No Wind of Blame

Inspectors Hannasyde & Hemingway #5

by Georgette Heyer

"Miss Heyer's characters and dialogue 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 Everyone had a motive, but who had the means? 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... Beloved author Georgette Heyer brings her inimitable wit and astute examination of human nature to a British country house mystery sure to delight fans of Agatha Christie and Margery Allingham.

Genres: Mystery, Fiction, Historical Fiction, Crime, Historical, Romance, Audiobook

432 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1939

About the author

Georgette Heyer was a prolific historical romance and detective fiction novelist. Her writing career began in 1921, when she turned a story for her younger brother into the novel The Black Moth.

In 1925 she married George Ronald Rougier, a mining engineer. Rougier later became a barrister and he often provided basic plot outlines for her thrillers. Beginning in 1932, Heyer released one romance novel and one thriller each year.

Heyer was an intensely private person who remained a best selling author all her life without the aid of publicity. She made no appearances, never gave an interview and only answered fan letters herself if they made an interesting historical point. She wrote one novel using the pseudonym Stella Martin.

Her Georgian and Regencies romances were inspired by Jane Austen. While some critics thought her novels were too detailed, others considered the level of detail to be Heyer's greatest asset.

Heyer remains a popular and much-loved author, known for essentially establishing the historical romance genre and its subgenre Regency romance.

Reviews

[Carol She's So Novel꧁꧂ · Rating 5 out of 5]

I guess I'm fickle.

This title is now my favourite Georgette Heyer mystery.

What's not to love? My favourite Watson (Hemingway) is now the Sherlock, a colourful & very funny cast, including the murder victim. I was chuckling right through the read, especially the scene where Vicki decides it's time to get rid of the Prince! I really think this would make a wonderful made for TV movie, especially if they play it as a farce.

& I have at least made a start on the casting. Yes I know all actors will be way way too old for the parts by the time this is ever made (they are too old now!) Work with me here!

Hemingway. Wonderful TV host of my favourite British TV show The Chase, Bradley Walsh.

He has the quick wit & puckish charm I associate with Hemingway.

The histrionic yet charming Vicki. I give you Carey Mulhouse.

For sensible Mary, let's hope Jessie Buckley enjoys her role in the upcoming The Grand Sophy.

An ingenious murder & if the motive doesn't totally play fair,at least it isn't totally out of left field. I read Heyer mysteries more for her trademark wit & fast pace than anything else.

Read with the Georgette Heyer Fans Group

[Susan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had only previously read one Georgette Heyer mystery before this one, “Death in the Stocks,” and, while I enjoyed that, I was not completely overwhelmed. However, on reading this novel, the first Inspector Hemingway mystery - first published in 1939 - I was really impressed and enjoyed this much more than the previous mystery I had tried.

In some ways, this is a typical country house murder. Ermyntrude Carter is the wealthy owner of Palings, who lives with her husband, Wally, her daughter, Vicky, from her first marriage and Mary Cliffe, Wally’s ward. Ermyntrude is not accepted by the locals, and knows it, but her attempts to be a social success are looking brighter, after she has invited a Russian (or, rather, Georgian) Prince for a visit and is hosting a dinner party. Attending are local notables Sir William Dering, Lady Dering and their son, Hugh, as well as Tom and Connie Bantry.

Ermyntrude is a comical character, who really only wants to help Vicky get on in life. She is kind to her husband’s ward, very emotional and has inspired romantic feelings not only in her exotic Prince, but in local farmer, Robert Steel and her doctor, Maurice Chester. Unfortunately, many people are only interested in her money. Lady Dering has agreed to dinner only to try to touch her for funds for a local hospital, Wally is constantly sponging and has installed his friend, Harold White in the Dower House, much to his wife’s chagrin.

When a murder occurs, it is up to Inspector Hemingway to find a way beneath the tangled financial issues, the various scandals and issues between the characters, strange occurrences at a recent shooting party, the constant amateur theatrics of Vicky, plus Ermyntrude’s hysterics, to try to solve the crime. I really did love this novel – it was full of humour and charm and has encouraged me to read more of Heyer’s work. It has also reminded me that, even if you don’t love one novel by an author, it is worth giving them a second chance…

[Susan's Reviews · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved the characters in this one: former Show Girl married to a peer. Their beautiful daughter becomes a suspect in a local murder. That line, when Mamma says she should have encouraged her daughter to go hunting more (to get out her aggressions) just cracked me up the first time I read it.

