The Nine Tailors by Dorothy L. Sayers Summary and Reviews
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Book Reviews of The Nine Tailors
Book Review: Ripping yarn!
Summary: 5 Stars
The Nine Tailors is a uniquely English murder mystery set in a tiny town. When Lord Peter slides into a ditch on a cold winter night, he must spend the night at the vicarage in the tiny town of Fenchurch St. Paul. The vicar, a bell-ringing enthusiast, enlists Lord Peter to participate in ringing a 9 hour long peal on the ancient bells in the local church to celebrate the New Year.
Later, when a body is mysteriously discovered in the grave of one of the local nobility, Lord Peter is called in to investigate. The theft of some priceless emeralds many years before seems to be connected. Lord Peter's exceptional social skills, enthusiam and intense curiosity cause nearly everyone to open up to him, making him the ultimate sleuth.
Once again Sayers brilliantly portrays a segment of English country life, the small village, in a way that transports the reader to another time. The charismatic Lord Peter investigates not only an ingenious crime, but becomes part of this small community in a way that allows us to share in the innocence and crimes of a tiny village in England in the 1930's.
Book Review: Sayers - The Best Female Author of Mystery
Summary: 5 Stars
When you read Nine Tailors you will realise why McGallen Awarded her a special award for this book voting it as the best mystery of all time more than 50 years after its first release. It is by far the most thought provoking book I have read. One thing you will always know up front when you buy a DL Sayers novel is that it WILL be a good book. For consistency in good mystery writing is what makes her the best Female Mystery writer of ALL TIME.Book Review: Sayers is, as usual, fabulous
Summary: 5 Stars
I always love Dorothy Sayers, and this mystery is as good as usual. It is, however, bleaker--more like "Busman's Honeymoon" in leaving one feeling both gratified that the mystery has been solved and at the same time unsettled and pained by its effect on a wide range of characters. The change of scene from London to the Fen country is interesting, and Mr. and Mrs. Venables are quirkily endearing characters. As usual, Sayers is very technical and precise about her plot, and I confess to total confusion with regards to the bell-ringing details. But it's nice to know she went to so much trouble to make it accurate! I recommend this book to any mystery-lover (but then, what Sayers would I NOT recommend?).Book Review: The "Tailors" don't sew
Summary: 4 Stars
This tale finds Lord Peter Wimsey and his ever-present butler, "Bunter," on a driving tour of the English countryside when Lord Peter, (who is a bit of a klutz at times), crashes the car, which keeps the two stranded for a day or so in a great and atmospheric rural location, of course, to launch into another great double-whammy mystery: an old jewel theft and murder.
Wimsey and Bunter end up staying overnight at a friendly old preacher's home and Peter gets "roped" (yes, a pun...) into an all-night bell-ringing vigil to ring in the new year at the local church, due to the reported serious illness of one of the bell-ringing team. The bells themselves are the Nine Tailors of the title, each having a separate formal name.
I'll stop there, except to say that Lord Peter ultimately has to return much later to solve the theft and the murder mysteries.
The story is expertly crafted by Sayers, a master of the mystery-writing art, and few folks will guess the ironic ending. Here are some things that I like about this mystery: It's English; it takes place early on in the 20th Century; there are "crusty" characters; the location is very good; I learned a LOT about church-bell ringing, clearly an art-form that I was previously unaware of, and; the story has a satisfying conclusion. So, what didn't I like? Well, those are mostly my own hang-ups because these are things NOT so much found in this story, but I savor mystery cliches such as creepy old houses, lots of rain, and a clear nemesis throughout such sagas.
Also, I will assert that Dorothy L. Sayers wrote BETTER mysteries than this one, (e.g., "The Unpleasantness at the Belonna Club," her best mystery ever), so I'm sort of rating this one solely against her own works. Still, this is a fine mystery and I recommend it to others who enjoy the genre.
This story is also available on Audiobook and that version is VERY good, rendered by an excellent reader. I definitely recommend that you read the book first, though, because there are tons of intricate details and clues in this one that are otherwise easily missed in the audiobook version.
Book Review: The Bells Toll
Summary: 3 Stars
Lord Peter Wimsey, sleuth extrordinaire, assists the Police Superintendent of Fenchurch St. Paul to identify the body of a man buried in the recently deceased Lady Thorpe's grave. The grave was meant to be shared by Lady Thorpe's husband, who recently died during an influenza epidemic. Wimsey and the Superintendent also endeavor to find out who so sadistically defaced the grave's temporary occupant and why, and hope to uncover secrets related to the theft of a valuable emerald necklace and its connection, if any, to the unidentified body. On the way to the resolution of these misdeeds, I endured an endlessly tedious analysis of the crimes and possible perpetrators' motives. The introduction of a cryptogram allegedly sent by the unidentified victim is an over-elaborate plot device that I found more than a bit trite.What gives this book a big boost, though, is Ms. Sayers' scintillating presentation of synchronized ringing of the Fenchurch St. Paul's bells by rope. Ms. Sayers creates imagery of sheer beauty and magnificence. I almost felt as if I were there experiencing such overwhelming loveliness. The names of two of the bells, Batty Thomas and Tailor Paul are colorful and also figure strongly in the plot. The actions of the heroic Mr. Venables, the church Rector, who assists the towns people and helps to pull them together during a horrific flood is very memorable. I also enjoyed reading various quotations from the Psalms and other parts of the Bible that were peppered throughout the book and gave it the poignance that it might not otherwise have had.