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sophiarose1816's review against another edition
lighthearted
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
After a history of being apart from his family, Gervaise Frant, the new Earl of St. Erth, returns to Stanyon Castle to claim his place as head of the family. If he expected a warm welcome, he is sadly mistaken because his widowed step mother, the Dowager, and younger half brother are put out of sorts that he survived the war and returned home to take his place.
Gervaise is a winning, handsome man with quiet genteel ways and this earns him respect in the neighborhood, among the servants, and, unfortunately, the bubbly young woman his brother set his heart on.
If that were not trouble enough, freak accidents of a deadly nature begin occurring to Gervaise and he is troubled, among others including sensible house guest Miss Morvelle and his hardworking cousin Theo, with the suspicion landing solidly on his hot-head brother who has already hurled hatred and threats at his head. Gervaise is luckier than most for surviving the war campaigns he was in and he needs all that luck now.
We think first of Heyer's sparkling Regency Romcoms and then maybe her later period detective stories. But, it is fun to note that she had a couple Regencies where she combined her romance with a spot of suspense and The Quiet Gentleman is one of them. There is a plot against Gervaise to unhorse him from the newly acquired earldom and there are good family and belowstairs dynamics with a subtle romance occurring in the background for the most part. I loved the combo of elements and this, one of her more understated stories is thoroughly engaging and one I will gladly revisit.
Gervaise is open in some ways, but kept enigmatic in others. His friends and family are easier to read than this quietly capable hero who doesn't put himself forward, but still has a commanding presence when he wishes to exert it. He is something of a dandy, but also a Corinthian, humble about his war record and place in a family that pushed him out because he happens to look like his late mother and came first in the line of secession. He doesn't resent his brother for being his father's favorite or that his father willed away plenty of property and wealth to his younger brother even though Martin was something of a spoiled brat much of the story.
As to Drusilla Morville, she is Gervaise's match though she is plain featured, plain speaking, and loaded with common sense and no romantic notions. Her parents are plenty eccentric which maybe explains her choosing not to be. Like Gervaise, she is capable and doesn't feel the need to put herself forward or resent a pretty spoilt girl from the neighborhood or the crotchety autocratic Dowager who bosses her around. She stands loyal though she thinks she doesn't stand a chance with Gervaise.
As to the narration work, Cornelius Garret was already familiar from voicing other Heyer books. I do enjoy the way he engages in voice acting and the emotions of the moment while presenting an easily distinguished cast of both genders, all ages, and the class structure both above and below stairs.
All in all, this was splendid and I was glad to revisit a story I hadn't picked up in years. It stood the test of time and re-reading.
Gervaise is a winning, handsome man with quiet genteel ways and this earns him respect in the neighborhood, among the servants, and, unfortunately, the bubbly young woman his brother set his heart on.
If that were not trouble enough, freak accidents of a deadly nature begin occurring to Gervaise and he is troubled, among others including sensible house guest Miss Morvelle and his hardworking cousin Theo, with the suspicion landing solidly on his hot-head brother who has already hurled hatred and threats at his head. Gervaise is luckier than most for surviving the war campaigns he was in and he needs all that luck now.
We think first of Heyer's sparkling Regency Romcoms and then maybe her later period detective stories. But, it is fun to note that she had a couple Regencies where she combined her romance with a spot of suspense and The Quiet Gentleman is one of them. There is a plot against Gervaise to unhorse him from the newly acquired earldom and there are good family and belowstairs dynamics with a subtle romance occurring in the background for the most part. I loved the combo of elements and this, one of her more understated stories is thoroughly engaging and one I will gladly revisit.
Gervaise is open in some ways, but kept enigmatic in others. His friends and family are easier to read than this quietly capable hero who doesn't put himself forward, but still has a commanding presence when he wishes to exert it. He is something of a dandy, but also a Corinthian, humble about his war record and place in a family that pushed him out because he happens to look like his late mother and came first in the line of secession. He doesn't resent his brother for being his father's favorite or that his father willed away plenty of property and wealth to his younger brother even though Martin was something of a spoiled brat much of the story.
As to Drusilla Morville, she is Gervaise's match though she is plain featured, plain speaking, and loaded with common sense and no romantic notions. Her parents are plenty eccentric which maybe explains her choosing not to be. Like Gervaise, she is capable and doesn't feel the need to put herself forward or resent a pretty spoilt girl from the neighborhood or the crotchety autocratic Dowager who bosses her around. She stands loyal though she thinks she doesn't stand a chance with Gervaise.
