Dorothy L. Sayers

''The Five Red Herrings'' (1931) by Dorothy L. Sayers is a classic Golden Age detective mysteryfeaturing Lord Peter Wimsey. It is a quintessential "whodunit" or puzzle-plot story, focused on solving the murder of a Scottish painter among six artist suspects in Galloway. It is considered a "pure puzzle story" or "fair play" mystery, focusing heavily on clues, train timetables, and alibis, rather than just character studies.
Lord Peter investigates which of six rival artists murdered the unpopular Sandy Campbell, with the title referring to the five innocent suspects who act as distractions ("red herrings").