I am a huge fan of Georgette Heyer! Here's a shot of my collection of her books. I love her regency romances. I'm not into Harlequin stuff but Heyer writes so wittily and is so knowledgeable about the Regency time period, her books are wonderful treats! She also has written some very well respected historical novels that are chock full of real history. I was pleased to discover that she also wrote murder-mysteries. These are in the line of Agatha Christie mysteries. Why Shoot a Butler? is set in either the 20's or 30's. It had all the proper folk in the book, lords of the manors, butlers and valets, society women and a handsome sleuthing barrister gentleman. So if you are into British mysteries well written with a light touch, you'll enjoy this book.
I will say, though, this book of Heyer's didn't impress me as much as her work in the other genres. For one thing I don't like it when mystery writers withhold knowledge from the reader. We, the reader, identify with Mr. Amberley but we are not told everything that he knows so we have to wait until the very end when he explains the whole mystery to everyone. I like it better when you are learning right alongside of the sleuth, trying to figure out who done it. Also, Amberley is given to short, smart-alecky interactions with everyone, which suits his character. However, at the end, he went on for pages explaining every detail of the whole mystery. I found this a bit cumbersome.
(For more book reviews see: 52 Books in 52 Weeks)
Hi Faith. I have seen Georgette Heyer's books in the library but have never borrowed one. After reading your post, I will!
ReplyDelete