The Black Moth is perhaps a little more my style than Arabella. The heroine Diana is young and virtuous, like Arabella, but not quite as clueless. And her troubles are thanks to a villain--the Duke of Andover, known as Devil--rather than her own actions. But this story is less about Diana and far more about our hero Jack, who has been estranged from his family for several years, ever since he took the fall for his brother for cheating at cards--practically a hanging offense in polite society. He's making a living as a highwayman on the byways of England, having returned from living on the continent, when he interrupts an abduction. Yes, of course, the Devil and Diana. The story is also about Jack's younger brother Richard, who married Andover's sister, who has struggled (with guilt and shame) all these years between sacrificing his marriage and his brother. Then there's Sir Miles and his wife. All in all, an engaging cast of characters, lots of interesting dialogue, swordfights, chases, impersonations, and self-sacrificing honorableness and other impediments to True Love. This is the first story that Georgette Heyer ever wrote, while she was still a teenager. It's a keeper, particularly as it is part of the Alistair family collection, along with These Old Shades and Devil's Cub. ( )

Perhaps Heyer was displeased with this early effort, and decided to detach her Alastair series from it for that reason. Nevertheless, it is clear that she modeled the disreputable Duke of Avon's greatest past outrage on Tracy's kidnapping of Diana in "The Black Moth." The book therefore makes an appropriate and enjoyable start to the Alastair family books: "These Old Shades," "The Devil's Cub," and "An Infamous Army."

Heyer wrote her Georgian romances early in her career, and in a way they are almost too authentic. It is easy to be put off by the speech quirks, and even in the narrative she seems to be taking her lead from Jane Austen--or even Henry Fielding--which makes the books unexpectedly, well, literary, to put it nicely. The later books are definitely more readable, but the Georgians repay patience, being emotionally richer and ultimately just as lively and funny. And even this early on, Heyer had a gift for humorous touches that subvert the seriousness (or self-seriousness) of romance novel situations--as when Diana pretends to be asleep so as not to have to talk to Tracy, and he sardonically comments on her ability to keep her mouth from dropping open while sleeping in an upright position.

I am delighted that Harlequin is republishing Heyer's romances in trade format. I snapped up "These Old Shades" and "The Black Sheep" the instant I saw them, and I can hardly wait for my other favorites: "The Grand Sophy," "The Unknown Ajax," "The Talisman Ring," and "Arabella." Oh, and "The Reluctant Widow." Two quibbles: First, although it is nice to have current romance writers do introductions for the books, Diana Palmer's badly organized and repetitive me-me-and-oh-yes-me foreword does a disservice to "The Black Moth," which she seems not to have read recently, since she has zero to say about the plot. (For a current writer who genuinely cares about both Georgette Heyer and the book she is introducing, try the foreword Stephanie Laurens has written for "These Old Shades.")

Secondly, with the lovely repackaging of the novels, why not take enough care to give the Georgians proper Georgian covers, instead of the generic Regency covers they've all been given?

Heyer's very first novel, written when she was 19. Not, perhaps, her most accomplished, but all the elements are there. Beautiful young heroine, gallant hero, amusing supporting characters, witty dialog, and of course a villain. It is an amazing debut novel for one so young.

My copy says it is a Regency Romance, though it is set many years before the Regency period (it ends in 1752, according to the information that "Miss Gunning is to marry Coventry"). ( )

A fine story, but the Georgian dialog is too labored. The method she used to introduce characters is "indeed most tedious." ...HOWEVER, it turns out this is the first book Heyer wrote...written when she was 17 to amuse her convalescent brother.

Disguised as a highwayman, Jack Carstares, the wrongly disgraced Earl of Wyncham, found himself again face-to-face with the wicked Duke of Andover. This time the Black Moth was attempting to abduct dark-haired beauty Diana Beauleigh. Once more Jack's noble impulse to save the day landed him in trouble, but not before sending the villainous duke scurrying. Diana took her gallant rescuer in and nursed his wounds, and soon truer emotions grew between them. But Jack couldn't stay, for a lady and an outlaw would make a scandalous pair. Torn between his tarnished past and the hope for Diana's hand, Jack had one dangerous chance to reclaim his honor -- by defeating the Black Moth for good!