Lord Peter Views the Body · Chapters
Chapters explained
Chapter companions for Lord Peter Views the Body by Dorothy L. Sayers.
Chapter 1
The Abominable History of the Man with Copper Fingers
At the Egotists' Club, Lord Peter Wimsey and other members share strange personal anecdotes. Guest Varden begins a tale about a mysterious warning he received in New York from a monocled stranger, who claimed that the sculptor Eric P. Loder intended to murder him and turn him into a statue. The stranger points to a silver couch figure of Maria Morano, noting its distinctive short toe, implying Loder's sinister use of human remains.
Chapter 2
The Entertaining Episode of the Article in Question
Lord Peter Wimsey's insatiable curiosity leads him to investigate a suspicious couple at the Gare St. Lazare, whose argument over missing tickets reveals a deeper criminal plot. Using his wits and Bunter's assistance, he uncovers a scheme involving a young man disguised as a woman, ultimately catching the culprits with the help of the Sûreté and Scotland Yard. The chapter also features his visit to the Dowager Duchess of Medway, where he learns of her granddaughter Sylvia's upcoming wedding and the family diamonds, which become central to the intrigue.
Chapter 3
The Fascinating Problem of Uncle Meleager’s Will
Lord Peter Wimsey is recruited by his sister Mary to help Hannah Marryat find the missing will of her eccentric uncle, Meleager Finch, who left a fortune to the Primrose League unless a later will can be discovered. The search leads to a pile of crossword puzzles, which may hold the key to the hidden document.
Chapter 4
The Fantastic Horror of the Cat in the Bag
Lord Peter Wimsey recounts a high-speed motorcycle chase along the Great North Road, which leads to the recovery of a mysterious bag and the arrest of Philip Storey for the murder of his wife.
Chapter 5
The Unprincipled Affair of the Practical Joker
Mrs. Ruyslaender, desperate to recover a stolen diamond necklace before her husband's return, seeks Lord Peter Wimsey's help at the Magnifical hotel. She reveals that Paul Melville stole the necklace and a compromising portrait from a secret drawer. Lord Peter agrees to retrieve the items without involving the police, and later arranges a card game with Melville to execute his plan.
Chapter 6
The Undignified Melodrama of the Bone of Contention
Lord Peter Wimsey uncovers a conspiracy involving the theft of old Mr. Burdock's body, orchestrated by Mortimer, Rawlinson, and Hubbard to prevent burial and allow Martin Burdock to inherit under a later will. The confrontation reveals family tensions, with Haviland Burdock furious and Martin defending his actions, while Wimsey exposes the deception and returns a stolen book.
Chapter 7
The Vindictive Story of the Footsteps That Ran
Lord Peter Wimsey and Dr. Hartman investigate the murder of a young woman in her kitchen. The victim's husband, Brotherton, is grief-stricken and hostile. A constable arrives and quickly concludes that an Italian waiter named Marinetti is the culprit, based on a prior incident. Lord Peter, however, is skeptical and focuses on details such as the window-cleaner's visit and the direction of the running footsteps, suspecting that the case is more complex than it appears.
Chapter 8
The Bibulous Business of a Matter of Taste
Lord Peter Wimsey and an impostor both claim to be Wimsey at the Count de Rueil's dinner party. Mr. Bredon, who has his own motives, refuses to identify the real Wimsey. The Count devises a wine-tasting test to expose the fraud, but Bredon's clever remarks and the impostor's mistakes keep the mystery alive.
Chapter 9
The Learned Adventure of the Dragon's Head
Lord Peter Wimsey, saddled with his ten-year-old nephew Viscount St. George (Gherkins), visits a bookshop where Gherkins discovers a copy of Münster's Cosmographia Universalis. They buy it, and later Lord Peter realizes the book holds a clue to a hidden treasure tied to Dr. Conyers's family history. After a burglary attempt by men hired by Wilberforce Pope, Lord Peter and Detective-Inspector Parker investigate the mystery of the treasure and Pope's motives.
Chapter 10
The Piscatorial Farce of the Stolen Stomach
Lord Peter Wimsey visits his friend Thomas Macpherson in Scotland, where Macpherson reveals a peculiar legacy from his Great-Uncle Joseph: a jar containing the old man's stomach, which holds diamonds. The will stipulates that the stomach must be preserved and passed down. Wimsey investigates the will at Somerset House, encounters the angry cousin Robert Ferguson, and later consults diamond merchant Mr. Abrahams about the stones' value.
Chapter 11
The Unsolved Puzzle of the Man with No Face
Lord Peter Wimsey, traveling by train, engages with fellow passengers discussing a gruesome murder on the beach at East Felpham, where the victim's face was disfigured. Later, he meets Inspector Winterbottom and shares a detailed theory about the crime, suggesting the murderer was a painter who hated the victim's face and killed him in a secluded spot. The inspector reveals the case is closed: an Italian named Franceso confessed in a suicide letter, but Wimsey hints at a deeper truth he could prove but chooses not to.
Chapter 12
The Adventurous Exploit of the Cave of Ali Baba
Lord Peter Wimsey, presumed dead, infiltrates a dangerous secret society in Lambeth. After being captured and condemned to a slow death, he bargains for a quick end by revealing the combination to a safe containing incriminating evidence against the members. The President reluctantly agrees, but dissent among the members threatens the plan.
Chapter 13
Solution to the Crossword in Uncle Mealager’s Will
Lord Peter Wimsey solves the cryptic crossword left in Uncle Meleager's will, revealing the location of a hidden fortune and demonstrating his sharp intellect and wit.
Chapter 14
List of Illustrations
This chapter presents a series of illustrations including a crossword puzzle grid, a sketch map of the area around Little Doddering, a page from Münster's Cosmographia Universalis with a cryptic inscription, and a solved crossword puzzle revealing the words TESTAMENT, VERSICLES, CANTICLES, and THIRTYONE.