As to the narration work, Cornelius Garret was already familiar from voicing other Heyer books. I do enjoy the way he engages in voice acting and the emotions of the moment while presenting an easily distinguished cast of both genders, all ages, and the class structure both above and below stairs.
All in all, this was splendid and I was glad to revisit a story I hadn't picked up in years. It stood the test of time and re-reading.
forever_day's review against another edition
3.0
Fine, but a bit slow.
I liked the heroine immensely- she was nicely drafted with uncommon qualities. However, she wasn't a major player for much of the book and the hero didn't enthrall me. He had lots of stated qualities that I would ordinarily like very much but they didn't come across so well in the dialogue and he was mostly a bit meh. I did like the subtle way he gained regard for the heroine, which was nicely done and enjoyable reading.
As for the plot, I didn't find it wildly satisfying- the motives didn't convince me and the climax wasn't one of my favourites. It did maintain the mystery for the majority of the book (but I only arrived at the correct conclusion by a process of elimination and not motives, which isn't the most satisfying way).
There were lots of little funny wordplay moments (blink and you'd miss it type things) but no big funny scenes.
I liked the heroine immensely- she was nicely drafted with uncommon qualities. However, she wasn't a major player for much of the book and the hero didn't enthrall me. He had lots of stated qualities that I would ordinarily like very much but they didn't come across so well in the dialogue and he was mostly a bit meh. I did like the subtle way he gained regard for the heroine, which was nicely done and enjoyable reading.
As for the plot, I didn't find it wildly satisfying- the motives didn't convince me and the climax wasn't one of my favourites. It did maintain the mystery for the majority of the book (but I only arrived at the correct conclusion by a process of elimination and not motives, which isn't the most satisfying way).
There were lots of little funny wordplay moments (blink and you'd miss it type things) but no big funny scenes.
Spoiler
Also yet a n o t h e r story where hero gets wounded and needs heroine to tend to him. I love the trope, but it's feeling a lil same-y.mrswythe89's review against another edition
4.0
Aw, I was hoping that the quiet gentleman would be a really boring, quiet, shy dude. Instead it is another of Heyer's Psmith-type dandified-but-deadly characters. Oh well.
Really liked this because it has more of a plot than most of her novels, it's a *different* type of plot from the usual, the little brother character is more interesting (if more annoying) than Heyer's usual little brother characters, and most of all because I love how sensible Miss Morville is. She is so cute!
I was terribly worried in the beginning that the pairing I felt should happen, according to all the rules of Heyer, would not happen, and I appreciate having been kept in (some) suspense.
Really liked this because it has more of a plot than most of her novels, it's a *different* type of plot from the usual, the little brother character is more interesting (if more annoying) than Heyer's usual little brother characters, and most of all because I love how sensible Miss Morville is. She is so cute!
I was terribly worried in the beginning that the pairing I felt should happen, according to all the rules of Heyer, would not happen, and I appreciate having been kept in (some) suspense.
violinknitter's review against another edition
5.0
Ok, this is absolutely one of my favorite Heyer novels ever!
magicalrocketships's review against another edition
4.0
Charmingly underrated Heyer, with a really interesting heroine and a good mystery.
CW: some mention of owning estates in Jamaica.
CW: some mention of owning estates in Jamaica.
melissadegraffbooks's review against another edition
4.0
3.5 stars. A bit of mystery and an untraditional heroine.
qwelling4's review against another edition
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
jennysjw's review against another edition
As a romance, this had potential but not enough development. Drusilla is a very unconventional heroine, and I liked her character immensely. I liked that their relationship was the heroine saving the hero! But there just aren’t enough scenes between the heroine and hero to build their relationship.
As a murder mystery, this was overly simplistic with an anti-climactic ending.
Several other small issues about this novel bothered me. Heyer’s politics were so particularly obvious in this novel. There is a significant amount of victiming blaming at play. And I found the side characters either boring or outright annoying.
As a murder mystery, this was overly simplistic with an anti-climactic ending.
Several other small issues about this novel bothered me. Heyer’s politics were so particularly obvious in this novel. There is a significant amount of victiming blaming at play. And I found the side characters either boring or outright annoying.
kittykornerlibrarian's review against another edition
5.0
This is a suspenseful Regency read... I love it that the hero is a quiet, soft-spoken guy who nevertheless wields quite a lot of power on the people around him. It probably helps that he's an Earl. In any case, Lord St. Erth returns back from the Napoleonic wars to a family seat that is filled with family who may or may not be happy that he survived the war and inherited the title and the estate. Mysterious mischances keep befalling the Earl, who adroitly watches to see what is really happening around him. I enjoyed this one a lot.
ue_reads's review against another edition
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0