Dorothy L. Sayers: The Nine Tailors

This is the third post in my Queens of Crime series. Reading Dorothy Sayers was a bit of an adventure for me, so I hope this review will be an interesting read.

The Nine Tailors is the first Lord Peter Wimsey mystery I read, although it is not the first in the series. I have read the first installation – Whose Body? – but, though I greatly enjoyed it, I didn’t find it to be fodder for a lengthy analysis. It was a fun, quick read. By the time I read Whose Body? I was firmly a Sayers fan. The Nine Tailors, on the other hand? Quite a different story. (No pun intended).

I found Sayers hard to get into at first. The Nine Tailors was my third attempt at reading Sayers. I’d gotten a few chapters into two of her other novels (One of which Clouds of Witness, I recently finished), but they always found their way back onto the shelf after a few chapters. Her style is different from the other “Queens of Crime.” Sayers’ prose is heavier and more literary. Sure, it has the typical upper-class protagonist whose brilliance as a sleuth is not apparent at first glance, but other than that, this novel feels very distinct from some of its contemporaries.

Once I slogged through enough chapters to get used to Sayers unique style, it didn’t necessarily get easier, but I fell in love with the challenge. The best way I can describe The Nine Tailors is that it was an experience. Sayers exhibits an obsession with facts and details. I never expected to learn so much about church bells in my entire life. Which reminds me, I should point out that the “tailors” referred to in the title are a type of bell ringing pattern. This book has nothing to do with a group of suit makers.

In addition to bells, Sayers goes into detail about the waterways surrounding her setting. At times, I felt she bogged down in sluices and bells, but I was impressed by the amount of research she must have done to write this book.

Another detail I found fascinating was Sayers’ portrayal of the local dialect in Fenchurch St Paul. In many ways, these rural British folks reminded me of the people I grew up around in the American South. From a linguistic standpoint, this was intriguing. We tend to think of our region as so unique, but it still has roots that can be traced back “across the pond.”

A final point of interest about this novel is the solution to the mystery. It is not the typical whodunit conclusion. I found this somewhat refreshing. As much as I adore 20s and 30s mysteries, I can’t deny the fact that they get caught up in their own tropes at times, resulting in lack-luster solutions. Sayers creates a unique and complex crime with a solution both surprising and satisfying. (I have heard people express doubt as to its biological accuracy, but biology was never my thing.)

Ironically, I haven’t once mentioned Lord Peter himself in this review besides to identify him as the protagonist. He is an important and charming aspect of this book—another layer in the experience—but there are so many other details that stand out equally and so many other delightful characters. Even side characters that only appear once or twice have distinct personalities. However, there was enough Lord Peter in this book to make me look forward to spending time with him in other novels.

Conclusion

The Nine Tailors was intimidating compared to other mysteries I’ve read, but I learned to love its elaborate challenge. The details of place and character were astounding, even distracting at times, but everything came together to create plenty of twists and turns before the surprising conclusion. As I said, this book was an experience. I’d highly recommend it to anyone hoping to round out their mystery collection. I will add the caveat that Sayers is different than the other “Queens,” so she may not be your favorite even if you loved the others.

Since I’ve also read the first Wimsey book, Whose Body?, I can say that it is a much more approachable read. If I had started there, it might have made getting into other Sayers books easier, so consider beginning your Sayers journey at the beginning.

My next review will be Margery Allingham's The Crime at Black Dudley. To be honest, she ties with Sayers in my ranking, so I can't wait to share my thoughts.