Murder Must Advertise
When a man Victor Dean falls down the stairs in the offices of Pym's Publicity, a respectable London advertising agency, it looks like an accident. Then Lord Peter Wimsey is called in, and he soon discovers there's more to copy writing than meets the eye-- cocaine, blackmail, and some wanton women can be read between the lines.
Stats for nerds
2recommend
3mentions
3people
2020–2025years
67% recommend33% neutral
Mentions per year
What Hacker News says
- Came here to say that. A distant runner-up would be the murder by rubber gun and scarab beetle figurine in Murder Must Advertise, same author, same Lord Peter Wimsey.
- a second recommendation for Murder Must Advertise (consumerism? check. covert channels? check.) here.
I'd never thought to look for social shifts in the murder genre before, even though it's been obvious to me that music videos are relatively easily temporally placed when they contain mobile phones. TIL.
- I read Murder Must Advertise, by Dorothy L Sayers. Quote:
All over London the lights flickered in and out, calling on the public to save its body and purse: SOPO SAVES SCRUBBING—NUTRAX FOR NERVES—CRUNCHLETS ARE CRISPER—EAT PIPER PARRITCH—DRINK POMPAYNE—ONE WHOOSH AND IT'S CLEAN—OH, BOY! IT'S TOMBOY TOFFEE—NOURISH NERVES WITH NUTRAX—FARLEY'S FOOTWEAR TAKES YOU FURTHER—IT ISN'T DEAR, IT'S DARLING—DARLING'S FOR HOUSEHOLD APPLIANCES—MAKE ALL SAFE WITH SANFECT—WHIFFLETS FASCINATE. The presses, thundering and growling, ground out the same appeals by the million: ASK YOUR GROCER—ASK YOUR DOCTOR—ASK THE MAN WHO'S TRIED IT—MOTHERS! GIVE IT TO YOUR CHILDREN—HOUSEWIVES! SAVE MONEY—HUSBANDS! INSURE YOUR LIVES—WOMEN! DO YOU REALIZE?—DON'T SAY SOAP, SAY SOPO! Whatever you're doing, stop it and do something else! Whatever you're buying, pause and buy something different! Be hectored into health and prosperity! Never let up! Never go to sleep! Never be satisfied. If once you are satisfied, all our wheels will run down. Keep going—and if you can't, Try Nutrax for Nerves!
Intriguingly familiar cynicism, vintage 1933.
