- Murder Must Advertise by Dorothy Sayers
Mystery and cricket? They don’t seem analogous to each other, right? But, cricket does play a vital partin Dorothy. L. Sayer’s crime thriller, ‘’Murder Must Advertise’’ (1933). The author’s third instalment in the Lord Peter Wimsey series, the story describes a case undertaken by the aristocratic sleuth, Lord Peter in which he goes undercover as Death Brendon. Majority of the action is set in an advertising agency called Pym’s Publicity Ltd. where Victor Dean, a copywriter is found dead. Wimsey takes the pseudonym of Death Brendon and goes to work at Pym’s to unmask the murderer. Having overcome several obstacles over the course of his investigation, Wimsey gets his final clue in a cricket match between Pym’s and Brotherhood’s (one of Pym’s clients). Most of the players from either camp are middle aged and look unfit but Wimsey had been a star player during his University days at both Eton and Oxford. An elderly spectator even identified him as the same Wimsey who has scored a century for Oxford at LORD’S in 1911 Enticed by a short ball which clips his elbow;Wimsey exhibits his cricketing prowess in a fit of excitement. But a brilliant throw by Tallboy from deep ensured that Wimsey’s partner was run out. Unfazed by the dismissal of his partner Wimsey puts up a stellar performance and pilots his team to victory. But after the conclusion of the game, Wimsey aka ‘’Brendon’’ is arrested by the police on the basis of charges of his alleged involvement in a certain Dian de Momerie’s murder. Lord Peter eventually gets to the heart of the case and is able to track down the killer who turns out to be none but Tallboy.
