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3.55 AVERAGE
3.55 AVERAGE
I must say that while I liked this, Heyer's mysteries don't hold a candle to her romances or historical fiction.
It took me along time to finish this book. Usually I really, really like Georgette Heyer's mysteries but this one was not one of my favorites.
Silas Kane's sixtieth birthday ends in tragedy when he apparently walks off a cliff during a foggy evening. However, his nephew's half-brother suspects murder. As a teenage boy though, the young Mr. Harte is disregarded until Silas' heir also dies. When the third in line for the family fortune starts getting close death calls, everyone starts to take the youngster's theories more seriously.
Update: This book improves upon re-reading
Silas Kane's sixtieth birthday ends in tragedy when he apparently walks off a cliff during a foggy evening. However, his nephew's half-brother suspects murder. As a teenage boy though, the young Mr. Harte is disregarded until Silas' heir also dies. When the third in line for the family fortune starts getting close death calls, everyone starts to take the youngster's theories more seriously.
Update: This book improves upon re-reading
The only other Heyer mystery I've read (No Wind of Blame) reminded me of Wodehouse. This one made me want to read Wodehouse instead.
It was boring...
Wonder why Heyer churned out a book as insipid as this..
It was okayish in the first half, but the second half was too dragging and soporific. I had to struggle to finish the book.
Gist of the book - a wealthy businessman dies accidently on the night of his 60th birthday celebrations. His nephew and heir is shot to death a few days later. His business partner and son are the prime suspects initially as they were on the verge of pestering him to sign an important business deal, which he was averse to. Then suspicion is clad upon another nephew, who is to inherit the wealth. There is the old matriarch, her lady in waiting, her maid servant and a bumbling teenage boy and the Australian business deal proposer to add to the melee. And Scotland Yard, in the form of Inspector Hannasyde, makes an entry.
Wonder why Heyer churned out a book as insipid as this..
It was okayish in the first half, but the second half was too dragging and soporific. I had to struggle to finish the book.
Gist of the book - a wealthy businessman dies accidently on the night of his 60th birthday celebrations. His nephew and heir is shot to death a few days later. His business partner and son are the prime suspects initially as they were on the verge of pestering him to sign an important business deal, which he was averse to. Then suspicion is clad upon another nephew, who is to inherit the wealth. There is the old matriarch, her lady in waiting, her maid servant and a bumbling teenage boy and the Australian business deal proposer to add to the melee. And Scotland Yard, in the form of Inspector Hannasyde, makes an entry.
I'm a fan of Georgette Heyer but I think I missed some of her mysteries this one included.
I like the Golden Age feeling in this book, the likable cast of characters and the plot.
The mystery was very good and it kept me guessing till the end.
It was en engaging and entertaining read and I'm happy I still have Heyer mysteries to read.
Recommended!
Many thanks to SOURCEBOOKS Landmark and Netgalley for this book, all opinions are mine.
I like the Golden Age feeling in this book, the likable cast of characters and the plot.
The mystery was very good and it kept me guessing till the end.
It was en engaging and entertaining read and I'm happy I still have Heyer mysteries to read.
Recommended!
Many thanks to SOURCEBOOKS Landmark and Netgalley for this book, all opinions are mine.
Fun!
I recently listened to Duplicate Death, with "Terrible Timothy" as a grown up lad of 27... and Jim Kane as a happily married man with children, and realized that I hadn't read or listened to THIS book for a while. I thoroughly enjoyed the tale. Timothy and Jim and Patricia and the exasperating and utterly ridiculous Rosemary were fun.
I recently listened to Duplicate Death, with "Terrible Timothy" as a grown up lad of 27... and Jim Kane as a happily married man with children, and realized that I hadn't read or listened to THIS book for a while. I thoroughly enjoyed the tale. Timothy and Jim and Patricia and the exasperating and utterly ridiculous Rosemary were fun.
Having celebrated his sixtieth birthday with a party, Silas Kane is found missing the next morning. Nearly everyone occurs that his death was an acident, until another body is discovered, murdered.
Superintendent Hannasyde investigates all the red herrings in the story.
The style of writing is certainly indicative of it being written 1937.
An enjoyable mystery but not with a lot of depth as far as the characters were concerned, and admittedly a couple of annoying ones.
A NetGalley
Superintendent Hannasyde investigates all the red herrings in the story.
The style of writing is certainly indicative of it being written 1937.
An enjoyable mystery but not with a lot of depth as far as the characters were concerned, and admittedly a couple of annoying ones.
A NetGalley
Originally posted at http://abooksofathomless.blogspot.com.au/
I feel like Georgette Heyer is one of those authors that really isn’t as popular as she should be. Most of her books (of which there are about fifty five or so) are regency romances a la Jane Austen, twelve of them, however, are crime/mystery novels. I love murder mystery novels, I honestly do- so it’s no surprise to me that I adored this book.
Characters play a massive role in mystery novels, as does the plot- you may think this is the same for every genre of book, but I believe the emphasis is put on these two aspects in mystery novels more than any other genre. The characters within ‘They Found Him Dead’ were all brilliantly constructed- there are of course the characters you are made to love, the ones you hate and the ones you just can’t seem to figure out.
The plot was also brilliant- the actual summary of this book does absolutely no justice to the actual plot. There are so many twists and turns and little details that make you wonder who the murderer is and whether other people might be protecting them. One of my favourite things about mystery novels is trying to work out who the murderer is going to be, and I especially enjoy it when I pick the completely wrong person. I admit, the murderer was not who I thought it was, but that just made the book even more interesting for me.
If you’re a big fan of Agatha Christie like me or if you just like mystery novels, you should definitely give Georgette Heyer a go. And if mysteries aren’t your thing but romances are, I would definitely suggest checking out of her regency novels.
I feel like Georgette Heyer is one of those authors that really isn’t as popular as she should be. Most of her books (of which there are about fifty five or so) are regency romances a la Jane Austen, twelve of them, however, are crime/mystery novels. I love murder mystery novels, I honestly do- so it’s no surprise to me that I adored this book.
Characters play a massive role in mystery novels, as does the plot- you may think this is the same for every genre of book, but I believe the emphasis is put on these two aspects in mystery novels more than any other genre. The characters within ‘They Found Him Dead’ were all brilliantly constructed- there are of course the characters you are made to love, the ones you hate and the ones you just can’t seem to figure out.
The plot was also brilliant- the actual summary of this book does absolutely no justice to the actual plot. There are so many twists and turns and little details that make you wonder who the murderer is and whether other people might be protecting them. One of my favourite things about mystery novels is trying to work out who the murderer is going to be, and I especially enjoy it when I pick the completely wrong person. I admit, the murderer was not who I thought it was, but that just made the book even more interesting for me.
If you’re a big fan of Agatha Christie like me or if you just like mystery novels, you should definitely give Georgette Heyer a go. And if mysteries aren’t your thing but romances are, I would definitely suggest checking out of her regency novels.
What's this? A death within the first 100 pages? Hannasyde being useful and effective? The hetero couple getting together in the beginning? A relatively normal family, even if the parents are a little eccentric? Also, possibly Hemingway has a wife? Obviously I don't buy his story about his "old lady," yarn, and kittens, but it's odd to see him talk like that.