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A Presumption of Death

A Gripping World War II Murder Mystery
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( 6,445 ratings, 357 reviews)
Book Hero Magic crafted this summary to help describe this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Summary
A Presumption of Death is a crime and thriller novel where Lord Peter Wimsey navigates the dangers and complexities of World War II Britain. With his wife, Harriet Vane, he investigates a murder that occurs during an air raid practice, unravelling a mystery that's as tense and layered as the wartime backdrop. The story intricately combines espionage, personal drama, and the astuteness of detective work.
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Format: Paperback / softback
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Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?

If you're captivated by classic detective stories set against a vividly detailed backdrop of wartime Britain, infused with charm and wit, this book may appeal to you. It combines intricate plotting and rich characterisation, featuring beloved characters like Lord Peter Wimsey and Harriet Vane, sure to engage any crime and thriller enthusiast.

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Return to a golden age of glamour, murder and intrigue, in a gripping novel by one of our best-loved detective story writers.

Return to a golden age of glamour, murder and intrigue. An exciting high profile relaunch with a beautiful new package for one of our best-loved detective story writers.

Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description
'Miraculously right: catching precisely the tone of the relationship . . . thrilling' - The Times 'A must for all Wimsey lovers . . . an entertaining read' - Northern Echo

It's 1940, and while the Second World War rages on, Harriet Vane - now Lady Peter Wimsey - has taken her children to safety in the country.

But the war has followed them: glamorous RAF pilots and even more glamorous land-girls scandalise the villagers, and the blackout makes the night-time lanes as sinister as the back alleys of London.

Then the village's first air raid practice ends with a very real body on the ground - and it's not a war casualty, but a case of plain, old-fashioned murder. And it's not long before a second body is found . . .

In A Presumption of Death, Dorothy L. Sayers and Jill Paton Walsh deliver a gripping wartime mystery that will keep readers enthralled from start to finish.

Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9781444792911

Publisher: Hodder & Stoughton

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 05 June 2014

Country: United Kingdom

Imprint: Hodder & Stoughton

Audience: General / adult

DIMENSIONS

Spine width: 26.0mm

Width: 130.0mm

Height: 196.0mm

Weight: 302g

Pages: 384

About the Author

Born in 1937, Jill Paton Walsh was an award-winning British novelist and children's writer. Her adult novels include Knowledge of Angels, which was shortlisted for the 1994 Booker Prize, and the Imogen Quy Mysteries. She also completed Dorothy L. Sayers's unfinished Lord Peter Wimsey and Harriet Vane series. In 1996, she received the CBE for services to literature. She died in 2020.

Dorothy L. Sayers, the greatest of the golden age detective novelists, was born in Oxford in 1893. She was one of the first women to be awarded a degree by Oxford University and worked as a copywriter in an advertising agency from 1921 to 1932. Her aristocratic detective, Lord Peter Wimsey, became one of the most popular fictional heroes of the twentieth century. Dorothy L. Sayers also became famous for her religious plays, notably The Man Born to Be King, which was broadcast controversially during the war years, but she considered her translation of Dante's Divine Comedy to be her best work. She died in 1957.

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