187:, and that afternoon the General is found dead in his armchair at the Bellona Club. Dr Penberthy, a club member and the General's personal physician, certifies death by natural causes but is unable to state whether the General died before or after Lady Dormer. As the estate would amply provide for all three claimants, the Fentiman brothers suggest a negotiated settlement, but Ann Dorland absolutely refuses. Wimsey is asked to investigate.
198:. At the club the General informed Robert of the terms of the will; Robert later found his grandfather dead in the club library, apparently of natural causes. Annoyed at losing his inheritance, Robert concealed the body overnight and invented Oliver to cover up the death. The next day, while the club members had stepped outside to observe the usual
216:
Wimsey works out what had happened. When the
General had consulted Dr Penberthy after seeing his sister, he had mentioned the will. Penberthy, realising that his fiancée, Ann Dorland, would not inherit unless the General died first, gave the General a massive dose of digitalis, to be taken later that
179:
On the afternoon of 10 November ninety-year-old
General Fentiman is called to the deathbed of his estranged sister, Lady Dormer, and learns that under the terms of her will he stands to inherit most of her substantial fortune – money sorely needed by his grandsons Robert and George Fentiman. However,
300:
Writing in 1990 Katherine Kenny described the book as the most successful of Sayers' early fiction, coupling a slick detective plot with vivid details of post-war
English life. "The book is a tightly constructed little drama based upon the old joke about an Englishman's club so stuffy that its dead
190:
Oddly enough, nobody saw the
General arrive at the club at his usual time of 10 am. His manservant reports that the General did not return home after visiting Lady Dormer the day before. An unknown man by the name of Mr Oliver had telephoned to say that the General would be spending the night with
212:
Wimsey finds Ann
Dorland distressed by the callous and humiliating behaviour of Dr Penberthy, to whom she had been secretly engaged. It was he, with an eye on her expected inheritance, who had insisted she should refuse the compromise and fight for the whole estate. When it became known that the
220:
Penberthy writes a confession publicly exonerating Ann
Dorland then shoots himself in the club library. In an epilogue it is revealed that the three original claimants to the estate have divided it equitably and that Robert is now courting Ann.
217:
evening when
Penberthy would not be in attendance. He was, however, present when the body was discovered; in spite of Robert's intervention, which confused the time, Penberthy had certified a natural death without initially arousing suspicion.
213:
General would be exhumed, Penberthy broke the engagement off, giving highly insulting reasons. He had hoped that Ann would be embarrassed into silence but Wimsey manages to get the truth from her.
29:
191:
him. Robert
Fentiman says that he knows of Oliver, and much time is spent chasing the elusive individual through several countries before Robert admits that he does not actually exist.
194:
Wimsey discovers that
General Fentiman began to feel unwell while visiting his sister and left to visit Dr Penberthy. The General then travelled to the club, meeting George Fentiman
205:
Wimsey believes the
General's death is too convenient to be natural and has the body exhumed. An autopsy proves the General was poisoned by an overdose of the heart medication
209:. When it becomes known that the body will be exhumed, Ann Dorland, who has an obvious motive, suddenly and suspiciously agrees to the proposed compromise with the Fentimans.
865:
502:
339:
427:
845:
870:
875:
375:
860:
809:
317:
as Wimsey. In 1975 it was broadcast on BBC radio as a serial in six 30-minute parts, also starring Ian Carmichael.
855:
495:
443:
199:
475:
850:
801:
310:
840:
793:
689:
817:
551:
488:
301:
members cannot be differentiated from the living – a pertinent comment upon the society so described.”
237:
673:
590:
480:
180:
should the General die first, nearly everything will go to Lady Dormer's companion, Ann Dorland.
123:
758:
750:
654:
630:
614:
785:
742:
681:
398:
365:
8:
160:
713:
582:
531:
517:
512:
458:
371:
230:
164:
156:
152:
60:
42:
28:
766:
733:
638:
622:
437:
261:
Captain George Fentiman – General Fentiman's younger grandson; Bellona Club member
465:
432:
168:
697:
556:
314:
258:
Major Robert Fentiman – General Fentiman's older grandson; Bellona Club member
834:
719:
606:
546:
541:
243:
184:
136:
574:
536:
470:
252:
General Fentiman (deceased) – elderly retired soldier; Bellona Club member
646:
78:
705:
453:
206:
510:
255:
Lady Dormer (deceased) – General Fentiman's wealthy widowed sister
267:
Ann Dorland – distant relative of and companion to Lady Dormer
476:
Annotating Wimsey on "The Unpleasantness at the Bellona Club"
273:
Marjorie Phelps – artist friend of Wimsey and of Ann Dorland
159:. Much of the novel is set in the Bellona Club, a fictional
249:
Mr Murbles – solicitor to the Wimsey and Fentiman families
270:
Dr Penberthy – impecunious physician; Bellona Club member
370:. Kent, Ohio: Kent State University Press. p. 45.
