Murder Must Advertise. A Detective Story (Annotated)

Murder Must Advertise. A Detective Story (Annotated)

Enriched Edition. A Golden Age Whodunit of Advertising Satire, Undercover Sleuthing, and Interwar London CrimeBy Dorothy Leigh Sayers
Michael Caine
Listen with Sir Michael Caine™ and 1,000+ voices
Length14h 23m

About this audiobook

In Murder Must Advertise (1933), Dorothy L. Sayers sends Lord Peter Wimsey into the brilliantly artificial world of Pym's Publicity, where the suspicious death of copywriter Victor Dean reveals blackmail, narcotics, and moral vacancy behind the manufacture of desire. Combining the puzzle-plot discipline of Golden Age detective fiction with urbane comedy and social satire, the novel is both a murder mystery and a sharp anatomy of interwar consumer culture, written in Sayers's characteristically elegant, allusive, and ironic prose. Sayers was unusually equipped to write this book. An Oxford-educated classicist and one of the first women to receive a degree from that university, she also worked for years as an advertising copywriter at S. H. Benson, helping shape campaigns that became part of British popular culture. Her professional knowledge gives the novel its authentic office rhythms, jargon, and ethical unease, while her broader interests in theology, drama, and language deepen its moral intelligence. This is essential reading for admirers of literary detective fiction, especially those who value wit, atmosphere, and social observation alongside ingenious detection. It rewards readers interested in crime, modernity, class performance, and the seductive machinery of persuasion. This enriched edition has been carefully crafted to add value to your reading experience. - A succinct Introduction situates the work's timeless appeal and themes. - The Synopsis outlines the central plot, highlighting key developments without spoiling critical twists. - A detailed Historical Context immerses you in the era's events and influences that shaped the writing. - An Author Biography reveals milestones in the author's life, illuminating the personal insights behind the text. - A thorough Analysis dissects symbols, motifs, and character arcs to unearth underlying meanings. - Reflection questions prompt you to engage personally with the work's messages, connecting them to modern life. - Hand‐picked Memorable Quotes shine a spotlight on moments of literary brilliance. - Interactive footnotes clarify unusual references, historical allusions, and archaic phrases for an effortless, more informed read.

Audiobook details

Rating★★★★ 4.4 (1.3K)
Includes Amazon, Goodreads
GenreMystery and Thriller
Length14 hrs 23 mins
Narrated byListen with 1,000+ voices
FormateBook with Audio
Publish dateDec 10, 2023
LanguageEnglish

Table of contents

1Introduction
2Introduction
3Synopsis
4Historical Context
5Author Biography
Show all chapters
6CHAPTER I
7DEATH COMES TO PYM'S PUBLICITY
8CHAPTER II
9EMBARRASSING INDISCRETION OF TWO TYPISTS
10CHAPTER III
11INQUISITIVE INTERVIEWS OF A NEW COPY-WRITER
12CHAPTER IV
13REMARKABLE ACROBATICS OF A HARLEQUIN
14CHAPTER V
15SURPRISING METAMORPHOSIS OF MR. BREDON
16CHAPTER VI
17SINGULAR SPOTLESSNESS OF A LETHAL WEAPON
18CHAPTER VII
19ALARMING EXPERIENCE OF A CHIEF-INSPECTOR
20CHAPTER VIII
21CONVULSIVE AGITATION OF AN ADVERTISING AGENCY
22CHAPTER IX
23UNSENTIMENTAL MASQUERADE OF A HARLEQUIN
24CHAPTER X
25DISTRESSING DEVELOPMENTS OF AN OFFICE ROW
26CHAPTER XI
27INEXCUSABLE INVASION OF A DUCAL ENTERTAINMENT
28CHAPTER XII
29SURPRISING ACQUISITION OF A JUNIOR REPORTER
30CHAPTER XIII
31EMBARRASSING ENTANGLEMENT OF A GROUP-MANAGER
32CHAPTER XIV
33HOPEFUL CONSPIRACY OF TWO BLACK SHEEP
34CHAPTER XV
35SUDDEN DECEASE OF A MAN IN DRESS CLOTHES
36CHAPTER XVI
37ECCENTRIC BEHAVIOUR OF A POST-OFFICE DEPARTMENT
38CHAPTER XVII
39LACHRYMOSE OUTBURST OF A NOBLEMAN'S NEPHEW
40CHAPTER XVIII
41UNEXPECTED CONCLUSION OF A CRICKET MATCH
42CHAPTER XIX
43DUPLICATE APPEARANCES OF A NOTORIOUS PERSONALITY
44CHAPTER XX
45APPROPRIATE EXIT OF AN UNSKILLED MURDERER
46CHAPTER XXI
47DEATH DEPARTS FROM PYM'S PUBLICITY
48Analysis
49Reflection
50Memorable Quotes

