Mystery Review: Lord Peter Views the Body was published after the first three novels featuring Lord Peter Wimsey, as he'd begun to establish himself as a consulting detective of sorts, always ably assisted by his man-servant Bunter. In this first collection the stories cover a wide field. A ghoulish murder worthy of a modern-day Poe, jewel thieves, a clue deviously hidden in a crossword puzzle (back when they were new!), a grisly motorcycle race, Lord Peter engaging in blackmail, ghostly apparitions, a case of impersonation resolved by a wine tasting, a treasure hunt, and more and more. A surprising number veer toward the macabre, bordering on horror, which makes one think twice about the theological writer and noted Dante translator. My favorite story by far in Lord Peter Views the Body was "The Unsolved Puzzle of the Man with No Face." First class in every way -- ah, if that 30 pages could've been stretched to a novel. The stories seem to bounce about in time, as Wimsey varies in maturity (more or less of a twit) from case to case. If they are in fact in chronological order then Lord Peter is having mental or emotional issues. Seeing Wimsey at different points made me realize that Sayers' detective is an acquired taste. After all, not everyone can tolerate the English aristocracy, but perhaps it's easier for a foreigner who has no personal investment and can view the creature from afar as an oddity, exhibit, or amusement. Lord Peter doesn't actually view a body in every story in Lord Peter Views the Body, but this was especially enjoyable for the variety of plots, settings, and crimes. These stories were also part of the complete collection of Sayers' shorter Wimsey pieces, Lord Peter (1972). [4★]
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