The Five Red Herrings - by Dorothy L Sayers (Paperback)

About the Book

When Sandy Campbell's body is found at the foot of a cliff near the small town of Kirkcudbright, the local constabularies are convinced that the argumentative painter is a victim of a tragic accident. But when Lord Peter Wimsey turns up, the hunt begins for an ingenious killer. Faced with six men, all of whom have a motive for murder, the aristocratic amateur sleuth must deduce which are the five red herrings and which has blood on his hands.

Book Synopsis

The mistress of the Golden Age mystery, Dorothy L. Sayers paints a perfect picture of murder in this classic tale in which Lord Peter Wimsey must ferret out a murderer in a Scottish artists' colony.

In the scenic Scottish village of Kirkcudbright, no one is disliked more than Sandy Campbell. When the painter is found dead at the foot of cliff, his easel standing above, no one is sorry to see him gone--especially six members of the close knit Galloway artists' colony.

The inimitable Lord Peter Wimsey is on the scene to determine the truth about Campbell's death. Piecing together the evidence, the aristocratic sleuth discovers that of the six suspected painters, five are red herrings, innocent of the crime. But just which one is the ingenious artist with a talent for murder?

From the Back Cover

Lord Peter Wimsey must ferret out a murderer in a Scottish art colony in this classic tale from Dorothy L. Sayers.

In the scenic Scottish village of Kirkcudbright, no one is disliked more than the painter Sandy Campbell. When he is found dead at the foot of a cliff, his easel standing above, no one is sorry to see him gone--especially six members of the close-knit Galloway artists' colony.

The inimitable Lord Peter Wimsey is on the scene to determine the truth about Campbell's death. Piecing together the evidence, the aristocratic sleuth discovers that of the six suspected painters, five are red herrings, innocent of the crime. But just which one is the ingenious artist with a talent for murder?

Review Quotes

"First-rate . . . marvelous reading." -- Chicago Sun-Times

"One of the greatest mystery story writers of the [twentieth] century." -- Los Angeles Times

"She brought to the detective novel originality, intelligence, energy and wit." -- P. D. James

"I admire her novels ... she has great fertility of invention, ingenuity and a wonderful eye for detail." -- Ruth Rendell

"She combined literary prose with powerful suspense, and it takes a rare talent to achieve that. A truly great storyteller." -- Minette Walters