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Cover of Murder Must Advertise by Dorothy Le SayersMurder Must Advertise
Classic · Fiction, Mystery, Classics

Murder Must Advertise

by Dorothy Le Sayers
1933 · 12 pages · Fiction
Critics' pick
≈ 1 hours to read · about 2 days at 30 minutes a day

What it's about

When copywriter Victor Dean falls down the stairs at Pym's Publicity, a respectable London advertising agency, it looks like an accident. Lord Peter Wimsey goes in and uncovers cocaine, blackmail and more.

Why it's worth reading

It's on the Guardian's list of 1,000 novels everyone must read. It's a classic Golden Age mystery with a satirical eye on the advertising business.

You'll love it if you liked

Good to know

It's part of the Lord Peter Wimsey series but stands on its own. It's witty as well as clever.

By the numbers

69.1Must-Read Score
  • Readers71 out of 100 · counts 42%
  • Critics30 out of 100 · counts 34% (its stronger lane)
  • Bestseller6 out of 100 · counts 14%
  • Buzz0 out of 100 · counts 10%

Critics and Bestseller are two ways to earn a place: a book's stronger one counts more. Buzz rewards recent bestseller weeks and prizes, so older books start at zero. The parts combine into the Must-Read Score, shown on a scale where the best book we found scores 99 and the last book to make the ranking scores 50.

Where it ranks

Why it made the list

On the lists
Guardian 1000 Novels Everyone Must Read

Reads as

Gripping, Moving

How we rank

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Explore the best-of lists

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Quick answers

Is Murder Must Advertise worth reading?

Yes. It's on the Guardian's list of 1,000 novels everyone must read. It ranks #1,498 of the 3,057 books in our ranking, with a Must-Read Score of 69.1 (the best book we found scores 99).

What is Murder Must Advertise about?

When copywriter Victor Dean falls down the stairs at Pym's Publicity, a respectable London advertising agency, it looks like an accident. Lord Peter Wimsey goes in and uncovers cocaine, blackmail and more.

How long does it take to read Murder Must Advertise?

About 1 hours (12 pages), or about 2 days at 30 minutes a day.

What should I read after Murder Must Advertise?

If you liked it, try The Murder of Roger Ackroyd by Agatha Christie, And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie or The Moonstone by Wilkie Collins.