Five Red Herrings
Encyclopedia
Five Red Herrings is a 1931 novel
by Dorothy L. Sayers
. It was retitled Suspicious Characters for its first publication in the United States, but reverted to its original title in subsequent printings.
Sayers points out in the preface that all the places in the story are real places, and it is a fact that almost all the locations can be recognized and visited to this day.
Some editions include as a forward a letter written by Sayers "To my friend Joe Dignam, the kindliest of landlords," from which it becomes evident that she herself was in the habit of having holidays in Galloway
- a habit attributed to Wimsey in the book - and that on one of them she promised her landlord to write a detective novel set in this area, of which the present book was a fulfilment.
, a part of Scotland popular with artists because of its landscapes. Sandy Campbell is a talented painter, but also a notoriously quarrelsome drunkard. When he is found dead in a stream, with a half-finished painting on the bank above, it is assumed at first that he fell in accidentally, fracturing his skull. Lord Peter Wimsey
, who is in the region on a fishing holiday, points out the inconsistency which makes it impossible for Campbell himself to have worked on the painting. (Sayers deliberately leaves the reader to work out what exactly the clue is.) Campbell's death is now a murder case.
Whoever killed Campbell also executed the painting in Campbell's distinctive style, to contrive the appearance of an accident. Six other artists in the region are talented enough to have achieved this, and had also had public brawls with Campbell in the recent past. Now Wimsey has to figure out "who done it"
and who the five red herrings are. The task is made difficult because almost all the suspects are behaving in a suspicious manner; some have left the district unexpectedly and without explanation, others have given statements which are obviously inaccurate, or are clearly concealing facts. The policemen investigating other aspects of the case come up against inexplicable dead ends.
The Five Red Herrings is the Peter Wimsey story which is most obviously set as a puzzle for the reader. There are only six suspects to deal with, and Wimsey has no emotional involvement, although, having alerted the Police to Campbell's murder, he subsequently reflects that Campbell was a man anyone might feel justified in killing, and that the six suspects are all generally decent people. He nevertheless resolves to uncover the truth, so that the five innocent artists should not live under lifelong suspicion.
The plot is told through the viewpoint of Wimsey, and of the various police investigating the case (including Wimsey's brother-in-law Charles Parker
, involved because a suspect is in hiding in London). Large parts of the book follow the various Scottish police officers, who are shown as highly intelligent and competent, and for time seem to overshadow Wimsey (though it is he who finally solves the mystery). In contrast, Bunter plays a smaller role in this than in other Wimsey novels. Wimsey works in close cooperation with the police throughout the book; indeed, in one episode a character bursts out and angrily accuses him of "entering people's homes as a police spy".
The six suspects are all eventually traced and give statements in which they deny killing Campbell. Some have convincing alibis, but others have none which can be verified. Finally, Wimsey, the Procurator Fiscal
, the Chief Constable
and the police officers involved in the investigation meet to review the evidence. Working from the knowledge the reader has been given, the police put forward several theories, implicating all of the suspects either as the killer or as accessories. Asked for his opinion, Wimsey finally reveals to the reader exactly what alerted him to the murder, and points the finger at the true killer. Although the police are sceptical, Wimsey offers to reconstruct the crime and over the course of twenty-four hours' strenuous activity, he demonstrates how the killer contrived the scene above the stream and established an alibi.
The killer finally realises that the case against him is unbreakable and confesses, but pleads that he killed Campbell in self-defence. When the case is tried, the jury decide that he is guilty of manslaughter (which carries a lighter sentence) rather than premeditated murder.
as Lord Peter and Glyn Houston
as Bunter.
Novel
A novel is a book of long narrative in literary prose. The genre has historical roots both in the fields of the medieval and early modern romance and in the tradition of the novella. The latter supplied the present generic term in the late 18th century....
by Dorothy L. Sayers
Dorothy L. Sayers
Dorothy Leigh Sayers was a renowned English crime writer, poet, playwright, essayist, translator and Christian humanist. She was also a student of classical and modern languages...
. It was retitled Suspicious Characters for its first publication in the United States, but reverted to its original title in subsequent printings.
Sayers points out in the preface that all the places in the story are real places, and it is a fact that almost all the locations can be recognized and visited to this day.
Some editions include as a forward a letter written by Sayers "To my friend Joe Dignam, the kindliest of landlords," from which it becomes evident that she herself was in the habit of having holidays in Galloway
Galloway
Galloway is an area in southwestern Scotland. It usually refers to the former counties of Wigtownshire and Kirkcudbrightshire...
- a habit attributed to Wimsey in the book - and that on one of them she promised her landlord to write a detective novel set in this area, of which the present book was a fulfilment.
Plot summary
The story is set in GallowayGalloway
Galloway is an area in southwestern Scotland. It usually refers to the former counties of Wigtownshire and Kirkcudbrightshire...
, a part of Scotland popular with artists because of its landscapes. Sandy Campbell is a talented painter, but also a notoriously quarrelsome drunkard. When he is found dead in a stream, with a half-finished painting on the bank above, it is assumed at first that he fell in accidentally, fracturing his skull. Lord Peter Wimsey
Lord Peter Wimsey
Lord Peter Death Bredon Wimsey is a bon vivant amateur sleuth in a series of detective novels and short stories by Dorothy L. Sayers, in which he solves mysteries; usually, but not always, murders...
, who is in the region on a fishing holiday, points out the inconsistency which makes it impossible for Campbell himself to have worked on the painting. (Sayers deliberately leaves the reader to work out what exactly the clue is.) Campbell's death is now a murder case.
