What is the name of the first 'Lord Peter Wimsey' novel?
Answer
Whose Body?
The first 'Lord Peter Wimsey' novel is Whose Body? by Dorothy L. Sayers. Published in 1923, it introduces Wimsey as an aristocratic amateur detective investigating a body discovered in a London bath.
The mystery begins when architect Alfred Thipps finds a dead man wearing nothing but a pair of pince-nez. Wimsey takes an interest in the case as a hobby, establishing the character's distinctive blend of intelligence, privilege, wit, and dilettantish charm. The novel was also Sayers's debut novel.
The listed alternatives are all genuine Wimsey novels, but they came later. Strong Poison appeared in 1930 and introduced crime novelist Harriet Vane, who eventually became Wimsey's wife. The Nine Tailors followed in 1934, while Gaudy Night was published in 1935 and is especially associated with Harriet Vane. The second Wimsey novel was Clouds of Witness, published in 1926.