Reading order · 11 books · 1923 to 1937 · Set in London
Lord Peter Wimsey Books in Order
Lord Peter Wimsey is a witty, wealthy aristocrat who solves murders with the help of his valet Bunter and his friend Inspector Charles Parker. In the later books he falls for the crime writer Harriet Vane, and the novels deepen into some of the finest of the Golden Age.
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Series facts
- Books
- 11
- Published
- 1923 to 1937
- First book
- Whose Body?
- Latest
- Busman’s Honeymoon (1937)
- Setting
- Set in London
The reading order
Every Lord Peter Wimsey book in publication order. Choose a title for its cast and summary.
11 books · Set in London
- 1Whose Body?1923With Lord Peter WimseyA dead man wearing nothing but a pair of pince-nez is found in the bath of a mild architect, while a wealthy financier has disappeared.Buy on Amazon
- 2Clouds of Witness1926With Lord Peter WimseyWimsey’s brother, the Duke of Denver, is accused of murdering his sister’s fiancé, and Peter sets out to clear him.Buy on Amazon
- 3Unnatural Death1927With Lord Peter WimseyAn elderly woman dies, apparently of natural causes, but Wimsey suspects murder.Buy on Amazon
- 4The Unpleasantness at the Bellona Club1928With Lord Peter WimseyAn elderly general is found dead in his armchair at the Bellona Club on Armistice Day, and the exact time of his death decides who inherits a fortune.Buy on Amazon
- 5Strong Poison1930With Lord Peter WimseyCrime novelist Harriet Vane is on trial for poisoning her former lover, and Wimsey, who falls for her at first sight, sets out to prove her innocence.Buy on Amazon
- 6Five Red Herrings1931With Lord Peter WimseyA painter is found dead in a Scottish artists’ colony in Galloway, and six of his fellow artists are suspects.Buy on Amazon
- 7Have His Carcase1932With Lord Peter Wimsey and Harriet VaneOn a walking holiday, Harriet Vane finds a man’s body on a rock by the sea, and she and Wimsey investigate.Buy on Amazon
- 8Murder Must Advertise1933With Lord Peter WimseyWimsey goes undercover at a London advertising agency after a copywriter falls to his death on the stairs.Buy on Amazon
- 9The Nine Tailors1934With Lord Peter WimseyStranded in a Fenland village on New Year’s Eve, Wimsey helps ring the church bells.Buy on Amazon
- 10Gaudy Night1935With Harriet VaneHarriet Vane returns to her old Oxford college, where someone is waging a campaign of poison-pen letters and malicious mischief.Buy on Amazon
- 11Busman’s Honeymoon1937With Lord Peter Wimsey and Harriet VaneOn their honeymoon in a country farmhouse, Peter and Harriet find the body of its former owner in the cellar.Buy on Amazon
Do you need to read them in order?
Read in order, starting with Whose Body?. Strong Poison, Have His Carcase, Gaudy Night and Busman’s Honeymoon follow Peter and Harriet, and are best read in order.
Who appears in which book
The series’ main characters, book by book. Lead means the book is told around them; minor covers cameos.
| Book | Lord Peter Wimsey | Harriet Vane | Mervyn Bunter | Charles Parker | The Dowager Duchess | Miss Climpson | Lady Mary Wimsey |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 Whose Body? | LLead | MMajor | MMajor | ·Minor | |||
| 2 Clouds of Witness | LLead | MMajor | MMajor | ·Minor | MMajor | ||
| 3 Unnatural Death | LLead | MMajor | MMajor | MMajor | |||
| 4 The Unpleasantness at the Bellona Club | LLead | MMajor | MMajor | ||||
| 5 Strong Poison | LLead | MMajor | MMajor | ·Minor | ·Minor | MMajor | ·Minor |
| 6 Five Red Herrings | LLead | MMajor | ·Minor | ·Minor | |||
| 7 Have His Carcase | LLead | LLead | MMajor | ||||
| 8 Murder Must Advertise | LLead | MMajor | MMajor | ||||
| 9 The Nine Tailors | LLead | MMajor | |||||
| 10 Gaudy Night | MMajor | LLead | MMajor | ||||
| 11 Busman’s Honeymoon | LLead | LLead | MMajor | ·Minor | ·Minor |
Characters in the Lord Peter Wimsey books
8 characters from Dorothy L. Sayers’s chart, with the number of Lord Peter Wimsey books each appears in.
| Character | Books | First in this series |
|---|---|---|
| Lord Peter WimseyAristocrat and amateur detective | 11 | Whose Body? 1923 |
| Harriet VaneCrime novelist | 4 | Strong Poison 1930 |
| Mervyn BunterWimsey’s valet and assistant | 11 | Whose Body? 1923 |
| Charles ParkerScotland Yard detective and Wimsey’s friend | 8 | Whose Body? 1923 |
| The Dowager DuchessWimsey’s mother | 4 | Whose Body? 1923 |
| Miss ClimpsonSpinster who runs Wimsey’s private agency | 3 | Unnatural Death 1927 |
| Lady Mary WimseyWimsey’s sister | 2 | Clouds of Witness 1926 |
| Gerald, Duke of DenverWimsey’s elder brother | 1 | Clouds of Witness 1926 |