[Teri-K · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the pleasures of reading is that you can do things through books you'd never want to do in real life - like climb Mt. Everest or survive a concentration camp. Perhaps that's why I enjoy this book so much. I'm thankful I've never spent the weekend with a fortune-hunting Russian Prince, a young man who despises his father and insists on telling everyone about it, and a girl who treats all of life as dramatic theater - not to mention a murderer. Yet I find time spent with this book delightful. The characters are fun and the plot moves along well. I love that Inspector Hemingway plays along while carefully sorting out the clues. It's fun to do the same. And it doesn't matter that I always remember who did it and why, it's the trip that matters. Another delightful Heyer mystery. :)

[Sophia · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've read so many of this author's books and went back and listened to a few on audio, but this was the first occasion I took to snag one of her detective stories. I anticipated sparkling conversations, a good romp, and was curious and anticipative toward a mystery. I got all that, but I did find it had some lag, too.

The story begins with the introduction to the setting, characters, their backstories and goes along sometime building to the point where the murder occurs and then after a time the detective enters and investigates before arriving at the solutions while along the way there is a bit of comedy, drama, and some romance among the players.

This is Heyer so of course the cast was a colorful and interesting group, the dialogue was fun, the development was good and the romance subtle. A couple of the characters like the mother and her daughter were lulus and filled a scene with drama and mayhem. And surrounding this pair were the straight shooters to balance the zaniness out. There were the vast cast of suspects because the victim didn't do himself any favors and alienated everyone and there were a few motives if no opportunities. The daughter drove me nuts even if I could laugh at her shenanigans.

The mystery wasn't easy to figure out. It was a nice cozy country house/English village setting. Until near the end, it took back seat to the family drama. I didn't mind this as it suited the story though the two parts did make it go long and drag in places.

This was my first opportunity to listen to Ulli Birve's narration and I thought she was fantastic. She did good at her accents from the different classes and she was versatile with man and woman voices. The emotion, timing, and tone were spot on. I would definitely listen to more of her narration work.

All in all, my first venture into a mystery by Georgette Heyer was a good one and I'll definitely pick up the others. This is for those who enjoy cozy mysteries set back in the earlier half of the twentieth century.

[Roman Clodia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Don't read this for the murder mystery with its ludicrous solution, read this because Heyer is on top sparkling form with her characters: from the hilariously smarmy 'Georgian Prince', Ermyntrude, ex-showgirl turned chatelaine with a heart of gold, to her wickedly witty daughter, Vicky, with all the dramatic talents of her mother. The murder is just an excuse to get Inspector Hemingway into the family, and to bring about a couple of engagements - fresh and frothy fun!

[Tweety · Rating 2 out of 5]

**Yawn**

This was not one of Heyer's better mysteries. I found it tedious and slow with absolutely no suspense. Along with dull characters, some of which were loopy and made me dizzy. Not a good mix.

I found myself not caring who the murderer was, whether he would be caught or not and I didn't care either way with the romances. The 'heroes' were both duds. They were dull and stodgy. The heroines were on opposite spectrums from each other. Mary, was frankly just a bit too perfect. Only the immature, theatrical Vicky kept my interest. In fact, my moments of enjoyment were when she was being cheeky. I can think of two times in this whole book where I enjoyed myself for a paragraph or two.

The mystery isn't solved till the last chapter in which we find out who did it, why, how etc. There wasn't anything for us to be excited over (unless you like meltdowns/melodrama ), nobody else was threatened, the victim wasn't liked and frankly, the person it ends up being wasn't a surprise. And there weren't any REAL clues for us to become excited over. None. Zero. Zip.

*Yawn*

Its always a bad sign when you find a book so tiresome you start skimming and flipping chunks. And even that was too slow.

Not a reread for me, and I'd recommend The Unfinished Clue and Why Shoot a Butler long before this one .

G a few swears, one murder and mention of a mistress. Nothing else whatsoever.

