Peter Wimsey and Montague Egg. Unlike their much famous literary brethren, these are rather unlikely detectives especially Mr.Egg who is a travelling salesman of all people ! The mysteries themselves are rather well etched as puzzles even when the content is that of a murder and such is the beauty of writing. The subtle wit of the stories and the very British way of story telling rubbed off on me very well. You have found a taker in me Senorita ! I shall read more.
September 22, 2022
No one can quibble with the fact that Sayers is a master storyteller. All of the stories in Hangman's Holiday had me on the edge of my seat and quite a few were creepier than I’m used to.
It was fun to be introduced to the new-to-me protagonist of Montague Egg. He is a wine salesman who stumbles onto several crime scenes and freely shares his wisdom with the investigators. Just so you don’t take him too seriously, he often throws in some adages from the Salesman’s Handbook such as, “Whether you’re wrong or whether you’re right, it’s always better to be polite.” (These are even funnier when you remember that Dorothy Sayers worked in the advertising business and had a knack for coming up with these ditties.)
Another winner from Sayers.
It was fun to be introduced to the new-to-me protagonist of Montague Egg. He is a wine salesman who stumbles onto several crime scenes and freely shares his wisdom with the investigators. Just so you don’t take him too seriously, he often throws in some adages from the Salesman’s Handbook such as, “Whether you’re wrong or whether you’re right, it’s always better to be polite.” (These are even funnier when you remember that Dorothy Sayers worked in the advertising business and had a knack for coming up with these ditties.)
Another winner from Sayers.
November 30, 2015
A couple of stories in, I realised I had already read much of this book within a different collection of short stories by DL Sayers. They are good but not great. If you like the Peter Wimsey books they are worth a read but perhaps not a reread.
November 13, 2017
Not enough Bunter. Never enough Bunter.
October 21, 2020
What a marvellous collection!
What continues to be remarkable about Sayers’ work is her willingness to explore the human condition. The passions felt by characters created almost one hundred years ago are as real today as they were then.
What continues to be remarkable about Sayers’ work is her willingness to explore the human condition. The passions felt by characters created almost one hundred years ago are as real today as they were then.
Currently reading
October 21, 2023I first read this collection of short stories many years ago, but when I happened to see that the audiobook narrated by Ian Carmichael, the original Lord Peter, was on YouTube -- I could not resist.
Contents:
Lord Peter Wimsey stories:
"The Image in the Mirror"
"The Incredible Elopement of Lord Peter Wimsey"
"The Queen's Square"
"The Necklace of Pearls"
Montague Egg stories:
"The Poisoned Dow '08"
"Sleuths on the Scent"
"Murder in the Morning"
"One Too Many"
"Murder at Pentecost"
"Maher-Shalal-Hashbaz"
Other stories:
"The Man Who Knew How"
"The Fountain Plays"
Contents:
Lord Peter Wimsey stories:
"The Image in the Mirror"
"The Incredible Elopement of Lord Peter Wimsey"
"The Queen's Square"
"The Necklace of Pearls"
Montague Egg stories:
"The Poisoned Dow '08"
"Sleuths on the Scent"
"Murder in the Morning"
"One Too Many"
"Murder at Pentecost"
"Maher-Shalal-Hashbaz"
Other stories:
"The Man Who Knew How"
"The Fountain Plays"
April 9, 2021
Until the other day, I had finished only one book by Dorothy L. Sayers, and based upon that reading, I wasn’t a big fan. Then, by odd circumstance, I fell upon “Hangman’s Holiday,” a collection of her short stories, several featuring her signature detective Sir Peter Whimsey and others featuring a character with whom I was unacquainted, Montague “Monty” Egg, travelling representative of Plummet & Rose, wines and spirits, Piccadilly. Although the name sounds pleasantly disagreeable, Mr. Egg turned out to be a delightful amateur sleuth. Between Egg and Whimsey, I was treated to a handful of entertaining tales. Half begin with a person in the act of speaking (“THAT HOUSE, SEÑOR?” said the landlord of the little posada) which is an unusual but extremely effective technique to pull the reader into the action. All of the stories are quirky, mysterious, intelligent, twisted, and amusing, about what you would expect from a really good British mystery writer. As an added treat, there are two additional tales of crime and fate without any lead character at all. I put her stories on the same shelf as those by Edgar Allen Poe and Raymond Chandler. Forgive me, Dorothy, for passing judgment based on a single read. How foolish of me!
