No Wind of Blame

When the insufferable Wally Carter is shot dead on the grounds of his wife's estate, Inspector Hemingway of Scotland Yard soon discovers that there is no shortage of suspects. Wally's wealthy and long-suffering wife Ermyntrude, upon whose largesse he had been living, had only just learned of his affair with a local girl. Ermyntrude's two "suitors" - the stern Robert Steele, who was in love with her; and the charming Prince Varasashvili, who was in love with her money - each wanted to be her next husband. Then there was Ermyntrude's temperamental daughter Vicki, who liked to play-act; sensible Mary Cliffe, Wally's ward and possible heir; and the outraged Percy Baker, brother to the girl Wally had "gotten into trouble." But which of them show more was the guilty party...?

Having read all but two of Georgette Heyer's historical novels, and all of her romances, I have long been meaning to pick up one of her mysteries. Sadly, No Wind of Blame was a rather disappointing first foray into Heyer's work in this genre. I could see that the reader was meant to find many of the characters - particularly the precocious Vicki - amusing, but somehow the Heyer magic just didn't seem to work here, and I found the characters unsympathetic and tiresome. I also thought that the narrative lacked suspense, not because I was able to guess the solution immediately, but because I simply couldn't dredge up any interest in the solution in the first place.

It's possible that my expectations were simply too high, and that Heyer's mysteries were bound to suffer, when compared to her brilliant romantic novels, or to the work of such masters of the country-house mystery as Agatha Christie. Either way, although it was mildly entertaining, I wouldn't recommend this title to anyone but Georgette Heyer completists. show less

Nice. A beautiful example of giving the reader all the clues (well, almost all) - but anyone who put them all together (the how, if not the why) in advance of Inspector Hemingway is far more brilliant than I. Persons and personalities, extremely complex intertwining of motives and connections...and the doctor completely surprised me at the end, I'll have to read it again to see if there were clues to that. Several very annoying characters (especially Vicki - she may have been intended to be amusing, but she drove me nuts with her theatrics), several very nice ones - and the obvious HAE didn't happen, but several others did or will. Heyer does a beautiful balance of characters and mystery - the mystery rises out of the interactions of show more characters, the characters deal with the mystery in individually appropriate ways, and the solution makes perfect sense of all the twists that have been uncovered. Lovely. Now I want to read another Heyer - either a mystery or a romance. Anything she does is good. show less

I liked this book because it seemed to have captured the very essence of English society of the time and it was just so accurately done I had no problems picturing the setting, the characters, and as I progressed with the story it just got more interesting.

I loved the mystery aspect of this, it certainly did keep me guessing! you're actually left until nearly the very end to learn who the culprit was. I found myself always changing my mind on who might have done it (some of my guesses were so outrageous I'm actually laughing about it now) but it was nice how it was written to make it look like as if each of the suspects could have possibly done it since they all had a motive to do it. Each suspect was explained with their possible show more connection to the murder and it was done in such a clever way you're left jumping from one character to another pointing the finger as to who did it. Definitely a job well done in that aspect of writing.

Character wise, I liked most of them. With a name like Ermyntrude what's not to like! I have to admit I liked Mary from the start. She just seemed so steady and had a serious head on her shoulders I enjoyed her character a lot. I thought Vicky was one of the most annoying characters in the book. I couldn't really stand her and her melodrama and immaturity just made you hate her even more, especially when she started pointing the finger and trying to get Inspector Hemingway to go to other possible suspects to take the blame off of her (in many ways I had it set in my head that she was the one who committed the crime and she was my main suspect, but only because I just couldn't stand her and wanted her out of the way). Hugh doesn't really help much with telling Vicky to be quiet and I really don't see what he sees in her but to each his/her own, right? (I rather wanted him to be with Mary). The Prince was such a stereotypical charming character but had a phony side to him that made him enjoyable to read, especially his behavior towards Ermyntrude, it was obvious he was after her, but it was just funny to see him try and get her attention.

A few criticisms about this book, well the plot is a little slow but it's to give you a proper introduction to the characters and a way to get you to know them more so the mystery will work out perfectly. I understand that and think it was a necessity otherwise if you were just to read about the suspects and their motives without really getting to know their character it just wouldn't be a fun read at all. It could have moved a little more quickly though. Another thing, because this book was written in the 30's, it's a very different style of writing and I found it a little hard to get used to. Plus Inspector Hemingway got so analytical about the case, and if you combine that with the style of writing it got hard to follow and understand sometimes. I had to reread some passages to get the understanding of it.

Overall, a wonderful mystery read if you have the patience to get through the writing and a slow moving but interesting plot. show less

No Wind of Blame, one of Georgette Heyer’s thrillers, was published in 1939 and features the usual accoutrements of the country-manor murder: an upper-class family simply seething with complicated relationships and eccentricities, whose family party is crashed by a competent detective from Scotland Yard who is less than respected by the local authorities. This particular title also boasts a money-hungry Russian (or rather, Georgian, excuse me!) prince, an angry “Bolshie,” and a dog that mysteriously does not bark.

