I have to say that I, like most of the Christie Capers Book Club, could have done without the first 100 pages or so of this acclaimed Lord Peter Wimsey novel. The level of detail concerning bell-ringing was just too much, but understandable considering Sayers' background as the daughter of the chaplain of Christ Church Cathedral in Oxford and headmaster of the Choir School there.
That being said, Sayers novel of murder begins as Lord Peter and his man, Bunter, run off the road during a New Year's Eve storm in Fenchurch St. Paul. Since one of the local church's bell-ringers is incapacitated with influenza, the absentminded Rev. Venables recruits Lord Peter, who, incredibly, has experience as a bell-ringer, to participate in the spectacular nine-hour nonstop bell ringing. The title, Nine Tailors, efers to the ringing of nine peals when a man dies. Stranded in Fenchurch St. Paul while his car is being repaired, Lord Peter learns of the death of Lady Thorpe, whose family has been haunted for the past 20 years by the theft of a valuable necklace. When her husband, Sir Henry dies at Easter, Lady Thorpe's grave is opened for his burial and an additional, unidentified body is discovered buried in the grave. Lord Peter is on hand to investigate, naturally. During the course of the novel a year passes, other deaths occur, the mystery of the missing necklace is solved, and Wimsey acquires a ward. Eventually the final mystery is solved and Lord Peter rides off into the sunset with his faithful man, Mervyn Bunter. This is a quintessential English mystery from one of the great authors in this genre. It's well worth it if you can get past the beginning!
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