Sayers' reputation rests largely on the murder mysteries she wrote between 1923 and 1937. Although these novels are classics of their kind, Sayers considered them trivial. After 1937 she devoted herself to a translation of Dante's The Divine Comedy, which continues to stand as one of that work's finest translations. She died in 1957.

Apprentice Works

Sayers wrote in a deliberately literary style. At her best, she combined sparkling wit, detailed characters and atmospheric settings, and a complex plot; at her worst, she was prone to incessant clutter. Her first novel, 1923's 'Whose Body? (Lord Peter Wimsey Mysteries (Paperback))', not only introduces Lord Peter Wimsey, but shows both extremes; it has an awkward feel, and it would be three years before she published a second Wimsey novel.

The conclusion of 1926's 'Clouds of Witness' is unlikely to satisfy many, but in style it offers a marked improvement, and while the book feels slightly "stiff" Sayers emerges as a distinctly original literary voice. 1927's 'Unnatural Death (Lord Peter Wimsey Mysteries (Paperback))' and 1928's 'The Unpleasantness at the Bellona Club' are similarly "stiff," but they too find Sayers in stylistic control, cleverly mixing humor, plot, and literary style to tremendous effect.

Sayers remained in good form for 1930's 'Strong Poison', the novel in which she introduces reoccuring character Harriet Vane. But following this novel the quality of her novels shifts, and while her next works have charms for hardcore fans they are unlikely to appeal to the more casual reader.

Growing Pains

1931's 'The Five Red Herrings' is easily one of the most widely disliked novels by a major author working in the mystery genre. The book is beset by a wildly complicated emphasis on train schedules and time tables. Worse still, Sayers makes the fatal mistake of attempting to phonetically reproduce the Scottish accent on the page, and the result is page after page of awkward spellings and punctuations. 1932's 'Have His Carcase' finds Wimsey and Vane investigating a seaside resort murder and is only a mild improvement over The Five Red Herrings. Again, Sayers' fascination with time-tables proves a stumbling block, and in this instance neither Wimsey nor Vane prove sympathetic. But in creating The Five Red Herrings and Have His Carcass, Sayers seems to have put all her bad habits into final form and in doing so is able to shed them.

The Great Novels

Sayers at last hit her true stride with the 1933 publication of 'Murder Must Advertise (Lord Peter Wimsey Mystery)', which finds Lord Peter (sans Harriet Vane) investigating a suspicious death at a London advertising agency. Drawing upon her own experience in this world, Sayers at last strikes the perfect tone--and the novel is a delight. Although the 1934 'The Nine Tailors' (also sans Harriet Vane) again shows Sayer's delight in complexity for the sake of complexity, she keeps control, and this strange and uniquely English tale is only slightly less fine.

In 1935 Sayers created, to my mind at least, her single best novel: 'Gaudy Night (Lord Peter Wimsey Mystery)'. Once more, Sayers draws from personal experience, setting her novel at an Oxford university for women. Although some complain that the "mystery" is overshadowed by the evolving romance between Wimsey and Vane, Sayer's proves remarkably adept at creating the atmosphere of a women's university "between the wars," presenting us with an amazing snapshot in time and involving the reader in a host of issues related to both the characters and their setting.

Sayers intended Gaudy Night to be her final mystery novel, but she would create one more. Although fascinated by the stage, her only significant success was as the co-author of Busman's Honeymoon. The popularity of the play prompted her to write it as the novel 'Busman's Honeymoon', which proved every bit as popular as the play, completely resolves the Wimsey-Vane relationship, and stands alongside Murder Must Advertise and Gaudy Night as a remarkably fine work.

Other Works

Sayers also produced short stories, which can be found in such volumes as 'Lord Peter Views the Body (Lord Peter Wimsey Mysteries (Paperback))'. Unfortunately, it is a rare author who writes novels and short stories equally well, and these are not in the same league with her best work. But Sayers would have another claim to fame. Profoundly interested in theology, she wrote a number of texts concerning religious belief, most notably 'The Mind of the Maker' and 'The Man Born to Be King'. In the academic world, her great masterpiece would be her translation of 'The Divine Comedy-Hell' and 'The Divine Comedy, Part 2: Purgatory'.

Some forty years after Sayers' death, Jill Paton Walsh completed two Wimsey novels that Sayers had abandoned and left unfinished: 'Thrones, Dominations (A Lord Peter Wimsey Mystery)' and 'A Presumption of Death: A New Lord Peter Wimsey/Harriet Vane Mystery'. Most fans agree they are of curiosity value only.

Closing Comments

There are several biographies on Sayers and numerous critical evaluations of her work. Among the best are 'The Remarkable Case of Dorothy L. Sayers', 'Dorothy L. Sayers: Her Life and Soul', and 'Biography of Dorothy L.Sayers'. Although her earliest work is somewhat problematic, her later work is remarkably fine--and with her complex combination of literary style, humor, character, setting, and plot she has exerted a profound influence on such later writers as P.D. James and Ruth Rendell. At times the style of her work may seem a little daunting, but for mystery fans (and even casual readers) she is easily among the great authors of the genre.