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Hangman's Holiday: A Collection of Short Mysteries by Dorothy L. Sayers
Book Description 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. Reader Reviews 0 of 1 people found the following review helpful: A delightful collection of Sayers' classics, September 19, 2002 Reviewer: lornevallen from Singapore In several short stories, Dorothy L. Sayers narrated several entertaining mysteries. Beginning with two tales of Lord Peter Whimsey, Dorothy L. Sayers played with the theme of gothic horror in The Image in the Mirror and The Incredible Elopement of Lord Peter Whimsey. Having been forewarned though, readers were less likely to feel entertained, though these stories had excellent settings for a Twilight Zone evening. The Queen's Square though, is a classic though tedious challenge for mystery readers to keep track of characters in a fancy dress party when one flirtacious young lady guest was strangled but every suspect appeared to have an alibi. Necklace of Pearls would make a good holiday mystery, when a string of fine pearls went missing during a Christmas party. Sayers, while supplying sufficient clues, would require readers to visual the atmospheres of parties in the 1930s, a gay affair but very formal compared to the present in the 21st century. Montague Egg made his appearances in several short stories that followed, entertaining readers with various maxims for his Salesman Handbook. First, his professional standing was called into question when one of his clients died of poisoning after drinking one of the ports purchased through Egg. In another tale, Egg almost became the suspect when he discovered a potential client had thoughtlessly died before Egg could even introduce himself. In yet another tale, Egg found himself playing the chivalrous role of a knight aiding a girl in distress. Humourously told, Montague Egg was one excellent observer of human nature, though apparently more innocent compared to Agatha Christie's Mr Parker Pyne. Two other tales rounded up the book without recurring characters. One involved a man who was told of a perfect murder through the bath, and started noticing unusual number of deaths in baths being reported. Readers would quickly finished this book and want for more. Sayers did not furnish unnecessary details but managed to allow the readers feel uncheated of being narrated tales of mysteries from the 1930s era. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title
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