More from Dorothy Leigh Sayers

Olympic Mountain Pursuit
Olympic Mountain PursuitJodie Bailey5h 55m4.6 (638)$12 · $0.00
Glen Affric
Glen AffricKarine Giebel22h 51m4.5 (3.2K)$46 · $0.00
Deadly Badlands Pursuit
Deadly Badlands PursuitSharee Stover5h 53m4.6 (361)$12 · $0.00
Crime and Punishment (The Unabridged Garnett Translation) (Annotated)
Crime and Punishment (The Unabridged Garnett Translation) (Annotated)Fyodor Dostoevsky24h 25m4.5 (15.4K)$1.99 · $0.00
Three Comrades
Three ComradesErich Maria Remarque15h 50m4.5 (47.3K)$2 · $0.00
Angel
AngelAnita Waller10h 30m4.6 (672)$30 · $0.00
The Border
The BorderDon Winslow29h 8m4.5 (35.7K)$53 · $0.00
Flashpoint
FlashpointCatherine Coulter11h 38m4.5 (11.6K)$29 · $0.00
The Man in the Brown Suit & They Came to Baghdad
The Man in the Brown Suit & They Came to BaghdadAgatha Christie15h 43m4.6 (495)$33 · $0.00
Fang Si-Chi's First Love Paradise
Fang Si-Chi's First Love ParadiseYi-Han Lin8h 25m4.5 (4K)$26 · $0.00
The Rose Code
The Rose CodeKate Quinn16h 2m4.4 (493.7K)$33 · $0.00
No Woman Left Behind
No Woman Left BehindJulie Moffett8h 49m4.5 (3K)$25 · $0.00
Covert
CovertJanie Crouch6h 15m4.5 (2K)$12 · $0.00
Cold Case Investigation
Cold Case InvestigationNicole Helm5h 30m4.6 (321)$5 · $0.00
The Reunion
The ReunionJana DeLeon6h 31m4.5 (1.6K)$12 · $0.00
Courage Under Fire
Courage Under FireSharon Dunn5h 50m4.5 (730)$24 · $0.00
Decoding the Truth
Decoding the TruthJulie Miller7h 31m4.6 (350)$12 · $0.00
Murder Gone Cold
Murder Gone ColdB.J. Daniels5h 50m4.5 (562)$12 · $0.00
Crime and Punishment
Crime and PunishmentFyodor Dostoyevsky23h 14m4.4 (1.3M)$1 · $0.00
Exit Fee
Exit FeeBrad Taylor3h 16m4.5 (1.9K)$18 · $0.00

You may also like

Murder Must Advertise (Annotated)
Murder Must Advertise (Annotated)Dorothy L. Sayers14h 25m4.3 (25.6K)$2 · $0.00
Murder Must Advertise
Murder Must AdvertiseDorothy L. Sayers12h 43m4.3 (32.5K)$2 · $0.00
Duplicity
DuplicityBlair Howard7h 29m4.7 (290)$23
The Thin Man
The Thin ManDashiell Hammett5h 54m4.0 (51.2K)$20
The Roman Hat Mystery
The Roman Hat MysteryEllery Queen11h 5m3.8 (12.2K)$1.99 · $0.00
The sign of four
The sign of fourArthur Conan Doyle4h 35m4.1 (225.1K)$3 · $0.00
Behind That Curtain
Behind That CurtainEarl Derr Biggers9h 7m4.0 (1.4K)$1 · $0.00
Die for Love
Die for LoveElizabeth Peters9h 13m4.1 (2.7K)$20
The French Powder Mystery
The French Powder MysteryEllery Queen10h 53m3.9 (2.9K)$20
The Mystery of 31 New Inn
The Mystery of 31 New InnR. Austin Freeman8h 46m3.8 (1K)$2.30
Mr. Campion: Criminologist (Annotated)
Mr. Campion: Criminologist (Annotated)Margery Allingham5h 47m4.0 (35)$2 · $0.00
Sergeant Sir Peter
Sergeant Sir PeterEdgar Wallace5h 54m3.8 (125)$2 · $0.00
Call Me Commander
Call Me CommanderJeff Testerman, Daniel M. Freed13h 43m4.2 (65)$23 · $0.00
NY True Crime: Turn of the Century Cases (Annotated)
NY True Crime: Turn of the Century Cases (Annotated)Arthur Cheney Train8h 41m$1.99 · $0.00
The Greatest Mysteries of Arthur Cheney Train – 50+ Titles in One Volume (Illustrated Edition)
The Greatest Mysteries of Arthur Cheney Train – 50+ Titles in One Volume (Illustrated Edition)Arthur Cheney Train65h 45m$1 · $0.00
Blindfolded
BlindfoldedEarle Ashley Walcott10h 5m3.2 (35)$2 · $0.00
EUGÉNE VALMONT & SHERLAW KOMBS: THE SUPER SLEUTHS (Mystery Classics Series) (Annotated)
EUGÉNE VALMONT & SHERLAW KOMBS: THE SUPER SLEUTHS (Mystery Classics Series) (Annotated)Robert Barr11h 33m$2 · $0.00
The Dark Eyes of London
The Dark Eyes of LondonEdgar Wallace8h 47m3.6 (237)$2 · $0.00
Death Money
Death MoneyHenry Chang6h 33m3.5 (149)$20
Mr Campion and Others (Annotated)
Mr Campion and Others (Annotated)Margery Allingham12h 10m4.3 (11)$2 · $0.00