Whoever killed Campbell also executed the painting in Campbell's distinctive style, to contrive the appearance of an accident. Six other artists in the region are talented enough to have achieved this, and had also had public brawls with Campbell in the recent past. Now Wimsey has to figure out "who done it"
Whodunit
A whodunit or whodunnit is a complex, plot-driven variety of the detective story in which the puzzle is the main feature of interest. The reader or viewer is provided with clues from which the identity of the perpetrator of the crime may be deduced before the solution is revealed in the final...
and who the five red herrings are. The task is made difficult because almost all the suspects are behaving in a suspicious manner; some have left the district unexpectedly and without explanation, others have given statements which are obviously inaccurate, or are clearly concealing facts. The policemen investigating other aspects of the case come up against inexplicable dead ends.
The Five Red Herrings is the Peter Wimsey story which is most obviously set as a puzzle for the reader. There are only six suspects to deal with, and Wimsey has no emotional involvement, although, having alerted the Police to Campbell's murder, he subsequently reflects that Campbell was a man anyone might feel justified in killing, and that the six suspects are all generally decent people. He nevertheless resolves to uncover the truth, so that the five innocent artists should not live under lifelong suspicion.
The plot is told through the viewpoint of Wimsey, and of the various police investigating the case (including Wimsey's brother-in-law Charles Parker
Charles Parker (detective)
Charles Parker is a fictional police detective who appears in several Lord Peter Wimsey stories by Dorothy L. Sayers, and eventually becomes Lord Peter's brother-in-law.He is first introduced in Whose Body? as a Detective Inspector from Scotland Yard...
, involved because a suspect is in hiding in London). Large parts of the book follow the various Scottish police officers, who are shown as highly intelligent and competent, and for time seem to overshadow Wimsey (though it is he who finally solves the mystery). In contrast, Bunter plays a smaller role in this than in other Wimsey novels. Wimsey works in close cooperation with the police throughout the book; indeed, in one episode a character bursts out and angrily accuses him of "entering people's homes as a police spy".
The six suspects are all eventually traced and give statements in which they deny killing Campbell. Some have convincing alibis, but others have none which can be verified. Finally, Wimsey, the Procurator Fiscal
Procurator Fiscal
A procurator fiscal is a public prosecutor in Scotland. They investigate all sudden and suspicious deaths in Scotland , conduct Fatal Accident Inquiries and handle criminal complaints against the police A procurator fiscal (pl. procurators fiscal) is a public prosecutor in Scotland. They...
, the Chief Constable
Chief Constable
Chief constable is the rank used by the chief police officer of every territorial police force in the United Kingdom except for the City of London Police and the Metropolitan Police, as well as the chief officers of the three 'special' national police forces, the British Transport Police, Ministry...
and the police officers involved in the investigation meet to review the evidence. Working from the knowledge the reader has been given, the police put forward several theories, implicating all of the suspects either as the killer or as accessories. Asked for his opinion, Wimsey finally reveals to the reader exactly what alerted him to the murder, and points the finger at the true killer. Although the police are sceptical, Wimsey offers to reconstruct the crime and over the course of twenty-four hours' strenuous activity, he demonstrates how the killer contrived the scene above the stream and established an alibi.
The killer finally realises that the case against him is unbreakable and confesses, but pleads that he killed Campbell in self-defence. When the case is tried, the jury decide that he is guilty of manslaughter (which carries a lighter sentence) rather than premeditated murder.
Literary significance and criticism
"A work that grows on rereading and remains in the mind as one of the richest, most colorful of her group studies. The Scottish setting, the artists in the colony, the train-ticket puzzle, and the final chase place this triumph among the four or five chefs d'oeuvre from her hand."List of characters
- Lord Peter WimseyLord Peter WimseyLord Peter Death Bredon Wimsey is a bon vivant amateur sleuth in a series of detective novels and short stories by Dorothy L. Sayers, in which he solves mysteries; usually, but not always, murders...
- Mervyn BunterMervyn BunterMervyn Bunter is a fictional character in Dorothy L. Sayers' novels and short stories featuring Lord Peter Wimsey.- Literary Background :Dorothy L...
: Wimsey's valet, who also assists in his investigations - Sandy Campbell: artist
- Hugh Farren: artist and suspect
- Gilda Farren: Hugh Farren's wife
- Henry Strachan: golf club secretary, artist and suspect
- Matthew Gowan: wealthy artist and suspect
- Alcock, Mrs. Alcock, Hammond, Betty: Gowan's domestic staff
- Jock Graham: rogue, artist and suspect
- Michael Waters: English artist and suspect
- Ferguson: Campbell's next-door neighbour, artist and suspect
- Miss Selby, Miss Cochran: artists who substantiate or break several alibis
- Sir Maxwell Jamieson: Chief Constable of Dumfriesshire
- Inspector Macpherson: Kirkcudbright Police CID
- Sergeant Dalziel: Newton Stewart Police
- PC Ross, PC Duncan:
TV adaptation
Five Red Herrings was adapted for television in 1975 as part of a series starring Ian CarmichaelIan Carmichael
Ian Gillett Carmichael, OBE was an English film, stage, television and radio actor.-Early life:Carmichael was born in Hull, in the East Riding of Yorkshire. The son of an optician, he was educated at Scarborough College and Bromsgrove School, before training as an actor at RADA...
as Lord Peter and Glyn Houston
Glyn Houston
Glyn Houston , is an actor best known for his television work. He is the brother of the late film actor Donald Houston.-Early life:...
as Bunter.