Gaudy night: Obscene graffiti, poison pen letters and a disgusting effigy greeted Harriet Vane on her return to Oxford. A graduate of ten years before and now a successful novelist, this should have been a pleasant, nostalgic visit for her. She asks her lover, Lord Peter Wimsey, for help.Busman's honeymoon: Lord Peter Wimsey arranged a quiet country honeymoon with Harriet Vane, but what should have been an idyllic holiday in an ancient farmhouse takes on a new and unwelcome aspect with the discovery of the previous owner's body in the cellar.