# Lord Peter Wimsey — Whose Body? character guide > Lord Peter Wimsey in Whose Body? by Dorothy L. Sayers. **Role:** major **Also known as:** Lord Peter, Wimsey, Peter, Lord Wimsey **First appearance:** 0001-whose-body ## Snapshot A Scarlatti-playing aristocrat with a monocle and a taste for corpses, he treats murder as one more hobby to be indulged between book sales. ## Who they are Lord Peter Wimsey is a younger son of the Duke of Denver, a collector of incunabula, and an amateur detective whose hobby his family politely pretends does not exist. His whimsical patter and foppish manner conceal a genuinely analytical mind; he can shift from fatuous nonsense to the sharpest observation without a pause, and he knows it. When a stranger's body turns up in a Battersea architect's bath, Peter's two hobbies collide, and he must decide which to sacrifice. ## Relationships ### [Mr. Parker](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/whose_body_se/characters/mr_parker) _friendship_ Close friends and amateur detective partners, with Parker often assisting Wimsey in investigations. ### [Bunter](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/whose_body_se/characters/bunter) _professional_ Bunter is Lord Peter's loyal and resourceful valet, serving him with dedication and discretion. ### [Sir Reuben Levy](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/whose_body_se/characters/sir_reuben_levy) _professional_ Lord Peter investigates Sir Reuben Levy's disappearance and later death, treating him as a key figure in the case. ### [Sir Julian Freke](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/whose_body_se/characters/sir_julian_freke) _rivalry_ Lord Peter and Sir Julian Freke are intellectual adversaries, with Wimsey suspecting Freke of murder. ### [Dowager Duchess of Denver](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/whose_body_se/characters/dowager_duchess_of_denver) _family_ The Dowager Duchess is Lord Peter's affectionate and supportive mother. ### [Lady Levy](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/whose_body_se/characters/lady_levy) _social_ Lady Levy, the widow of Sir Reuben, interacts with Lord Peter as a grieving client and acquaintance. ### [Mr. Piggott](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/whose_body_se/characters/mr_piggott) _professional_ Mr. Piggott is likely a witness or local figure whom Lord Peter questions during the investigation. ### [Bunter](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/whose_body_se/characters/bunter) _professional_ Bunter is Lord Peter's loyal and resourceful valet, serving him with dedication and discretion. ### [Sir Reuben Levy](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/whose_body_se/characters/sir_reuben_levy) _professional_ Lord Peter investigates Sir Reuben Levy's disappearance and later death, treating him as a key figure in the case. ### [Mr. Parker](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/whose_body_se/characters/mr_parker) _friendship_ Close friends and amateur detective partners, with Parker often assisting Wimsey in investigations. ### [Mr. Parker](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/whose_body_se/characters/mr_parker) _friendship_ Close friends and amateur detective partners, with Parker often assisting Wimsey in investigations. ### [Sir Julian Freke](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/whose_body_se/characters/sir_julian_freke) _rivalry_ Lord Peter and Sir Julian Freke are intellectual adversaries, with Wimsey suspecting Freke of murder. ## In the story ### [Dedication](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/whose_body_se/chapters/dedication) Mentioned as the protagonist whose enquiry was completed thanks to the dedicatee's insistence. ### [Whose Body?](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/whose_body_se/chapters/whose-body) The aristocratic amateur detective who takes on the case. ### [I](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/whose_body_se/chapters/i) Visits Mr. Thipps, examines the body and bathroom, makes observations about the corpse and the scene, and leaves before Inspector Sugg returns. ### [II](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/whose_body_se/chapters/ii) Celebrates book purchases with Bunter, shares his investigation insights with Parker, and reveals key observations about the body in the bath. ### [III](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/whose_body_se/chapters/iii) Discusses the case with his mother, revealing details about the witness and Thipps's inconsistencies. ### [IV](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/whose_body_se/chapters/iv) Discusses the case with Parker, examines shreds of cloth and fingerprint photographs, lunches with Freddy Arbuthnot, and plans to investigate Sir Reuben Levy's house. ### [V](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/whose_body_se/chapters/v) Hosts Parker for breakfast, discusses the inquest and Sir Julian Freke's book, and later analyzes the blackmail attempt involving Crimplesham. ### [VII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/whose_body_se/chapters/vii) Expresses moral qualms about treating murder as a game, discusses his visit to Crimplesham, and debates the ethics of investigation with Parker. ### [VIII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/whose_body_se/chapters/viii) Experiences a sudden, intuitive revelation about the case while reading Freke's book, leading to a traumatic war flashback. ### [IX](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/whose_body_se/chapters/ix) Suffering from nerves and nightmares, he is taken to Denver by his mother. Before leaving, he gives Parker instructions to circulate a description of the corpse and to investigate St. Luke's Hospital. ### [The Net Closes](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/whose_body_se/chapters/x) Presents his detailed theory implicating Sir Julian Freke in the murder, showing his deductive reasoning and concern for Parker's safety. ### [XI](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/whose_body_se/chapters/xi) Visits Sir Julian Freke as a patient, using the consultation to observe the doctor and his methods. ### [XII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/whose_body_se/chapters/xii) Present at the exhumation, later at home playing Bach when Sugg brings news of Freke's arrest. ### [XIII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/whose_body_se/chapters/xiii) Recipient of Freke's confession letter; discusses the case with Parker and Sugg; plans a dinner party. ### [Endnotes](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/whose_body_se/chapters/endnotes) Mentioned as the collector of rare Dantes and other works, and as the solver of the Battersea Mystery. ## Links - HTML: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/whose_body_se/characters/lord_peter_wimsey - Book: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/whose_body_se - All characters: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/whose_body_se/characters