Lord Peter Wimsey Books in Order

Dorothy L. Sayers's classic Golden Age detective series following Lord Peter Wimsey, an aristocratic amateur sleuth, through eleven novels published between 1923 and 1937. A four-book arc introduces mystery novelist Harriet Vane, who becomes Wimsey's investigative partner and eventual wife.

Publication order

In the order the books were originally released.

  1. Cover of Whose Body?

    Whose Body?

    1923 · Dorothy L. Sayers

    A naked corpse wearing nothing but a pince-nez turns up in a London architect's bathtub, while a wealthy financier vanishes the same night. Lord…

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  2. Clouds of Witness

    1926 · Dorothy L. Sayers

    When Lord Peter's brother, the Duke of Denver, is arrested for the murder of their sister's fiance found shot outside a Yorkshire shooting lodge, the…

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  3. Cover of Unnatural Death

    Unnatural Death

    1927 · Dorothy L. Sayers

    An old woman dying of cancer expires rather sooner than her doctor expected, and the physician's nagging doubts reach Lord Peter. With no obvious…

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  4. Cover of The unpleasantness at the Bellona Club

    The unpleasantness at the Bellona Club

    1928 · Dorothy L. Sayers

    On Armistice Day, an elderly general is found dead in his armchair at his London club, and the exact time of his passing turns out to hinge on a…

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  5. Cover of Strong Poison

    Strong Poison

    1930 · Dorothy L. Sayers

    Mystery writer Harriet Vane stands trial for poisoning her former lover with arsenic, and a hung jury buys Lord Peter a few weeks to save her.…

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  6. Cover of The Five Red Herrings

    The Five Red Herrings

    1931 · Dorothy L. Sayers

    Among a colony of quarrelsome painters in a Scottish fishing village, one disliked artist is found dead at the foot of a cliff beside his easel. Lord…

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  7. Have His Carcase

    1932 · Dorothy L. Sayers

    Harriet Vane, walking a lonely stretch of coast, discovers a man's body on a rock with his throat cut, but the rising tide carries it away before…

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  8. Cover of Murder Must Advertise

    Murder Must Advertise

    1933 · Dorothy L. Sayers

    After a copywriter dies in a fall down the office stairs, Lord Peter goes undercover at a London advertising agency under an assumed name. Posing as…

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  9. Cover of The Nine Tailors

    The Nine Tailors

    1934 · Dorothy L. Sayers

    Stranded near a remote Fenland village over New Year, Lord Peter helps ring in the year with a marathon of church bells. Months later an…

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  10. Cover of Gaudy night

    Gaudy night

    1935 · Dorothy L. Sayers

    Returning to her Oxford women's college for a reunion, Harriet Vane finds the cloistered community plagued by a poison-pen writer and escalating…

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  11. Cover of Busman's honeymoon

    Busman's honeymoon

    1937 · Dorothy L. Sayers

    Newly married, Lord Peter and Harriet Vane retreat to a country house they have bought for their honeymoon, only to find the previous owner's corpse…

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Companion & related books

Short-story collections and companion titles in this series.

Frequently asked questions

What order should I read the Lord Peter Wimsey books in?

Publication order — Widely recommended by readers and library guides; the novels were written in story-internal chronological order, so publication order preserves the continuing Harriet Vane romance arc. Start with “Whose Body?.”

How many books are in the Lord Peter Wimsey series?

We list 11 books by Dorothy L. Sayers , published between 1923–1937.

Where can I buy the Lord Peter Wimsey books?

Each title above links to Amazon. As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases, at no extra cost to you.

Reading order compiled from author/publisher guidance and verified bibliographic data. Spotted an error? We continuously correct the catalog.