Unnatural Death
(Dorothy Sayers)
How do you solve the crime that leaves no trace? Indeed, how do you confirm that the crime took place at all? This is the dilemma facing Lord Peter Wimsey as he faces his most difficult mystery to date. The Lord Peter Wimsey mysteries of the 1920s and 30s are a delightful example of the genre. The dapper, sophisticated Lord Peter, accompanied by his efficient and intelligent manservant, Bunter, and his friend, the Scotland Yard Inspector Parker, solve mysteries in between martinis and introduce the reader to the intricate affairs of the decadence and indiscretions of England in the jazz age. ?Unnatural Death,? written in 1927, is one of the early mysteries of Lord Peter before he becomes introduced to Harriet Vane and his life takes a different turn altogether. As Parker and Lord Peter are dining one evening, they happen to argue over the difficulty doctors have in investigating suspicious deaths among their patients. The two friends argue over the potential damage such circumstances would cause to a doctor?s practice. A stranger interrupts them by his eagerness in agreeing with their understanding of the position of doctors. He himself lost his job because he made a fuss about the supposedly natural Death of an elderly patient of his. The lady was a cancer patient and though her mind was going and she was in considerable pain, her body was fighting the disease and he predicted she would live several months more. His shock at her dying suddenly and simply made him look into the case with suspicion. He required an autopsy and, though nothing was found, still thought their was something unnatural in the death. The town, when they found out about his suspicions, all became adamant in the defense of the deceased niece and soon the doctor found his practice failing and was forced to leave the district. Lord Peter, intrigued by the circumstances of the death, decided to investigate it. Unfortunately, his investigations caused the murderer to strike again, yet with such skill that it was impossible to convict her and as he continued towards finding out how and why the niece may have murdered her ailing aunt, she became more and more desperate for his not finding her out. The mystery is clever, intriguing, and the ruthlessness of the murderess makes Lord Peter?s quest more desperate as the mystery gets underway. All in all, it, as the other Lord Peter mysteries are, leaves the reader both surprised and engaged throughout the novel.
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