The murder itself is a bit contrived (well, okay, more than a bit). The likelihood of such elaborate and complicated mechanics actually working to murder someone seems quite improbable, but we’re not here for that, show more right?

Where Heyer shines, as usual, is in her characters’ dialogue and relationships. Mary Cliffe is the ostensible heroine, as the story opens by her staid side, but her young relative Vicky soon steals the show. Mary is left bland and lackluster and sensible on the sidelines, for Vicky is an actress (or fancies herself one, anyways) and is always playing some dramatic part. One day she she is Sports Girl; another, Early Victorian, and so on. It would be exasperating in a real person, but in a literary creation it’s highly amusing.

Ermyntrude Carter is another brilliantly drawn character, a rather foolish woman whose hysterics and “woman’s instincts” make life a trial for Inspector Hemingway. And yet there is a kindness and humility about her; she’s hard not to like, even when she is being ridiculous. One is thankful that she does not fall into the clutches of Prince Alexis Varasashvili, the smooth-talking prince who would like nothing better than to take the fair Ermyntrude—and her fortune—to have and to hold forever.

The title is taken from the line “And for his death no wind of blame shall breathe” in Hamlet, when Claudius is plotting with Laertes to murder Hamlet and make it look like an accident. It doesn’t perfectly fit here, as there is no way this death looks like an accident, even superficially, but it’s certainly a catchy title. All in all, this is a predictable but fun mystery to be enjoyed for its wit and comedic merits more than anything else. show less

No Wind of Blame (Georgette Heyer) is a rollicking murder mystery full of colorful players and numerous plot twists. The first quarter of the book is devoted to introducing the reader to the vast array of characters. The descriptions are not overt. Yes, the usual physical details are given but the true nature of each individual is cleverly exposed through dialogue and reactions to situations and each other. Ermyntrude, the drama-queen of a widow, Prince Alexis who blatantly expresses his desire to marry Ermyntrude while her husband was still among the living and the properly steadfast Inspector Hemingway are just a few of the principles that create a quick and sometimes comical read. Personally, my favorite character was Vicky, the show more daughter of Ermyntrude from her first marriage. Vicky lives each moment of the day as if she is on stage – literally. She changes clothing and personality depending on the situation and other players involved. She actually becomes jealous when she discovers she is NOT considered a prime suspect in her step-father’s murder and creates a storyline making her the “star” of the investigation. The investigation following the murder is a head-spinning venture for Inspector Hemingway with everyone a suspect. His job is made all the more difficult with that not one of those suspected seems to be very concerned and at times, say and do things that creates even more doubt as to their innocence. There are some love triangles, some unexpected twists and a satisfying conclusion.

It took me a few pages to acclimate myself to Ms. Heyer’s writing style. There are some dated phrases but this is to be expected as the book was originally published in 1939. It certainly has stood the test of time and I look forward to reading other titles from this entertaining author.

Thank you to Sourcebooks, Inc. for allowing me to read and review this book. show less

First of the Inspector Hemingway series of mysteries. Another of Heyer's tales of murder amongst the wealthy in 1930s England, this one is seen primarily through the eyes of Mary, the younger cousin and ward of Wally Carter, a man who has married an extremely wealthy and somewhat vulgar widow. Ermyntrude was an actress before she married her first husband, and is inclined to histrionics at home, but is also a kind and generous woman who has offered Mary a permanent home and a position as her secretary. Mary is genuinely fond of "Auntie Erm", and thus has little patience with Wally's domestic misdemeanours, which include spending Erm's money on gambling, drinking, dodgy business deals, and as it turns out, another woman.

There's a large show more cast of characters, and a good third of the book is taken up with introducing them to the reader before Wally is shot dead in broad daylight in front of witnesses -- but without anyone seeing the shooter. As usual, the characters are stock stereotypes who are brought to vivid and entertaining life by Heyer's careful characterisation and witty dialogue, and there's a thoroughly enjoyable story to be had out of watching the characters interacting even before we get down to the murder mystery itself. There are plenty of good suspects, and plenty of red herrings, and mixed in amongst them enough genuine clues to play fair to those who want to play the game. Great fun. show less

I loved this book. The murder occurs about a third of the way through the novel, allowing enough time to set up the various characters. The solution to the murder is ingenious, as is its execution, and holds together well. But the sheer strength of this book are the characters and dialogue. There are some fantastic exchanges between the main protagonists. I particularly loved Vicky, who lives her life as a series of characters, 'sports girl', 'the ingénue' and her encounters with Inspector Hemingway are particularly hilarious. In this book Heyer proves that she has Agatha Christie's eye for plot and character, but successfully mixes this with the sparkling wit and humour that characterise her Regency novels.