Lord Peter Wimsey Novels - pick one for me to read please!

[HollyGoHeavily]

My book group meets pretty soon and this month's choice is to read a Lord Peter Wimsey novel. I have never heard of him not yet had the pleasure so need some pointers. Which of the novels should I read? The first one? Or is there a stand-out one in the middle of the series?

Agree Daughter of Time is brilliant; intend to read some more Tey when I get the chance.

Has anyone read the books by Nicola Upson (?) where the heroine is Josephine Tey and she is doing some detecting? The first one is pretty good, the next two not quite as strong though still readable.

Have we scared the OP off or is she now knee deep in early 20th century detective fiction?!

Mrs G I loved those adaptations with Edward Petherbridgr and Harriet Walter - I agree that they got the casting exactly right with those two. I've had the DVDs on my wish list for ages!

I learnt all I know about bell ringing too, just haven't had the opportunity to put it into practise yet!

Haven't read Marjory Allingham for years - may need to dig them out next.

Am reading GK Chesterton's Father Brown short stories at the moment and loving the priest detective.

I do like Margery Allingham as well, but whilst I am very fond of Albert Campion, I never had a crush on him in the same way as I did on LPW. And Albert and Amanda, whilst sweet, are nowhere near as romantic as Peter and Harriet and "Placetne, Magistra?" which still makes me cry sniffy

Yes - it's remarkable DLS wrote Harriet Vane without having met Harriet Walter. And EP much better than the previous casting of Ian Carmichael - he was too much the silly ass.

ooh yes - the 'placetne magistra' gives me goosebumps - you can hear the huskiness in those words coming out of the page

Ahem.

Probably too late now, but although Gaudy Night is my favourite book EVAH, if I only had to read one I would read The Nine Tailors because the plotting is so strong, the setting so evocative and it shows off everything that is so wonderful about PW.

But then I would read all the Harriet Vane novels in order. What bliss to have them all to read for the first time!

Ah, good evening Lady Peter

Wouldn't it be wonderful to have all the DLS in front of you, unread ? Bliss indeed.

Well, the OP can hardly have a better recommendation!

(oh hello CMOT... wonder if they'll try some Terry Pratchett in due course as a change of pace )

I think a TP book would be great for a book club - Witches Abroad for the themes of the power of story maybe ?

(don't want to derail thread, but yes )

Hello CMOT

You're one of my favourite TP characters.

YY to Gaudy Night being the best book ever (and a massive reason I went to Oxford )

I actually read Busman's Honeymoon first, because I was 14 or so and looking for something to read in my aunt's house. I still completely love it and was so happy when I realised there were more in the series. Then started at Strong Poison - which was odd because I knew how things would end up and I just couldn't see it at all.

Has anyone mentioned Thrones, Dominations? Not the real deal of course, but better than nothing!

Also, Have his Cacase - I love that one. In momentes of depression I long to be JHarriet, walking the coast path in 1934, new novel in progress, staying in Wivelscombe, and being wooed by LPW..

LPW books are one of my comfort reads.

I loved Ian Carmichael in the telly version (even though he didn't really capture the complexity of the man), and decided I wanted to marry him. DH is nothing like him (unfortunately)!

PrematurelyAirconditioned - "win for major life decisions based on unrealistic literary fantasy" - brilliant! And me too. Imbued with a love of Wimsey by my mother, I mean, and ended up meeting DH at Oxford. Neither a wealthy aristo nor a willowy blond, but he is a modern historian named Peter, a fact which continually tickles my mother.

I wonder if OP will come back to tell us what she (and book club when it meets) made of them?

I hope so, Edith.

Inspired by this thread, and very much in need of a "comfort read" for business trip this week, I have realised that I don't actually own Have his Carcase, Strong Poison or Murder must Advertise - or, if I do, I can't find them. There are kindle editions of all 3 - so those are now on my wishlist, along with a kindle - I could take the collected works of DLS on holiday [bliss]. I did find a short story collection though (this one) so that is coming with me - and I do seem to own a lot of Margery Allingham books.

Just wondering whether any of you with massive teenage crushes on PW are currently stalking Benedict Cumberbatch / Sherlock?

While I have read all the Wimsey books more than once, because I enjoy the crime/investigation part, I seem to be in a minority here. Because LPW comes over to me as a pompous arse and a bit of a woofter. Sorry. And I think the Vane woman is ghastly too. The love scenes I find embarrassingly unconvincing, to say the least.

PercyFilth - noooooo!

I have nothing to add to the Wimsey love-in on this thread, but add me to the DLS fan club. Murder Must Advertise and Gaudy Night are my top 2, but they wouldn't be so good without the rest of them.

PercyFilth - heresy!

They are my comfort reads - have read most of them many times. Have very old copies that were my mum's but are now falling apart through being read so often.

Agree about comfort reads. Intending to console myself when the DC leave home and we have an empty nest to have a full week under a duvet reading them all fromstart to finish

Well, I've just read clouds of witness and it was jolly good. But when do Parker and Mary get it on?