Read
August 28, 20081) I love the way Sayers uses short stories in a sort of exploratory self-indulgence. She allows her characters to engage in situations that are just patently ridiculous, unbelievable, stretched over too long a time, or too slender a premise to warrant a full novel. I like the way she PLAYS in short stories.
2) I have never read any Montague Egg stories before and I'm SO glad the novels are about Peter Wimsey instead. I mean, Monty's heart is in the right place, but he's awfully earnest.
3) What further do we learn about Peter's character here?
"My religious beliefs are a little ill-defined."
"I'm a bit of a conjurer myself."
4) Rural garages no longer use "clock-faces with movable hands to show lighting-up time." Wow, it took me a LONG time to work out what this meant, and it was key to the plot, as well. "Lighting-up time" is, of course, half-an-hour after sunset, when you need to LIGHT YOUR HEADLAMPS on your Model T or whatever it is that British people drove in 1925. It was significant that the murder occurred on 18 June--at midsummer--when lighting-up time would have been very late (10.20 p.m., in fact).
2) I have never read any Montague Egg stories before and I'm SO glad the novels are about Peter Wimsey instead. I mean, Monty's heart is in the right place, but he's awfully earnest.
3) What further do we learn about Peter's character here?
"My religious beliefs are a little ill-defined."
"I'm a bit of a conjurer myself."
4) Rural garages no longer use "clock-faces with movable hands to show lighting-up time." Wow, it took me a LONG time to work out what this meant, and it was key to the plot, as well. "Lighting-up time" is, of course, half-an-hour after sunset, when you need to LIGHT YOUR HEADLAMPS on your Model T or whatever it is that British people drove in 1925. It was significant that the murder occurred on 18 June--at midsummer--when lighting-up time would have been very late (10.20 p.m., in fact).
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 29, 2012
Meh. A collection of Sayers' short stories. Some feature Lord Peter, but most have working-class sleuth Montague Egg solving mysteries and spouting adages from the salesman's handbook. The author obviously had her next book -set in an advertising agency- on the brain as she was penning this.
I find these stories to be small gems of ideas dressed up as short fiction. It feels as though Sayers came up with an ending and then wrote her way back to the beginning of many of these miniature mysteries.
There's a Christmas theft feature (The Necklace of Pearls), two poisonings, several murders, cats, fancy-dress parties, trains and some blackmail in the mix. Solutions are simple and easily seen from afar.
One that will puzzle anyone who doesn't have a solid grasp on the endocrine system is “The Incredible Elopement of Lord Peter Wimsey”. Don't get excited! This does NOT feature Harriet Vane - Lord Peter is helping a lady in distress. Wedding bells do not ring (no need to fear bigamy).
An okay collection of puzzles, suitable for train travel and the like. Not challenging, nothing too convoluted, light reading with some spooky bits.
I find these stories to be small gems of ideas dressed up as short fiction. It feels as though Sayers came up with an ending and then wrote her way back to the beginning of many of these miniature mysteries.
There's a Christmas theft feature (The Necklace of Pearls), two poisonings, several murders, cats, fancy-dress parties, trains and some blackmail in the mix. Solutions are simple and easily seen from afar.
One that will puzzle anyone who doesn't have a solid grasp on the endocrine system is “The Incredible Elopement of Lord Peter Wimsey”. Don't get excited! This does NOT feature Harriet Vane - Lord Peter is helping a lady in distress. Wedding bells do not ring (no need to fear bigamy).
An okay collection of puzzles, suitable for train travel and the like. Not challenging, nothing too convoluted, light reading with some spooky bits.
January 15, 2017
These stories can be roughly divided into the Lord Peter's, the Montague Egg's, and the standalones.
I liked the Lord Peter stories. I thought they mostly worked. They amused me at least. They were not nearly as good as the novels.
I think the Montague Egg stories worked the best. Something about his personality worked better for short stories. It might also be that because I'm used to reading Lord Peter in novel form, which I think probably relies more on characterization than just straight up mystery, that the short story worked better with a protagonist where I'm not looking for interactions with other characters.
The standalones generally didn't work for me at all. I might have gone four stars had it not been for them, but I found them either ineffective or just unpleasant, and not what I was in the mood for.