**Yawn**

[Susan in NC · Rating 4 out of 5]

2/2023 - Still a four star read for me, great characters, diabolically clever murder method - I had forgotten whodunnit, so enjoyed this reread.

August 2016 reread with GH group:
I reread this book last summer and my review is below, the only changes being a drop to four stars because I found certain characters more grating upon rereading, and the plot rather sluggish until Inspector Hemingway of Scotland Yard is brought in.

I understand why Heyer wrote it this way, and she does a masterful job setting the scene and introducing us to the fascinatingly off-beat residents of Palings and the passions and conflicts that lead to a murder. It's just a matter of personal preference - last summer I was so pleasantly surprised and entertained by the histrionic antics of some of the characters that 5 stars felt right.

This time I knew what was coming and still enjoyed it very much, I just saw lost patience with some of the slower patches (basically any scene without the mighty Ermyntrude and her fabulously precocious daughter Vicky!) Still recommended as a highly entertaining take on the British Golden Age country house murder mystery.

July 2015 reread, 5 stars:
I read somewhere recently that much of the pleasure in reading a great book is reading it at the right time, and that was certainly true for me in this case! I have collected an read many of Georgette Heyer's Regencies and mysteries, but this was one I couldn't get into when I tried to read it a couple years ago. This time, when I really needed a sure-fire entertaining read, Heyer really came through for me with this almost farcical Golden Age country house mystery.

Inspector Hemingway of Scotland Yard finds himself in the middle of an ingeniously plotted murder mystery with an unpopular victim, too many suspects with motives and a fiendishly clever murder method. I was thrilled with the identity of the murderer and the murder victim seemed like a thoroughly obnoxious cad, so the reader can enjoy the bone-dry British humor, sparkling dialogue and hilarious characters without a scrap of remorse - I really felt Heyer pulled out all the stops in creating the magnificent Ermyntrude and her daughter Vicky! Highly recommended to fans of classic British murder mysteries with a healthy dose of humor and a dash of romance - delightful!

[Hana · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wally Carter is a corpse in waiting. Never have so many suspects gathered to justifiably kill off a vile bounder since Murder on the Orient Express. The characters were wonderfully quirky, the dialog was amusing and the plot just twisty enough to keep me engaged. Lots of fun and just what I was in the mood for.

[QNPoohBear · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's no secret that Wally Carter married Ermyntrude for her money and in the last two years since their marriage, his deplorable behavior has gotten worse. Ermyntrude wishes he would not see, let alone lend money to, his friend Harold White and Wally wishes Ermyntrude had not invited an impoverished Russian - excuse me- Georgian, prince to stay. Ermyntrude's daughter Vicky has returned home from school, ready to play any role at a moment's notice and eager to take in the drama between her mother and step-father. Wally's niece Mary just tries to keep the peace. When another scandal threatens to brew, Ermyntrude flat out refuses to allow her family to be tainted by any sort of sordid scandal. Her resulting drama leads everyone to wish she would just divorce Wally. Luckily for all involved, except for Wally, someone thankfully shoots the man dead. Who could have done it? The local police are perplexed until London sends Inspector Hemingway to do the job properly. He has any number of suspects with good enough motives, but which one actually pulled the trigger? Was it the step-daughter protecting her mother? The prince, who wants to marry Ermyntrude? The lovesick, hot tempered farmer in love with Ermyntrude? The new person threatening to cause a scandal or someone else entirely?!

This book kept me up way way too late to see how it all concluded. The first half of the novel drags a bit. It takes way too long for the murder to happen. I was wishing Wally dead not long after I began the novel. The story picks up more when Hemingway arrives on the scene. Even though the first half was slow, I compiled a list of at least 6 suspects before the murder even happened! I kept flip-flopping between two or three suspects until the big clue was revealed but even then I wasn't so sure. The who and how seemed obvious until it wasn't. Red herrings abound! I was not surprised by who. The motive was a little different from what I suspected and the how was clever. The one big thing that really really bothered me in this novel was the dated attitude towards men who cheat on their wives, and men who father children with women who are not their wives. Outdated attitudes don't usually bother me so much but it was part of the plot and mentioned offhand so it was difficult to ignore. The situation was never confronted or resolved, which made me sad.

