“If you’re a salesman worth the name at all, you can sell razors to a billiard-ball.”

With the success of Lord Peter Wimsey, it’s often forgotten that Dorothy L. Sayers also created another amateur sleuth in Montague Egg . This edition for the first time collects all the short stories featuring Egg who by profession is a travelling wines and spirits salesman. Egg does not actively pursue investigations but mysteries seem to relentlessly pursue him. He is, in his own words, “Monty-on-the-spot” who proceeds to solve puzzles with elan. His knowledge of all aspects of the vintner’s trade is useful in determining the exact circumstances of several cases of poisoning. Through regular contact with other commercial travellers, he has also gained a smattering of knowledge of several other lines of business: enough, to help him solve mysteries while quoting maxims from his favourite book, The Salesman’s Handbook, such as: ‘A cheerful voice and cheerful look put orders in the order-book’ or “The good will of the maid is nine-tenths of the trade” or “ready to learn means ready to earn.”.