I liked the Lord Peter stories. I thought they mostly worked. They amused me at least. They were not nearly as good as the novels.
I think the Montague Egg stories worked the best. Something about his personality worked better for short stories. It might also be that because I'm used to reading Lord Peter in novel form, which I think probably relies more on characterization than just straight up mystery, that the short story worked better with a protagonist where I'm not looking for interactions with other characters.
The standalones generally didn't work for me at all. I might have gone four stars had it not been for them, but I found them either ineffective or just unpleasant, and not what I was in the mood for.
March 24, 2015
3.5 stars
Errr, not what I expected as only 4 out of 12 of these stories involve Peter! Then there are six with Montague Egg, who Google tells me Sayers used in several short stories, and 2 just completely stand alone.
I actually liked the Montague Egg stories best. So many of these Peter short stories seem experimental, like these ones verged on horror. And that just doesn't seem to fit in with the main series. It feels almost like reading about a different character leading not-quite the same life. You don't get many non-Peter regular characters at all.
But the Egg ones were fun! Almost brain teasers.
The stand alones were not really my thing. Too much of people making dumb decisions.
Anyway, happy to be done with this so I can move on to a full length story!
Errr, not what I expected as only 4 out of 12 of these stories involve Peter! Then there are six with Montague Egg, who Google tells me Sayers used in several short stories, and 2 just completely stand alone.
I actually liked the Montague Egg stories best. So many of these Peter short stories seem experimental, like these ones verged on horror. And that just doesn't seem to fit in with the main series. It feels almost like reading about a different character leading not-quite the same life. You don't get many non-Peter regular characters at all.
But the Egg ones were fun! Almost brain teasers.
The stand alones were not really my thing. Too much of people making dumb decisions.
Anyway, happy to be done with this so I can move on to a full length story!
December 17, 2022
17 October 2016
A quick, satisfying read, from the time when all novelists also wrote stories. A few star Wimsey, a couple star Montague Egg, commercial traveler, and a few stand alone, including one of the best. Just the thing for those who aren't sure if they'll enjoy Sayers, or for readers who need a brief diversion.
Personal copy.
***
17 December 2022
"The Necklace of Pearls" is one of Connie Willis' Christmas favorites.
A quick, satisfying read, from the time when all novelists also wrote stories. A few star Wimsey, a couple star Montague Egg, commercial traveler, and a few stand alone, including one of the best. Just the thing for those who aren't sure if they'll enjoy Sayers, or for readers who need a brief diversion.
Personal copy.
***
17 December 2022
"The Necklace of Pearls" is one of Connie Willis' Christmas favorites.
July 12, 2022
Another short story collection. The four stories about Peter Wimsey were OK. The others with different protagonists were not as good. Overall, a pretty average book. I will never re-read it, so I'm not going to keep it on my shelf. By now, I've read all four of Sayers's short story collections and all her Peter Wimsey novels, and I can say with certainty that she was much better as a novelist than a short story writer. I love her Peter Wimsey novels, but her short stories leave me cold.
February 2, 2022
Läst den svenska utgåvan, Lord Peter Wimsey och andra figurer.
July 17, 2024
Devintoji Sayers detektyvinės serijos knyga ir jau antrasis trumpų apsakymų rinkinys. Ir, turiu pripažinti, pirmasis, „Lord Peter Views the Body“, patiko labiau. Negana to, kad šitas rinkinukas pasirodė kiek atsainokas, tai dar ir lordas Peteris čia figūruoja mažiau nei pusėje apsakymų. Užtat, aišku, atsiranda naujas herojus – Montague Eggas, kuris kiekvienoj gyvenimiškoj situacijoj pritaiko kokią nors taisyklę iš komivojažeriaus kodekso. Įdomus veikėjas, bet nesiekia Wimsey lygio.
Už apsakymą „Maher-Shalal-Hashbaz“ ir išvis norisi autorę mušt (katinistai mane supras), dėkui bent už tai, kad išsaugojo patį Maher-Shalal-Hashbazą.
Žodžiu, tik trys iš penkių. Būsiu tas, kuriam Sayers patinka didesnėse formose.
Už apsakymą „Maher-Shalal-Hashbaz“ ir išvis norisi autorę mušt (katinistai mane supras), dėkui bent už tai, kad išsaugojo patį Maher-Shalal-Hashbazą.