I really didn't like any of the principal characters. Wally was a dreadful little man who deserved to be left high and dry by his wife but not necessarily killed. The women in this novel are especially tiresome. For someone who wrote about such strong female characters in the 19th century, her 20th century characters are not quite as appealing. I absolutely could not stand Ermyntrude. She used to be on stage and it shows. Her new stage is domestic and her role is pure drama queen. She has hysterics at the drop of a hat and seems to relish being the center of attention for it. If everyone just ignored her, she'd stop. Some of her drama is deserved but some is brought on by her own willingness to be an enabler and also in her refusal to do something about her problem while she can. She is socially conscious and a social climber. She knows what she has to do to fit in but she doesn't know she'll never fit in with the gentry. They don't accept her -just her money. She's a figure of fun to them. Vicki isn't much better. She changes personality as often as she changes clothes. She's silly and immature. She does have a good heart and truly loves her mother and wants her mother to be happy. I liked her for that anyway. Her constant bickering with Hugh got on my nerves, and as a long-time fan of Heyer's Regencies, I knew where that was going.

The secondary characters aren't much better. The neighbors are superficially kind but secretly prejudiced and a bit cruel. I did love the God-controlled neighbor but confess to enjoying her in the same way her neighbors do- as a figure of fun. Hugh is nice enough on his own but with Vicki he becomes tiresome. Mr. Steele is too hot-tempered and too transparent about his feelings. I was confused by the doctor but not entirely surprised.

The only characters I actually liked were Mary and Hemingway. Mary is a bit of a Mary Sue but I can relate to her calm presence of mind and lack of drama. Hemingway is a great character. He's sarcastic, funny and clever. He gets all the good one-liners. Hannysede makes a brief cameo here as well. The two of them feed off each other and are quite amusing.

This is one of Heyer's better mysteries and I want to keep reading the Hemingway series.

[Lady Clementina ffinch-ffarowmore]

The first of the Inspector Hemingway mysteries, I read this one for a “buddy read” with the Reading the Detectivesgroup here. This was also my first “proper’ Heyer mystery since the only other one I’ve read Penhallow while it did have a murder and some element of mystery, this lasted only for part of the book which was more a character study than a whodunit (though a very good one nonetheless).

The wealthy Ermyntrude Carter is married to Wally Carter, her second husband who sponges off her, lending her money to his cronies she disapproves of, particularly Harold White, enters shady deals (with the said Mr White), and is not above entanglements either―in other words, not a very savoury person at all. Ermytrude, formerly on stage, enjoys admiration and admirers and has them in a “Georgian” Prince she has invited to stay at their country home Palings, and a neighbouring farmer Robert Steel, who makes no secret of his feelings, and neither of whom get along with Wally. But while she is quite dramatic in real life as well treating any place she is really as her stage, she is essentially a good hearted human being. Her daughter Vicky too is of the same mould, constantly in “scenes” of her own making, many to achieve her own objects. Also in the house is Wally’s cousin Mary who lives with the family and feels more for Ermyntrude (whom she calls Aunt Ermy) than for Wally. A narrow escape from a gunshot on the hunt for Wally provides only temporary respite, and he is murdered not soon after by another rifle shot, this time on the way to Harold White’s house (White lives in palings’ Dower House). With a number of suspects, most with motives equally strong (or not) (both love and money among them) and many with shaky alibis, the local police soon find themselves out of their depth sending for Scotland Yard, and Hemingway arrives on the scene, to solve the case where the who I didn’t manage to work out and the how turned out to be quite elaborate as well (I really loved how this part was worked out). The “romance” parts of it were the opposite, pretty obvious some way into the story.

This book despite being a “murder mystery” was far lighter in tone than Penhallow (that being the only one I can compare it to). There is a lot of humour throughout the book (the Inspector himself has a great sense of humour and I enjoyed his observations) making the entire book a fun read. I also enjoyed the characters, the very dramatic (actually rather melodramatic) Ermyntrude and Vicky, the sensible Mary, the somewhat silly Janet White, and the lively banter between Hugh Dering (one of the Carters’ neighbours) and Vicky, though when I think it over, I realise Hemingway reacted far more favourably to Vicky and Ermyntrude’s antics than I would have had I been in his place―considering they were solving a murder, that is. Palings is a rather “crazy” set up and when the Inspector says something to the effect that he doesn’t wonder why Wally’s aunt (who is in an asylum) landed there, I found myself inclined to agree. The mystery itself was also very enjoyable though I did feel it took a lot longer getting “started” than I would have liked. Still it gave one an opportunity to know all the characters and their antics better. A pretty good and fun read. I look forward to the next Hemingway mystery which I will be reading with the same group next month. Hope it is as much fun! Four and a half stars.

