No Wind of Blame by Georgette Heyer, 368 pages, originally published in 1939.
Have you heard of Georgette Heyer? No worries, I hadn't either until I received multiple messages from Danielle at Sourcebooks. Some smart cookie over at SB thought to re-release Heyer's catalog in the US. And by catalog I mean over 50 titles in the Regency Romance, Historical Fiction, and Mystery genre. Heyer is beloved by many including Dorothy Sayers and even has a section in forum at Austenfans.com.
For my introduction into the world of Heyer books, I chose this mystery, the latest re-release - No Wind of Blame. Here's the description from the back:
Wally Carter's murder seems impossible - not one of the suspects was anywhere near the weapon at the time the shot was fired. The superlatively analytical Inspector Hemingway is confronted with a neglected widow, the neighbor who's in love with her, her resentful daughter, a patently phony Russian prince, and a case of blackmail that may-or may not-be at the heart of this most unusual case...
What I loved about it? The fact that the murder doesn't occur until well into 1/3 of the story and because her characters are so lusciously developed, you don't even care. And after the murder the humor is kicked up in a flurry of witty dialogue and comical conversations. I admired her use of language and clever dialogue as a means to character development. It is obvious that Heyer was an observant student of human nature and relationships which may explain why she is beloved by fans of Jane Austen. I would submit she isn't as subtle as Austen, but perhaps more readable as a lighter sort of escape. You do have to be in the right sort of mood for a book like this - I started strong, blowing through the first 150 pages in a sitting. I then struggled to finish because it was so different from the other books in my stack and isn't the sort of thing you can pick up for just a few minutes at a time. The characters and plot require an involved and attentive reader. There is much to delight in and I'm looking forward to reading more Heyer titles in the new year.
If you are interested in learning more about Georgette Heyer, lookie here. There is also a forum on goodreads for Heyer fans. This title would be a great book for an advanced middle grade reader who likes intellectual mysteries, there is nothing objectionable in these pages.
For a list of the available new releases go to Sourcebooks.
The End.