Žodžiu, tik trys iš penkių. Būsiu tas, kuriam Sayers patinka didesnėse formose.
Read
October 8, 2013This is the Avon edition, and it suffers from the common problems of Avon books: it's not very durable, it's not on acid-free paper, and there are quite a few typos. But it is a hard copy of a book that's no longer in print.
I was terribly disappointed by learning what's in this book. I knew there were some Sayers anthologies that involved non-crimes, or that involved crimes that were not 'capital' crimes. I'd hoped those were the stories that were in this volume, on the principle that it was a 'hangman's holiday' in the sense that there was no work for said 'hangman'.
To prevent others from being similarly disappointed, and just on general principles, I will include a table of contents:
LORD PETER WIMSEY STORIES
I The Image in The Mirror: Contains some interesting observations about how we interpret images of ourselves, but there was no real need to bring in an improbably ruthless character to illustrate those observations.
II The Incredible Elopement of Lord Peter Wimsey: This one involves a cruel but non-'capital' crime--a case of a doctor practicing sexual, physical, and emotional abuse on his adopted child whom he (quite illegally) married. It also may have painful personal resonance for people with endocrine problems and their loved ones: so be warned.
III The Queen's Square: Sayers was notorious for her dislike of Christmas (problems in the extended family, it looks like). This story extends this dislike to New Year's Eve. The question of lighting is important in this story, and my immediate response was severe discomfort. I couldn't have even come in the described building, if the lighting was like what's described.
IV The Necklace of Pearls: This is another non-'capital' story, involving Sayers' hatred of Christmas. Personally, I think the pearl necklace is a lot sillier concept than Septimus Shale's harmless sentimentality about Christmas. But then, I don't care at all about jewelry. And even less about pearls, which are too often obtained by killing living things.
MONTAGUE EGG STORIES
I The Poisoned Dow '08: Montague Egg is a traveler in wines. He's no Lord Peter Wimsey, but he does have a traveling salesman's knowledge of people, and a Salesman's Handbook full of Ferengi-like aphorisms. In this case, he sets out to determine how a bottle of wine handled by his firm got poisoned--with nicotine. I'm not sure where Sayers got the idea that nicotine is the only poisonous compound in tobacco: but it is, in fact, quite poisonous: which is why it's commonly used as an herbicide.
II Sleuths on The Scent: The recognition that members of certain professions open bottles differently from others is not limited to this story: I'm pretty sure there's at least one Isaac Asimov story along the same lines.
III Murder in The Morning: Gas stations were beginning to pop up all over the landscape at this point. They were mostly prefab, and were often not precisely labeled. This probably led to quite a lot of confusion, as in this story.
IV One Too Many: Commercial travelers and corporate nabobs, apparently, have one thing in common: They've heard of a way to diddle the ticket collectors on trains.
V Murder at Pentecost: Set at Oxford, where there are, it appears, one or two of that sort of eccentric who confess to every crime that comes down the pike.
VI Maher-Shalal-Hashbaz: Sayers' predisposition to parade her scholarship is here, as often, biblical, and refers to a prophecy by Isaiah. Why the little girl named her cat that...maybe she learned it in Sunday School? This story is so cruel toward cats in so many ways that ailurophobes and ailurophiles alike would be well advised to avoid it.
OTHER STORIES
I The Man Who Knew How: A man prone to practicing a particular cruel practical joke on strangers chooses the wrong victim.
II The Fountain Plays: Sayers had a particular disgust for blackmailers, whom she considered worse than murderers (or so she repeatedly said). There were fairly stringent laws against blackmail at the time, apparently, but how could they really be enforced? In order to press charges against a blackmailer, after all, the victim would have to admit to having done something criminal. This story is frankly not very interesting. Once you've picked up on the basic fact that fountains that recycle their water were already in use by the time of the story, there's really not much more to the story.
I was terribly disappointed by learning what's in this book. I knew there were some Sayers anthologies that involved non-crimes, or that involved crimes that were not 'capital' crimes. I'd hoped those were the stories that were in this volume, on the principle that it was a 'hangman's holiday' in the sense that there was no work for said 'hangman'.
To prevent others from being similarly disappointed, and just on general principles, I will include a table of contents:
LORD PETER WIMSEY STORIES
I The Image in The Mirror: Contains some interesting observations about how we interpret images of ourselves, but there was no real need to bring in an improbably ruthless character to illustrate those observations.