[Kim · Rating 3 out of 5]

A buddy read with my friend Jemidar and worth closer to 3 1/2 stars.

The third last novel in my 2011 Heyer mysteries reading project, this is neither my favourite nor my least favourite of these novels.

I'll start with what I liked about it. As with all of Heyer's mysteries - and most of her other novels - this novel features seriously eccentric characters who engage in witty banter while doing strange things. If anything, the eccentricity is ramped up in this novel and I was kept laughing, which is no bad thing. Further, I actually didn't guess the culprit in advance. I should have and I probably would have if I hadn't entertained myself by deciding that one of the other characters was going to be the murderer because he wasn't an obvious suspect. Clearly, I should have explored the possibilities a bit more before committing myself. Finally, the "howdunnit" was ingenious and not readily guessable (although in relation to this, see below).

Now for the things I didn't like. There was an entirely unnecessary romantic moment tacked on to the last paragraph which didn't grow out of the narrative. And the "howdunnit", while ingenious, was possibly a little too ingenious for plausibility. Surely the murderer could have come up with a less complicated way of doing in the victim!

I wouldn't recommend this as a shining example of the Golden Age mystery genre. But, for someone dedicated to reading Heyer's entire oeuvre, or for someone dedicated to reading as many examples of 1930s mysteries as possible, it's not a bad way to while away a few hours.

It was also great fun to do as a buddy read. Thanks, Jemidar.

[Jeanette · Rating 3 out of 5]

Period piece who-dun-it. Shooting, dinner, bridge and the country set. The man of the house, Wally, seems to be always biting off more than his intellect can understand. And he isn't the root of the money tree. His wife is.

A number of possible suspects and at least two young women in the marriage market.

It's ok, and cuts a time warp like photo in a frame for the good weather "country life" of the wealthy English before WWI. But the plot is underdeveloped and the characters drawn and defined but just not all that interesting. Not compared to Heyer's Regency marriage market set of women.

Much better to stick to her dozen or so Regency escapades.

[Hannah · Rating 3 out of 5]

Rating clarification: 2.5 stars

This was the second Heyer mystery I've read. While not as enjoyable or well constructed as The Unfinished Clue, it managed to entertain me (barely), but it clearly wasn't her best work. I would suggest to any reader not to make this your first Heyer mystery, however.

Surprisingly enough, after having recently stated in my review for The Unfinished Clue that I can never manage to deduce whodunit, I was able to peg this killer down almost as soon as the deed was done, by a pretty obvious choice of words by Heyer. It was so obvious that I ended up second-guessing myself thinking it couldn't be who it so obviously was. Given the fact that I am horrible at deduction, I can only conclude that this murder mystery was poorly constructed by Heyer.

I wasn't as impressed by the cast of suspects in this novel. They all seemed rather shallow and stupid. And if you're looking for a little romance with your murder, don't come here to find it. In fact, Heyer took the very last page to tack on a one paragraph, non-sensical coupling of two people who clearly didn't show any feelings for each other whatsoever during the course of the book. It left me, the reader, with a WTH?? moment.

[Andrea]

Here we see a handover of Detectives from Hannasyde to Hemingway. Heyer is being very interested in distinctions of class here, ranging her characters from county to not quite-quite to rather suss and there is definitely something a little uncomfortable about how the county are privately amused by Ermyntrude but willing to associate with her to get money out of her.

There is a lot of humour to be had out of the character of Vicki, who is rather similar to Neville from A Blunt Instrument - deliberately provocative and ruthlessly willing to upturn social convention in a good cause. I didn't much like her romance - I'm not keen on men ordering their love interests about or hauling them out of cars and so forth. I much preferred the quieter secondary romance.

The mystery itself is one where you identify the motive and then have to overcome the alibi.

