Book Series Guide

Dorothy L. Sayers

Author guide

Dorothy L. Sayers Books in Order

Dorothy Leigh Sayers studied modern languages and medieval literature at Somerville College, Oxford. She became known for the Lord Peter Wimsey detective novels and stories, then turned increasingly to religious drama, Christian apologetics, literary criticism, and translation, including a widely influential translation of Dante’s Divine Comedy. She was also a pioneering woman advertising copywriter and a member of the Detection Club.

mysterydetective fictioncrime fictionshort storiespoetryplaysreligious dramaessaysChristian apologeticsliterary criticism

Not sure where to begin?

Start with one of these

Cover of Whose Body?

Whose Body?

The first Lord Peter Wimsey novel and the natural entry point for publication-order reading.

Cover of Gaudy Night

Gaudy Night

A major Lord Peter Wimsey and Harriet Vane novel that can stand alone.

Cover of The Nine Tailors

The Nine Tailors

A largely self-contained, atmospheric mystery and a frequent favorite among readers.

Read in order

Books by series

detective-fiction · completed

Lord Peter Wimsey

Dorothy L. Sayers’s detective fiction featuring the aristocratic amateur sleuth Lord Peter Wimsey, including authorized posthumous continuations.

Series guide →
  1. 1 Cover of Whose Body?
    Whose Body?

    Book 1 · novel · 1923

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  2. 2 Cover of Clouds of Witness
    Clouds of Witness

    Book 2 · novel · 1926

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  3. 3 Cover of Unnatural Death
    Unnatural Death

    Book 3 · novel · 1927

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  4. 4 Cover of Lord Peter Views the Body
    Lord Peter Views the Body

    Book 4 · short-story-collection · 1928 Optional

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  5. 5 Cover of The Unpleasantness at the Bellona Club
    The Unpleasantness at the Bellona Club

    Book 5 · novel · 1928

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  6. 6 Cover of Strong Poison
    Strong Poison

    Book 6 · novel · 1930

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  7. 7 Cover of The Five Red Herrings
    The Five Red Herrings

    Book 7 · novel · 1931

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  8. 8 Cover of Have His Carcase
    Have His Carcase

    Book 8 · novel · 1932

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  9. 9 Cover of Hangman's Holiday
    Hangman's Holiday

    Book 9 · short-story-collection · 1933 Optional

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  10. 10 Cover of Murder Must Advertise
    Murder Must Advertise

    Book 10 · novel · 1933

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  11. 11 Cover of The Nine Tailors
    The Nine Tailors

    Book 11 · novel · 1934

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  12. 12 Cover of Gaudy Night
    Gaudy Night

    Book 12 · novel · 1935

    Amazon ↗
  13. 13
    Busman's Honeymoon: A Detective Comedy in Three Acts

    Book 13 · play · 1936 Optional

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  14. 14
    Busman's Honeymoon: A Love Story with Detective Interruptions

    Book 14 · novel · 1937

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  15. 15 Cover of In the Teeth of the Evidence and Other Mysteries
    In the Teeth of the Evidence and Other Mysteries

    Book 15 · short-story-collection · 1939 Optional

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  16. 16 Cover of Striding Folly
    Striding Folly

    Book 16 · short-story-collection · 1972 Optional

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  17. 17 Cover of Thrones, Dominations
    Thrones, Dominations

    Book 17 · collaborative-novel · 1998 Optional

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  18. 18 Cover of A Presumption of Death
    A Presumption of Death

    Book 18 · collaborative-novel · 2002 Optional

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  19. 19
    The Attenbury Emeralds

    Book 19 · collaborative-novel · 2011 Optional

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  20. 20
    The Late Scholar

