• THE LORD PETER MIMSEY MYSTERIES - Dorothy L. Sayers's incisive portrayals of Britain's leisure class in the 1920s are brought to life in these lavish BBC adaptations. Starring Ian Carmichael as the aristocratic and surreptitiously clever Lord Peter Wimsey..
• EPISODE 1: CLOUDS OF WITNESS - The tranquility of the Wimsey family's retreat is shattered by a death. Mary Wimsey's fiance, Denis, receives a letter that prompts him to flee. But in the wee hours of the morning, Mary discovers her brother Gerard kneeling over his body in the garden. Why both siblings were out for late-night strolls puzzles Lord Peter, who joins the case to prove Gerard's innocence. It seems they are hiding something: Mary fakes an illness and Gerard refuses to answer questions..
• EPISODE 2: THE UNPLEASANTNESS AT THE BELLONA CLUB - When General Fentiman is found dead, the cause seems straightforward: a heart attack. Then Lady Dorland, the General's sister, dies on the same day. Is it coincidence or something more sinister? Investigator Lord Peter becomes suspicious of the general's grandson, whose behavior and whereabouts seem incriminating. But these suspicions are overshadowed by the discovery that the neice of Lady Dorland, has an interest in poisons..
• CRITICALLY ACCLED - Hailed by critics as one of the finest mystery series ever filmed, its success on PBS's Masterpiece Theatre inspired the spin-off Mystery! Running at least three hours each, these dramas do full justice to Sayers's vivid characters, trenchant wit, and lavish 1920s settings..
• REGION 1 CODED - 2 mysteries on 3 DVDs, approx. 402 minutes..

Lord Peter Wimsey - Clouds of Witness: Ah, there's nothing quite like settling in and getting cozy with a complicated British country-estate murder. In the BBC adaptation of Dorothy Sayers's detective novel, which also aired on PBS, the brilliant Lord Peter Wimsey brings his investigative talents to use close to home. His future brother-in-law is slain during a country retreat, and while there seems to be no shortage of possible suspects, the investigation quickly centers on Wimsey's brother Gerald, the Duke of Windsor. The five-tape adaptation takes its delicious time in delving deeper into the psyche of the unhappy circle around the deceased, as Wimsey tries to avert a full trial of a peer of the realm. Ian Carmichael shines as Wimsey, one of English detective fiction's most memorable heroes--more nimble than Miss Marple, more willful than Poirot, more upbeat than Adam Dalgliesh. All mystery fans need for a lovely and satisfying afternoon is this series and a couple of strong pots of tea. --Anne Hurley Lord Peter Wimsey - The Unpleasantness at the Bellona Club: "I'm investigating when a man died of natural causes," states aristocratic sleuth Lord Peter Wimsey, "but it's beginning to look more interesting everyday." So it is in this impeccably ed 1972 BBC miniseries, which would make Dorothy L. Sayers's peerless literary creation proud. Ian Carmichael stars in his signature role as the stylish, cultured, and erudite Wimsey, whose investigation into the death of General Fentiman is as irresistible as "poking sticks into a peaceful and mysterious-looking pond to see what was on the bottom." Fentiman died in his favorite chair at the staid Bellona Club. Oddly enough, his sister died the same day. Wimsey agrees to try and determine when Fentiman died ("I shall enjoy it," he exults). In a nutshell, as one character states (which is always helpful in increasingly complicated cases like this), dispersion of the inheritance will become "uncommonly awkward" depending on who died first. The "whendunit" becomes a whodunit when it is revealed that the general was poisoned. The unflappable Wimsey has a colorful gallery of suspects to consider, including the increasingly unhinged George, one of the general's grandsons (why is he smashing a bottle of digitalis?), and Ann Dorland, who stands to benefit most if the general died first (what's the deal with the books on chemistry and poisons she has recently purchased?). Other memorable characters further enliven the proceedings, among them the Munns, George's bickering (and at one point blackmailing) landlords. As the very British title suggests, this is not a crime thriller to set the pulse racing (the discovery of Fentiman's body is referred to as "something rather unpleasant"). But as the mystery unfolds over the course of 180 minutes (and 4 volumes), it is as captivating as a good late-night read. --Donald Liebenson