295:
233:– aristocratic amateur detective; Bellona Club member
202:at 11 am, Robert moved the body to the armchair.
832:
746:(1998; based on unfinished manuscript by Sayers)
334:
332:
330:
496:
866:British novels adapted into television shows
276:Salcombe Hardy – journalist writing for the
327:
503:
489:
27:
264:Sheila Fentiman – wife of George Fentiman
399:"The Unpleasantness at the Bellona Club"
367:The Remarkable Case of Dorothy L. Sayers
285:Colonel Marchbanks – Bellona Club member
466:The Unpleasantness at the Bellona Club)
309:In 1973 the novel was the subject of a
282:Captain Culyer – Bellona Club secretary
224:
22:The Unpleasantness at the Bellona Club
16:1928 mystery novel by Dorothy L. Sayers
833:
599:The Unpleasantness at the Bellona Club
454:The Unpleasantness at the Bellona Club
439:The Unpleasantness at the Bellona Club
428:The Unpleasantness at the Bellona Club
148:The Unpleasantness at the Bellona Club
484:
363:
357:
291:Dick Challoner – Bellona Club member
391:
296:Literary significance and criticism
288:Mr Wetheridge – Bellona Club member
183:Lady Dormer dies the next morning,
13:
14:
887:
420:
340:"British Library Item details"
304:
1:
320:
690:In the Teeth of the Evidence
7:
846:Novels by Dorothy L. Sayers
818:A Dorothy L. Sayers Mystery
151:is a 1928 mystery novel by
10:
892:
871:Ernest Benn Limited books
777:
730:
674:Lord Peter Views the Body
665:
566:
524:
364:Kenny, Katherine (1990).
131:
118:
110:
102:
94:
84:
74:
66:
56:
48:
38:
26:
876:Lord Peter Wimsey novels
821:(1987 television series)
805:(1972 television series)
861:Novels set in the 1920s
666:Short story collections
174:
155:, her fourth featuring
856:British mystery novels
759:The Attenbury Emeralds
751:A Presumption of Death
631:Murder Must Advertise
615:The Five Red Herrings
246:– Wimsey's manservant
851:Novels set in London
786:The Silent Passenger
743:Thrones, Dominations
236:Detective-Inspector
225:Principal characters
200:two minutes' silence
841:1928 British novels
813:(1973 radio series)
23:
794:Busman's Honeymoon
655:Busman's Honeymoon
311:BBC TV mini-series
163:for war veterans (
21:
828:
827:
810:Lord Peter Wimsey
802:Lord Peter Wimsey
714:The Wimsey Papers
682:Hangman's Holiday
583:Clouds of Witness
532:Lord Peter Wimsey
518:Dorothy L. Sayers
513:Lord Peter Wimsey
459:Project Gutenberg
240:– Wimsey's friend
231:Lord Peter Wimsey
157:Lord Peter Wimsey
153:Dorothy L. Sayers
144:
143:
95:Publication place
61:Lord Peter Wimsey
43:Dorothy L. Sayers
883:
767:The Late Scholar
734:Jill Paton Walsh
731:Continuations by
639:The Nine Tailors
623:Have His Carcase
505:
498:
491:
482:
481:
461:
414:
413:
411:
409:
395:
389:
388:
386:
384:
361:
355:
354:
352:
350:
336:
132:Followed by
119:Preceded by
86:Publication date
31:
24:
20:
891:
890:
886:
885:
884:
882:
881:
880:
831:
830:
829:
824:
773:
732:
726:
661:
591:Unnatural Death
562:
520:
509:
451:
433:Standard Ebooks
423:
418:
417:
407:
405:
397:
396:
392:
382:
380:
378:
362:
358:
348:
346:
338:
337:
328:
323:
307:
298:
227:
177:
124:Unnatural Death
103:Media type
87:
34:
17:
12:
11:
5:
889:
879:
878:
873:
868:
863:
858:
853:
848:
843:
826:
825:
823:
822:
814:
806:
798:
790:
781:
779:
775:
774:
772:
771:
763:
755:
747:
738:
736:
728:
727:
725:
724:
710:
702:
698:Striding Folly
694:
686:
678:
669:
667:
663:
662:
660:
659:
651:
643:
635:
627:
619:
611:
603:
595:
587:
579:
570:
568:
564:
563:
561:
560:
559:(family title)
557:Duke of Denver
554:
552:Charles Parker
549:
544:
539:
534:
528:
526:
522:
521:
508:
507:
500:
493:
485:
479:
478:
473:
462:
449:
447:
435:
422:
421:External links
419:
416:
415:
390:
376:
356:
344:primocat.bl.uk
325:
324:
322:
319:
315:Ian Carmichael
306:
303:
297:
294:
293:
292:
289:
286:
283:
280:
274:
271:
268:
265:
262:
259:
256:
253:
250:
247:
241:
238:Charles Parker
234:
226:
223:
176:
173:
142:
141:
133:
129:
128:
120:
116:
115:
112:
108:
107:
104:
100:
99:
98:United Kingdom
96:
92:
91:
88:
85:
82:
81:
76:
72:
71:
68:
64:
63:
58:
54:
53:
50:
46:
45:
40:
36:
35:
32:
15:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
888:
877:
874:
872:
869:
867:
864:
862:
859:
857:
854:
852:
849:
847:
844:
842:
839:
838:
836:
820:
819:
815:
812:
811:
807:
804:
803:
799:
796:
795:
791:
788:
787:
783:
782:
780:
776:
769:
768:
764:
761:
760:
756:
753:
752:
748:
745:
744:
740:
739:
737:
735:
729:
722:
721:
720:The Spectator
716:
715:
711:
708:
707:
703:
700:
699:
695:
692:
691:
687:
684:
683:
679:
676:
675:
671:
670:
668:
664:
657:
656:
652:
649:
648:
644:
641:
640:
636:
633:
632:
628:
625:
624:
620:
617:
616:
612:
609:
608:
607:Strong Poison
604:
601:
600:
596:
593:
592:
588:
585:
584:
580:
577:
576:
572:
571:
569:
565:
558:
555:
553:
550:
548:
547:Miss Climpson
545:
543:
542:Mervyn Bunter
540:
538:
535:
533:
530:
529:
527:
523:
519:
515:
514:
506:
501:
499:
494:
492:
487:
486:
483:
477:
474:
472:
468:
467:
463:
460:
456:
455:
450:
448:
445:
441:
440:
436:
434:
430:
429:
425:
424:
404:
400:
394:
379:
377:0-87338-410-5
373:
369:
368:
360:
345:
341:
335:
333:
331:
326:
318:
316:
312:
302:
290:
287:
284:
281:
279:
275:
272:
269:
266:
263:
260:
257:
254:
251:
248:
245:
244:Mervyn Bunter
242:
239:
235:
232:
229:
228:
222:
218:
214:
210:
208:
203:
201:
197:
192:
188:
186:
185:Armistice Day
181:
172:
170:
169:Roman goddess
166:
162:
158:
154:
150:
149:
140:
138:
137:Strong Poison
134:
130:
127:
125:
121:
117:
113:
109:
105:
101:
97:
93:
89:
83:
80:
77:
73:
70:Mystery novel
69:
65:
62:
59:
55:
51:
47:
44:
41:
37:
33:First edition
30:
25:
19:
816:
808:
800:
792:
784:
765:
757:
749:
741:
718:
712:
704:
696:
688:
680:
672:
653:
645:
637:
629:
621:
613:
605:
598:
597:
589:
581:
573:
537:Harriet Vane
511:
471:Google Books
464:
452:
438:
426:
406:. Retrieved
402:
393:
381:. Retrieved
366:
359:
347:. Retrieved
343:
308:
299:
277:
219:
215:
211:
204:
195:
193:
189:
182:
178:
147:
146:
145:
135:
122:
18:
797:(1940 film)
789:(1935 film)
778:Adaptations
723:(1939-1940)
647:Gaudy Night
575:Whose Body?
516:stories by
408:20 December
349:20 December
305:Adaptations
161:London club
79:Ernest Benn
835:Categories
706:Lord Peter
525:Characters
444:Faded Page
321:References
278:Daily Yell
383:1 January
313:starring
207:digitalis
171:of war).
75:Publisher
446:(Canada)
196:en route
167:being a
49:Language
165:Bellona
52:English
770:(2013)
762:(2010)
754:(2002)
709:(1972)
701:(1972)
693:(1939)
685:(1933)
677:(1928)
658:(1937)
650:(1935)
642:(1934)
634:(1933)
626:(1932)
618:(1931)
610:(1931)
602:(1928)
594:(1927)
586:(1926)
578:(1923)
567:Novels
374:
139:
126:
57:Series
39:Author
111:Pages
106:Print
67:Genre
410:2017
403:IMDb
385:2018
372:ISBN
351:2017
175:Plot
90:1928
717:in
469:at
457:at
442:at
431:at
114:287
837::
401:.
342:.
329:^
504:e
497:t
490:v
412:.
387:.
353:.
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