Ulli Birve is, as usual, masterful in her range of accents and voices - though she absolutely cannot do a Russian accent, producing something that sounded far more Mexican.

[Tania · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5

[Elevetha · Rating 3 out of 5]

In the midst of a reading slump, it took me over a week to make my way through this. As far as I can recall, this is essentially They Found Him Dead in characters (though less confusing), just with a more clever mystery.

Still not as good as The Unfinished Clue but perhaps second best

[Abigail · Rating 2 out of 5]

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 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.

[Nicole D. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wally is a good for nothing slob who lives off his rich wife Ermyntrude. Who may not be the brightest person but her good nature,generosity,and kindness make up for it and I love her character.Drama and all. Throw in a Prince who is a gold digger,Mr Steel who is madly in love with her,her daughter Vicki who takes the quote The Whole World's a Stage literally(she plays a new role depending on how she feels or what she wants to do that day,every day)and a few other colorful characters and you got yourself one heck of a fun story and that's not even counting the murder.

I love Mary's character. She is the common sense of the whole story. It's always nice to have a sensible character among all the others who have a flair of drama about them. Dr.Chester is also sensible but that is about it. Georgette Heyer's characters and writing style know no equal. Her books are always well written and entertaining. I don't read much mystery but I am always up for one of Heyer's. I never read any of her books without laughing and smiling though most of it.

I like that the murder doesn't happen intil 100 and some pages in. It gives you time to get to know the characters and study them to try and guess who did it. I thought the whodunnit was great and enjoyed trying to figure out who did it. I enjoyed seeing Hemingway again but I miss his partner Hannasyde and their banter together.

Over all not my favorite mystery of hers but still great. If you enjoy Heyer's writing or her other mysteries or just are looking for a good mystery I would recommend this book.

Rating:4 out of 5

Content Rating: PG

Keeper: Yes

[Squeak2017 · Rating 3 out of 5]

An ingenious solution to a mystery with plenty of plausible suspects. The means by which the murder was carried out was carefully explained, but it was only when a large coincidence showed who benefitted from the murder that the mechanics of the shooting were unravelled.

Heyer also deftly undercut all expectations relating to the romance subplot. The couple who seemed so well suited were just too uninspiring for each other and the lively little minx who annoyed everyone and set many cats among the police procedural pigeons proved to be the one who met her match. Ever kind and well disposed to her characters, Heyer still managed to paid off the remaining odd characters, for what makes the heart leap and the engagements flow better than a gruesome murder in the family?

Entertaining as ever, with bright and theatrical characters and lots of sparky dialogue, Heyer doesn’t disappoint.

[Namera [The Literary Invertebrate]]

Discovered I don't care for the romance. Thank God for spoilery reviews!

[Alexis Neal · Rating 3 out of 5]

Wally Carter is a jerk. He cheats on his wealthy wife Ermyntrude, squanders her money on shady schemes, and even asks her to pay off his pregnant girlfriend (and then moans about how much it sucks for him that he's so broke he has to ask for her help with said blackmail). He's ill-tempered, greedy, and lecherous. He's an indifferent guardian to his adult ward (and heir) Mary, and completely uninterested in his stepdaughter Vicky, a young would-be actress with a penchant for making scenes and a fierce desire to protect her foolish mother from harm. In fact, pretty much the only person he gets along with is his ne'er-do-well neighbor/distant cousin Harold. So when Wally winds up dead, it's a bit of a mystery who did it--after all, there are so many choices! Was it his wronged wife, Ermyntrude? The strong, silent farmer (aptly named Steel) who dotes on her and hates to see her treated so poorly? The impoverished Russian prince who's been staying with the family and making eyes at the wealthy Ermyntrude? Or someone else altogether? When the local constable is at a loss to makes heads or tails of the matter, it becomes clear that this is a case for Scotland Yard . . . and the delightful (and insightful) Inspector Hemingway.

As with many Heyer mysteries, the murder takes place at a country manor, and the list of suspects includes pretty much everyone staying in the house, along with a few interested neighbors. The solution is, perhaps, a bit more convoluted than is strictly necessary, but it's still a fun story.

