About the Book

For almost a century, a series of labyrinthine murder mysteries have kept fans turning pages hungrily as Lord Peter Wimsey and Harriet Vane discover whodunit, again and again.

Detective novel enthusiasts may not know that for almost as many years, Christian thinkers have appreciated the same Dorothy L. Sayers for her acumen as an essayist, playwright, apologist, and preeminent translator of Dante’s Divine Comedy.

Now, for the first time, an anthology brings together the best of both worlds. The selections uncover the gospel themes woven throughout Sayers’s popular fiction as well as her religious plays, correspondence, talks, and essays. Clues dropped throughout her detective stories reveal an attention to matters of faith that underlies all her work.

Those who know Sayers from her nonfiction writings may wonder how she could also write popular genre fiction. Sayers, like her friend G. K. Chesterton, found murder mysteries a vehicle to explore the choices characters make between good and evil. Along with C. S. Lewis and the other Inklings, with whom she maintained a lively correspondence, Sayers used her popular fiction to probe deeper questions. She addressed not only matters of guilt and innocence, sin and redemption, but also the cost of war, the role of the conscience, and the place of women in society.

None of these themes proved any hindrance to spinning a captivating yarn. Her murder mysteries are more reminiscent of Jane Austen than Arthur Conan Doyle, with all the tense interpersonal exploration of the modern novel.

Book Trailer

Praise

That [Sayers] was a Christian apologist à la C. S. Lewis is made manifest in this generous selection of excerpts from her wide-ranging work…. This multifaceted volume is sure to expand Sayers’ reputation, not only as a writer but also as a thinker.

Booklist

With the growing interest in Sayers studies, this is a timely and helpful volume.

Ethics & Culture

Sayers’ detective stories are still bringing great enjoyment—and the uplifting contact with a brilliant and wise mind—to millions; and those who know her apologetic works have the added advantage of her more explicit thoughts on the faith…. Plough is helping revive those works for a new audience, and by tying them to her fiction, showing that the light of Christ shines through them all.

Mere Orthodoxy

A very important anthology gleaned from different novels, plays, and other writings of Dorothy L. Sayers with a focus on religious and theological themes. For the person seeking out those themes, one need no longer turn to various books; Ms. Vanderhoof has done that research for us…. The book has an excellent chronology of Sayers’ life, plus a selected bibliography at the back.

The Dorothy L. Sayers Society, UK

Scholarly and quietly poetic.… Vanderhoof arranges Sayers’ writings in a subtle crescendo, culminating in her commentary on art and Christianity. To an age that views religion – especially Christianity – as irrational and oppressive, Sayers makes a critical case for reassessment.

The Remembered Arts Journal

Carole Vanderhoof highlights Sayers’ thinking on themes like pride, belief, and envy… With bracing wit, Sayers continues to entertain and challenge.

WORLD Magazine

Tablet of Contents

Introduction 

  1. Whose Body? /Conscience
  2. Unnatural Death /Sin and Grace
  3. The Unpleasantness at the Bellona Club /Covetousness
  4. Strong Poison /Forgiveness
  5. The Documents in the Case / Judgment
  6. The Dogma Is the Drama / Belief
  7. The Five Red Herrings / Pride
  8. Have His Carcase / Despair and Hope
  9. Murder Must Advertise / Greed
  10. The Nine Tailors / Creativity Read an excerpt
  11. The Greatest Drama / Resurrection
  1. The Mind of the Maker / Sacrificial Love
  2. Gaudy Night / Work
  3. Are Women Human? / Equality
  4. Creed or Chaos? / Envy
  5. Unpopular Opinions / Faith
  6. The Man Born to Be King / Incarnation
  7. King of Sorrows / The Cross
  8. The Just Vengeance / Images and Symbols
  9. Busman’s Honeymoon / Time and Eternity

A Panegyric for Dorothy L. Sayers by C. S. Lewis

Chronology

Tags:
Literature
Spiritual Classics