Georgette Heyer's brilliant and highly acclaimed series of detective novels, now in a handsome new package 20040922

The stabbing of irascible General Sir Arthur Billington-Smith fails to stir up grief in anyone - least of all his family, which is no wonder considering the way he had treated them all during the fateful weekend. He had disinherited his son, humiliated his wife, refused to help his financially stricken nephew and made no secret of his loathing for his son's fiancee, a cabaret dancer. Inspector, Harding picks his way through a mass of familial discontent to find the culprit - and find much more besides.

The stabbing of irascible General Sir Arthur Billington-Smith fails to stir up grief in anyone - least of all his family, which is no wonder considering the way he had treated them all during the fateful weekend. He had disinherited his son, humiliated his wife, refused to help his financially stricken nephew and made no secret of his loathing for his son's fiancee, a cabaret dancer. Inspector, Harding picks his way through a mass of familial discontent to find the culprit - and find much more besides.

Georgette Heyer's brilliant and highly acclaimed series of detective novels, now in a handsome new package

The stabbing of irascible General Sir Arthur Billington-Smith fails to stir up grief in anyone - least of all his family, which is no wonder considering the way he had treated them all during the fateful weekend. He had disinherited his son, humiliated his wife, refused to help his financially stricken nephew and made no secret of his loathing for his son's fiancée, a cabaret dancer. Inspector Harding picks his way through a mass of familial discontent to find the culprit - and find much more besides.

'Miss Heyer's characters are an abiding delight to me... I have seldom met people to whom I have taken so violent a fancy from the word "Go"' - Dorothy L. Sayers

Author of over fifty books, Georgette Heyer is the best-known and best-loved of all historical novelists, making the Regency period her own. Her first novel, The Black Moth, published in 1921, was written at the age of fifteen to amuse her convalescent brother; her last was My Lord John. She wrote twelve detective stories, which earned her much critical acclaim and the title 'Queen of Crime.' Georgette Heyer died in 1974 at the age of seventy-one. Georgette Heyer's mystery novels: April 2006 Death in the Stocks - 0099493624; Behold, Here's Poison - 0099493640; They Found Him Dead - 0099493632; A Blunt Instrument - 0099493659 September 2006 Envious Casca - 0099493667; Detection Unlimited - 0099493748; Duplicate Death - 0099493756; No Wind of Blame - 0099493675 January 2007 Penhallow - 0099493683; Footsteps in the Dark - 0099493691; Why Shoot a Butler? - 0099493721; The Unfinished Clue - 009949373X

2007-03-08 The unfinished clue

As in many murder mysteries, an ill-assorted bunch of people are gathered at a country house. However, Georgette Heyer's talent for writing charming and often eccentric minor characters raises her work above the rest. One of the best is Lola, a triumphantly egotistical Latin lovely who dances for a living, and has rather improbably become engaged to Sir Arthur Billington-Smith's wimpy son. Sir Arthur is an awful pompous old bully, whose word is law. His pretty young sister-in-law is unimpressed however - she positively enjoys prodding him with a stick (metaphorically), and watching the explosive results. I didn't guess whodunnit until just before the end. An entertaining read, recommended.