Mid-century light crime fiction by an author better known for her Regency romance novels.

Superintendent Hannasyde of Scotland Yard is called in to investigate a rather strange murder, involving a rather unpleasant businessman who had several enemies. Both family members and business associates had motives and also opportunities for getting rid of him.

Heyer's humour burns bright in this book, but there just isn't enough fast-paced action. I found myself getting bored and in the end, she doesn't answer the question of exactly how it was done - though I suppose it was implied. I knew who had "dunnit" very early on simply by process of elimination. All Heyer's straw men were knocked down too quickly.

Georgette Heyer didn’t lay false trails and red herrings as expertly as Agatha Christie. On the other hand, Heyer's characterisation skills were vastly superior to Christie's, and her dialogue is a lot more amusing.

Oh, and I can't believe the print in these old books is so small! ( )

Death in the Stocks - Heyer
4 stars

This book has the feel of a drawing room comedy. There’s a great deal of rapid fire nonsensical banter between the young, frivolous, upper class characters. They give every impression of being superficial, selfish, and completely amoral. Strangely, Heyer still manages to make them mostly likable.

Despite the title, the setting is probably 1920-ish. The victim’s body was discovered on a village green with his feet secured in a set of historic stocks. This is not a spoiler. It occurs within the first two pages. The limited action of the story shifts immediately to the apparent heirs to the victim’s fortune. They are a brother and sister pair of twins, Antonia and Giles. Additional suspects include the fiances of each twin who are clearly not good marriage prospects. A final suspect, Roger, a half-cousin who has been presumed dead for many years adds further confusion to the chaos.

It’s a circus.

I was trapped with it on a 6 hour plane flight. It was just right. The pages turned easily. It kept me mildly entertained but didn’t require strenuous thinking or a great deal of my attention. ( )

A bobby on his night rounds discovers a corpse in evening dress locked in the stocks on the village green. Inspector Hannasyde is called in, but sorting out the suspects proves a challenge. Anyone in the eccentric, exceedingly uncooperative Vereker family had the motive and means to kill Andrew Vereker, who seemed to have been universally disliked. One cousin allies himself with the inspector, while the victim's half-brother and sister, each of whom suspects the other, markedly try to set him off the scent. Hemingway/Hannasyde Book 1
A bobby on his night rounds discovers a corpse in evening dress locked in the stocks on the village green. Inspector Hannasyde is called in, but sorting out the suspects proves a challenge. Anyone in the eccentric, exceedingly uncooperative Vereker family had the motive and means to kill Andrew Vereker, who seemed to have been universally disliked. One cousin allies himself with the inspector, while the victim's half-brother and sister, each of whom suspects the other, markedly try to set him off the scent. ( )

I read the book because I happened upon the website for the Edward Gorey House in Yarmouth Port, MA, which had an exhibit called "Murder He Wrote". The description lists some of Gorey's favorite murder mystery authors: Agatha Christie, Dorothy Sayers, Georgette Heyer, Josephine Tey, Michael Innes, Margery Allingham, Edmund Crispin, and Cecil Street. I would read another Heyer if I saw one to give her a second change, but I wouldn't seek one out. ( )

still trying to sympathize with any of the characters. i am still in the early parts.