# Sir Reuben Levy — Whose Body? character guide

> Sir Reuben Levy in Whose Body? by Dorothy L. Sayers.

**Role:** major

**Also known as:** Sir Reuben, Levy, Reuben, old Levy

**First appearance:** 0003-ii

## Snapshot

A wealthy, self-made financier of simple habits and regular hours, whose disappearance on the eve of an important transaction unsettles his household and the City alike.

## Who they are

Sir Reuben Levy is a Jewish financier who has risen from nothing to a knighthood without ever becoming vulgar, married to a woman of county family and devoted to his daughter Rachel. His servants speak of him with genuine affection, noting his neat clothes and considerate habits, and insist he is incapable of the surreptitious errand rumour attributes to him. His unexplained absence shadows the investigation from the start, and the question of what a man like Levy was doing out of his house in the middle of the night is one the book will not let go.

## Relationships

### [Lord Peter Wimsey](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/whose_body_se/characters/lord_peter_wimsey)

_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_

Sir Julian Freke and Sir Reuben Levy were professional rivals and former colleagues, with Freke harboring deep resentment.

### [Mr. Parker](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/whose_body_se/characters/mr_parker)

_professional_

Parker investigates Sir Reuben Levy's case as a police detective, gathering evidence about his death.

### [Lord Peter Wimsey](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/whose_body_se/characters/lord_peter_wimsey)

_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_

Sir Julian Freke and Sir Reuben Levy were professional rivals and former colleagues, with Freke harboring deep resentment.

### [Mr. Parker](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/whose_body_se/characters/mr_parker)

_professional_

Parker investigates Sir Reuben Levy's case as a police detective, gathering evidence about his death.

### [Lord Peter Wimsey](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/whose_body_se/characters/lord_peter_wimsey)

_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_

Sir Julian Freke and Sir Reuben Levy were professional rivals and former colleagues, with Freke harboring deep resentment.

## In the story

### [II](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/whose_body_se/chapters/ii)

Mentioned as having disappeared after a financial meeting; Parker considered whether the body in the bath could be him.

### [III](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/whose_body_se/chapters/iii)

The missing man; the Duchess describes his reputation and his wife's background.

### [IV](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/whose_body_se/chapters/iv)

His disappearance is discussed; his financial dealings and household are under investigation.

### [VII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/whose_body_se/chapters/vii)

Discussed as the possible murder victim; his disappearance and potential meeting with Freke are key points of inquiry.

### [VIII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/whose_body_se/chapters/viii)

Mentioned in Lord Peter's train of thought; his disappearance is part of the puzzle.

### [The Net Closes](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/whose_body_se/chapters/x)

The victim; his rivalry with Freke over a woman and his disappearance are central to Wimsey's theory.

### [XII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/whose_body_se/chapters/xii)

His body is exhumed and identified by Lady Levy.

### [XIII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/whose_body_se/chapters/xiii)

The victim of Freke's murder; his disappearance and the substitution of his body are central to the confession.

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/whose_body_se/characters/sir_reuben_levy
- Book: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/whose_body_se
- All characters: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/whose_body_se/characters