Product Description

Murder is hardly the best way for Lord Peter and his bride, the famous mystery writer Harriet Vane, to start their honeymoon.It all begins when the former owner of their newly acquired estate is found quite nastily dead in the cellar. And what Lord Peter had hoped would be a very private and romantic stay in the country soon turns into a most baffling case, what with the misspelled "notise" to the milkman and the intriguing condition of the dead man -- not a spot of blood on his smashed skull and not a pence less than six hundred pounds in his pocket.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #80665 in Books
• Published on: 1995-04-01
• Released on: 1995-02-24
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Mass Market Paperback
• 416 pages

Features

• ISBN13: 9780061043512
• Condition: NEW
• Notes: Brand New from Publisher. No Remainder Mark.
• Click here to view our Condition Guide and Shipping Prices

Review
"Busman's Honeymoon has everything--mystery, comedy, love, and drama--all served up in Dorothy Sayers' best style." -- --New York Times

"One of the greatest mystery story writers of this century." -- --Los Angeles Times

"The Wimsey books are literate and delightful mysteries." -- --Chicago Tribune

From the Publisher
What Lord Peter and his bride, the famous mystery writer Harriet Vane, hoped would be a quiet and romantic honeymoon turns into a baffling case of murder when the former owner of their newly acquired estate is found dead in the cellar.

About the Author
Dorothy L. Sayers is the author of novels, short stories, poetry collections, essays, reviews and translations. Although she was a noted Christian scholar, she is most known for her detective fiction. Born in 1893, she was one of the first women to be awarded a degree from Oxford University. Her first book featuring Lord Peter Wimsey, Whose Body?, was published in 1923 and over the next 20 years more novels and short stories about the aristocratic amateur sleuth appeared. Dorothy L. Sayers is recognized as one of the greatest mystery writers of the 20th century.

Letter from the Editor:

Dorothy L. Sayers is recognized as one of the greatest mystery writers of the 20th century. In 1923, Whose Body?, her first book, featuring the aristocratic amateur sleuth, Lord Peter Wimsey, was published, and over the next 20 years more novels and short stories appeared. All 15 of Sayers' mysteries are available from HarperPaperbacks.

Now there is a new Dorothy L. Sayers novel. A long-lost partial manuscript titled Thrones, Dominions was discovered last year, and acclaimed mystery writer Jill Paton Walsh has completed it. St. Martin's Press will publish this book in February. This is a signal publishing event, and HarperCollins congratulates St. Martin's Press.

We are sure that Thrones, Dominions will delight Sayers' fans and find new ones for her, and in the process whet appetites for Sayers' other mysteries. A list of these books is attached. In the words of Dorothy L. Sayers herself, "Murder must advertise." So, in addition to an announcement about Thrones, Dominions in a recent issue of Publisher's Weekly, the next edition of the HarperCollins mystery newsletter, Deadline, will include a piece on the Sayers books, as will St. Martin's Press' newsletter, Murder at the Flatiron Building. HarperCollins will also feature information about the Sayers' backlist on its web page.

Dorothy L. Sayers died in 1957, but her books continue to enthrall readers today. Please help us celebrate the doyenne of the Golden Age of the Mystery, Dorothy L. Sayers.

Customer Reviews

Completely Satisfying
Based on a stage play co-written by Sayers, Busman's Holiday is Sayers last significant statement in the mystery genre--and a completely satisfying one at that. Like several other novels that involve both Sayers' sleuth Lord Peter Wimsey and mystery novelist Harriet Vane, the novel is as much a portrait of their relationship as it is a murder mystery, and while these two elements occasionally seem at odds in other works (most notably the unworthy Have His Carcass), Busman's Holiday strikes a perfect balance between the two as we follow the couple through the first few days of their honeymoon as they deal with the shock of marriage, domestic disasters, and an unexpected body in their honeymoon home's basement. As in other novels, Sayers draws a great deal from her setting--in this case rural England on the eve of World War II--and presents us with a memorable cast of supporting characters, and the result is as fine a novel as she ever produced, particularly notable for its wittiness and sly humor. A greatly satisfying finish to a highly enjoyable series.

There is, incidently, an extremely well-made 1930s film version of this particular work starring Robert Montgomery and Constance Cummings. Although Montgomery is not quite the image of Lord Peter Wimsey, he plays quite well, and Cummings is Harriet Vane brought to life on the screen. Sayers fans should enjoy the film almost as much as they enjoy the book!

Vintage Sayers.
I am glad to find so many favorable reviews of this, Dorothy L Sayers' final detective fiction novel, on the internet. It failed to find much favor with the public or the critics when it was written in the late 1930s. In actual need of the income that her earlier works in this genre had generated (she had to support not only herself but also a non-productive husband and an illegitimate son), she negotiated with her publisher to "once again try my hand at detective fiction" after he had pointed out that the market seemed to have become saturated.

Just as a busman's holiday is a vacation where the busman is likely to be as involved with driving as he is throughout the rest of the year, a busman's honeymoon (a phrase which she coined) is one where the busman (in this case Lord Peter Wimsey) is likely to spend his honeymoon checking alibis, interviewing murder suspects, observing rigor mortis, and all the other tiresome activities of an amateur detective.

Lord Peter and Harriet Vane are the honeymooners. After their wedding (reported in a series of letters that begin the novel), they travel to "Talboys", a country house chosen by Harriet. Their reception is not as predicted. Eventually Lord Peter's butler, Bunter, discovers a corpse in the cellar.

The novel began life as a play, as you may infer from the many static scenes involving a large ensemble of characters entering and exiting. The prose is as rich in wit, classical illusions and sophistication as you will ever encounter in detective fiction. Dorothy L. Sayers was an honours graduate and capable of writing as well as George Eliot.

Don't expect the kind of fast food satisfaction that Agatha Christie provided so successfully. You will find instead the full silver service dining and wining experience here.

One of the best of its genre. . .
. . .although whether the genre should properly be romance or mystery is a point up for debate. Either way, this final book in the 4-novel Harriet Vane/Peter Wimsey series is wonderful and utterly satisfying. Not only is the murder mystery extremely tight and well-done (as per normal for Sayers), but this is one of the few books of any genre I've read that really gets love right. The problems and beauties of newlywed life for two people who've been trying to come to terms with their relationship for five years are very well done, and Sayers maintains her commitment as an author to be as utterly honest and realistic about love and its complications as possible.

Oh, and the roughly 6,000 tons of unresolved romantic tension built up through the first three Wimsey/Vane books are finally resolved here, to the great relief of the reader. Just reading accounts of the wedding (which was described through a series of letters between various friends and acquaintances of the couple), I felt as if I'd finally been allowed to breathe after having my head held underwater for an interminable period of time.

I plan to keep my copy of this book for the rest of my life--if you like mysteries and enjoy a good love story, this is a safe pick.