Dorothy L Sayers' Montague Egg Quiz

Answer: Wines and spirits

Monty's expertise in the wine and spirits line leads to the solution of two mysteries, "The Poisoned Dow '08", and "Bitter Almonds".

Answer: Plummet and Rose

Montague Egg is not the only detective of the period to be a seller of wines. H. Warner Allen created his detective William Clerihew in 1930 for the story "Tokay of the Comet Year". Clerihew later appeared in several novels.

Answer: recites rhyming couplets

The maxims from the "Salesman's Handbook" sustain Monty through every problem that comes up. After all, "The salesman who will use his brains will spare himself a world of pains."

Answer: through a hollow corkscrew

Monty feels some urgency to solve this crime. After all, to have a customer die after drinking some of their port does not reflect well on his employers. "Not but what the wine was wholesome enough when we sent it out...But it's not the sort of publicity we care for."

Answer: his characteristic method of opening a flask stopper

"'There's only one way I know of to take out stoppers, and that's to take 'em out. What d'you expect me to do? Whistle 'em out?' 'You do it that way because you aren't accustomed to measuring and pouring with one hand while the other's occupied. But a doctor or a chemist pulls the stopper out with his little finger, like this, and lifts the bottle in the same hand, holding the measuring-glass in his left, so -'".

Answer: The Bodleian Library

The murderer establishes an alibi by taking out a "Phi" book ("a book deemed by Bodley's Librarian to be of an indelicate nature", which has to be signed out), and retiring to his "usual corner of Duke Humphrey's Library". He there disguises himself as a woman, walks out, commits the murder, returns, and changes back into his own clothes.

Answer: a spelling error

A scrap of paper, torn from a letter, with the words "should be in goal" was found clutched in the victim's hand. This threw suspicion on the goaltender of the mill's football team, who had recently been replaced. Monty, however, discovered that the words should have been "should be in GAOL", which pointed to the true culprit.

This was the father of a man whose invention had been appropriated by the thieving mill owner. Monty always uses the spelling "jail", himself, to avoid these little mix-ups.

Answer: two clocks have a similar-sounding chime

Monty almost gives the murderer an alibi when he swears he heard the kitchen clock chiming midnight when the murder occurred. Luckily he discovers his mistake before the murderer can get away.

Answer: a cat

Monty helps the girl and her cat answer an odd newspaper ad: "Wanted: hard-working, capable Cat to keep down mice in pleasant villa residence and be companion to middle-aged couple. Ten shillings and good home to suitable applicant. Apply to Mr John Doe..." It turns out that Mr and Mrs "John Doe" are gathering dozens of cats, to frighten their old, cat-hating, uncle to death so they can inherit his money.

Answer: the weights in a grandfather clock

The brother of one of the victim's "wives" is the main suspect, but Monty solves the mystery, and shows that the salesman was killed for the contents of his travelling bag.