    Book 20 · collaborative-novel · 2014 Optional

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Outside the series

Bibliography by category

Novels (2)
  1. Cover of The Mind of the Maker
    The Mind of the Maker

    nonfiction · 1941

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  2. Even the Parrot: Exemplary Conversations for Enlightened Children

    nonfiction · 1944

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Nonfiction (3)
  1. Introductory Papers on Dante

    literary-criticism · 1954

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  2. Further Papers on Dante

    literary-criticism · 1957

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  3. Wilkie Collins: A Critical and Biographical Study

    literary-criticism · 1977

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Essays and speeches (16)
  1. Papers Relating to the Family of Wimsey

    pamphlet · 1936

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  2. An Account of Lord Mortimer Wimsey, the Hermit of the Wash: Related in a Letter to Sir H-- G-- Bart

    pamphlet · 1937

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  3. The Greatest Drama Ever Staged

    essay-collection · 1938

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  4. Strong Meat

    essay-collection · 1939

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  5. Begin Here: A War-Time Essay

    essay-collection · 1940

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  6. Cover of Creed or Chaos? and Other Essays in Popular Theology
    Creed or Chaos? and Other Essays in Popular Theology

    essay-collection · 1940

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  7. The Mysterious English

    pamphlet · 1941

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  8. Why Work?

    pamphlet · 1942

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  9. The Other Six Deadly Sins

    pamphlet · 1943

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  10. Making Sense of the Universe

    pamphlet · 1946

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  11. Cover of Unpopular Opinions
    Unpopular Opinions

    essay-collection · 1946

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  12. Cover of The Lost Tools of Learning
    The Lost Tools of Learning

    pamphlet · 1948

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  13. The Great Mystery of Life Hereafter

    essay-collection · 1957

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  14. Are Women Human?

    essay-collection · 1959

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  15. The Poetry of Search and the Poetry of Statement, and Other Posthumous Essays on Literature, Religion and Language

    essay-collection · 1963

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  16. Taking Detective Stories Seriously: The Collected Crime Reviews of Dorothy L. Sayers

    essay-collection · 2017

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Poetry (3)
  1. Op. I

    poetry-collection · 1916

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  2. Cover of Catholic Tales and Christian Songs
    Catholic Tales and Christian Songs

    poetry-collection · 1918

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  3. The Poetry of Dorothy L. Sayers

    poetry-collection · 1996

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Plays (9)
  1. The Silent Passenger

    screenplay · 1935

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  2. Cover of The Zeal of Thy House
    The Zeal of Thy House

    play · 1938

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  3. He That Should Come: A Nativity Play in One Act

    radio-play · 1939

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  4. The Devil to Pay

    play · 1939

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  5. Love All: A Comedy of Manners

    play · 1984

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  6. The Golden Cockerel

    radio-play · 1941

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  7. Cover of The Man Born to Be King: A Play-Cycle on the Life of Our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ
    The Man Born to Be King: A Play-Cycle on the Life of Our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ

    play-cycle · 1943

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  8. The Just Vengeance

    play · 1946

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  9. Where Do We Go from Here?

    radio-play · 1948

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Collaborations (5)
  1. Cover of The Documents in the Case
    The Documents in the Case

    collaborative-novel · 1930

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  2. Cover of The Floating Admiral
    The Floating Admiral

    collaborative-novel · 1931

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  3. Cover of Ask a Policeman
    Ask a Policeman

    collaborative-novel · 1933

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  4. Cover of Six against the Yard
    Six against the Yard

    collaborative-novel · 1936

    Amazon ↗
  5. Double Death: A Murder Story

    collaborative-novel · 1939

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Other (10)
  1. Tristan in Brittany

    translation · 1929

    Amazon ↗
  2. The Days of Christ's Coming

    illustrated-book · 1953

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  3. The Story of Easter

    illustrated-book · 1955

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  4. The Story of Noah's Ark

    illustrated-book · 1956

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  5. The Letters of Dorothy L. Sayers: 1899–1936: The Making of a Detective Novelist

    letters · 1995

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  6. The Letters of Dorothy L. Sayers: 1937–1943: From Novelist to Playwright

    letters · 1998

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  7. The Letters of Dorothy L. Sayers: 1944–1950: A Noble Daring

    letters · 1999

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  8. The Letters of Dorothy L. Sayers: 1951–1957: In the Midst of Life

    letters · 2000

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  9. The Letters of Dorothy L. Sayers: Child and Woman of Her Time

    letters · 2002

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  10. The Travelling Rug

    chapbook · 2005

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