II The Incredible Elopement of Lord Peter Wimsey: This one involves a cruel but non-'capital' crime--a case of a doctor practicing sexual, physical, and emotional abuse on his adopted child whom he (quite illegally) married. It also may have painful personal resonance for people with endocrine problems and their loved ones: so be warned.
III The Queen's Square: Sayers was notorious for her dislike of Christmas (problems in the extended family, it looks like). This story extends this dislike to New Year's Eve. The question of lighting is important in this story, and my immediate response was severe discomfort. I couldn't have even come in the described building, if the lighting was like what's described.
IV The Necklace of Pearls: This is another non-'capital' story, involving Sayers' hatred of Christmas. Personally, I think the pearl necklace is a lot sillier concept than Septimus Shale's harmless sentimentality about Christmas. But then, I don't care at all about jewelry. And even less about pearls, which are too often obtained by killing living things.
MONTAGUE EGG STORIES
I The Poisoned Dow '08: Montague Egg is a traveler in wines. He's no Lord Peter Wimsey, but he does have a traveling salesman's knowledge of people, and a Salesman's Handbook full of Ferengi-like aphorisms. In this case, he sets out to determine how a bottle of wine handled by his firm got poisoned--with nicotine. I'm not sure where Sayers got the idea that nicotine is the only poisonous compound in tobacco: but it is, in fact, quite poisonous: which is why it's commonly used as an herbicide.
II Sleuths on The Scent: The recognition that members of certain professions open bottles differently from others is not limited to this story: I'm pretty sure there's at least one Isaac Asimov story along the same lines.
III Murder in The Morning: Gas stations were beginning to pop up all over the landscape at this point. They were mostly prefab, and were often not precisely labeled. This probably led to quite a lot of confusion, as in this story.
IV One Too Many: Commercial travelers and corporate nabobs, apparently, have one thing in common: They've heard of a way to diddle the ticket collectors on trains.
V Murder at Pentecost: Set at Oxford, where there are, it appears, one or two of that sort of eccentric who confess to every crime that comes down the pike.
VI Maher-Shalal-Hashbaz: Sayers' predisposition to parade her scholarship is here, as often, biblical, and refers to a prophecy by Isaiah. Why the little girl named her cat that...maybe she learned it in Sunday School? This story is so cruel toward cats in so many ways that ailurophobes and ailurophiles alike would be well advised to avoid it.
OTHER STORIES
I The Man Who Knew How: A man prone to practicing a particular cruel practical joke on strangers chooses the wrong victim.
II The Fountain Plays: Sayers had a particular disgust for blackmailers, whom she considered worse than murderers (or so she repeatedly said). There were fairly stringent laws against blackmail at the time, apparently, but how could they really be enforced? In order to press charges against a blackmailer, after all, the victim would have to admit to having done something criminal. This story is frankly not very interesting. Once you've picked up on the basic fact that fountains that recycle their water were already in use by the time of the story, there's really not much more to the story.
January 24, 2023
There is a broader spectrum in this collection of shorts than in the previous Sayers compilations, which was a good thing, and demonstrated her versatility; from the tiresome Montague Egg with his constant quotes from the apocryphal Salesman's Handbook (sorry, the Egg is addled IMO), through the typical Wimsey-as-boy-wonder (I love Lord Peter, but not in his short-story Deus Ex Machina mode), to the frankly creepy, and on to the now-we-know-silly idea that a hormonal deficiency can turn one to a maundering hunk of insentient flesh. (As I suffer from that particular deficiency myself, I know Sayers' premise is nonsense, but then it was written before the layman had very much information on the subject of "glands". More than one of Sayers' Wimsey tales is premised on the function or dysfunction of the human metabolism.)
I sound like I'm complaining but I'm not, really. As I say, more variety than the norm in Sayers' short stories, and I found it more enjoyable than I expected. ETA: At second listen I was given an undamaged audiobook, but I have to say I didn't like the stories I had missed the first time round very much.
I sound like I'm complaining but I'm not, really. As I say, more variety than the norm in Sayers' short stories, and I found it more enjoyable than I expected. ETA: At second listen I was given an undamaged audiobook, but I have to say I didn't like the stories I had missed the first time round very much.
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