Why Shoot a Butler? (original 1933; edition 2007)

Interesting in a classic whodunnit type of plot. Set in the 30's in England, Heyer places her characters in a very rigid kinda plot. Frank Amberley, barrister and part time amateur detective, comes across as stiff and cold. Maybe it's because I've been totally spoiled by Sayers' graceful writing that just flows that I couldn't really connect with Heyer's style. I found it cold, abrupt and very stiff. I did not believe the "love-hate" romance between the two lead characters and kinda wished that the villain of the tale wasn't the obvious choice but unfortunately it was. This won't stop me from reading the others mystery titles I have of her : Footsteps in the Dark, The Unfinished Clue. ( )

We've had this book for years but it had been some time since I last read one of Heyer's mysteries. The story opens with Frank Amberley on his way to the country. Having taken his cousin's 'short-cut' he ends up lost and following an unfamiliar road when he discovers a car containing a dead man and Shirley Brown standing next to it with a gun. Mr. Amberley reports the murder making no mention of Miss Brown, but does start his own investigation into the matter.

An enjoyable English mystery from the 30's by an accomplished storyteller. Recommended for readers of Agatha Christie and the other British author of that decade. Also for fans of Georgette Heyer. I really liked spending time with these characters and spotting the clues though I did remember who did it and why.

When London barrister Frank Amberley gets lost on the way to his uncle’s country house, he notices a car parked on the side of the road and stops to see if he can assist anyone – only to discover that the driver is a surly young woman and that the man sitting in the passenger seat has been shot dead. Although everything seems to point to the woman as the culprit, Frank’s instincts tell him that she is innocent. When he later discovers that the victim was a butler at his uncle’s neighbor’s estate, Frank suspects that there is much more to this murder than meets the eye. After all, as one of the other characters points out, why shoot a butler?

I absolutely love Georgette Heyer, and having read most of her Regency romances, I’m now making a start on her mysteries. I really enjoyed this English-country-house mystery, which is similar in style to the works of Agatha Christie and Dorothy Sayers. My favorite aspect of the book was the characters, especially the clever but arrogant Frank Amberley. I also enjoyed the romantic subplot, which Heyer always does so brilliantly. The mystery itself was good too, although in places I felt that Heyer tipped her hand a bit too much. While I didn’t predict the entire solution, there are a few hints at the beginning of the story that enabled me to figure out some pretty important plot elements. Overall, though, I found this an extremely good read and look forward to reading more of Heyer’s mysteries.

Pretty good - actually, amazingly good. I _hate_ smartass detectives - the ones who tell you in the last pages "Well, of _course_ this was the solution. All you had to know to understand it is the political situation in Outer Kazakhistan in 1902!" This book is full of that kind of smartasses - Amberley and his Aunt Marion, in particular, but everyone knows things they aren't telling - but I still enjoyed it. I figured out Amberley's secret when he said he disliked Shirley; I forget when I figured out Shirley's secret, but it was pretty early. After Mark was gone, though. And of course we the readers have the clue that has Amberley totally stumped... Anyway. Good book. It reads as though there are more Amberley books, but I don't know that that's true - there are a lot of references to previous cases, but they might just be references (to explain the various police attitudes toward him). ( )

Read this out of curiosity as I had known of Georgette Heyer's so-so reputation, but not read anything of hers, and not aware that she did anything other than Georgian romances. Plus points: I didn't guess why-done-it, but I found the investigator Frank Amberly insufferably arrogant and was hoping that he would get his come-uppance sooner or later. He didn't. He did have a wonderful Aunt though, very dry and laconic, would have enjoyed far more of her and far less of the bumbling policemen. Rather irritated in the way that smug Amberly went off sleuthing without taking the reader with him. But...plot was as convoluted, and perhaps better written, as a Christie. ( )