I've mentioned before that I have a very soft spot for Ms. Heyer's mysteries (and her delightful characters), and this book is no exception. However, it does include a bit of a change-up from the usual Heyer fare. See, Heyer favors female characters with good minds, sharp tongues, and a lively sense of humor. They're not always downright witty, but they are usually possessed of common sense. You can usually identify the heroine of the story right from the get-go. She may not be the only female with a romance arc, and she may not be the only likable one, but you know which one you're supposed to like best--which one the story revolves around.

In this story, it seems at first that Mary--good, down-to-earth Mary--will be our heroine, the character through whom we perceive the events of the story (not to say that we only see what she sees, but that her view of the characters informs our own; we like the people she likes and dislike those she hates). Surely she will be paired off with our leading man.

Similarly, we think we know what to think of Vicky--the lovely, frippery heiress who loves to be the center of attention and views all of life as merely a stage upon which she can act out any scene she desires. She seems shallow and spoiled and rather annoying. Perhaps Heyer will pair her off with someone, but no one too wonderful.

However, Mary is fundamentally incapable of appreciating the ridiculous events around her. Her sense of humor is, well, negligible. There is no sparkle in her eye. Meanwhile, under all that drama, Vicky has a fairly sharp brain and a lively sense of humor, as well as a genuine desire to shield her mother from mistreatment. She may use rather unorthodox means, but her ends are largely sound, and though she's undoubtedly a handful, there is a certain charm to her impossible antics. And then there's the voluptuous Ermyntrude--quite foolish, as it turns out, and highly sensitive and amusingly prone to overreacting, but good-hearted, generous, and exceedingly fond (and protective) of the two young women in her charge. She, too, is a heroine of sorts--she is likable, and we can't help wanting her to be happy.

So instead of just one heroine--one female who endears herself to the readers, one leading lady we just know will get to live happily ever after--we have three. Heyer does sometimes employ two heroines in her romances (as in Bath Tangle and arguably The Grand Sophy and The Masqueraders), this is the first time I've seen her do so in a mystery--and certainly the first time I've seen her present fully three female protagonists.

Other than that, it's fairly standard Heyer mystery fare, which is to say: the mystery isn't great, but the characters are a hoot. Definitely worth reading, particularly if you're a fan of Jane Austen and/or Agatha Christie (or Heyer herself).

[Delia Binder · Rating 2 out of 5]

Well, That Was A Thing That Happened....

I am a huge fan of Georgette Heyer's Historical Romances, especially her Regencies, which are comedies of manners with a bit of love and a lot of humor. I cannot count the number of times I've read VENETIA, THE GRAND SOPHY, FREDERICA, ARABELLA, THE NONESUCH and FALSE COLOURS - I have them in hardcover, paperback (multiple versions), and eBook (which at least the pages don't fall out of if you re-re-read it too much!). So - you'd think I would also be a fan of her mysteries, largely written in the 1930s, right...?



NO WIND OF BLAME takes forever to get around to killing its sole victim - the irresponsible spendthrift skirt-chasing husband of an aging actress who married money, then when he died found Our Oh-So-Deserving Dead Body To Be as Hubby #2! If this were a Heyer Regency that wouldn't be a problem, as they have even less action but are chock-full of engaging and colorful characters to spend time with - here, though, the characters have their quirks but are neither engaging nor especially colorful. Even her series hero Inspector Hemingway seems lacking in personality, aside from being from London and thus a bit "citified" to the locals. The method of murder felt like a Rube Goldberg machine, so full of moving parts that Had To Work Perfectly that it beggared belief.

I barely finished this - if it weren't for being from a writer I otherwise love, it wouldn't have even rated two stars in my book.

[Nente · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some mystery writers are unfair to the reader, keeping crucial information up their sleeves till the very end, so that there is no chance to solve the crime while reading. Not Georgette Heyer, though. If anything, she's unfair to her detective. I felt the whole time that I knew more than he did, because I knew not only the facts about the characters and circumstances, but also the way she presented them, very predictable for someone who's read several books by her. In this one, I realized who'd be the murder victim after about 10 pages, and knew the murderer and the method (though not the motive) directly the crime was described.
So, a bit of a cop-out. But the freaky cast of characters kept me somewhat interested anyway, even considering that her romantic pairings are as obvious as the crime.

[Anastasia · Rating 2 out of 5]

No Wind of Blame by Georgette Heyer is the first Inspector Hemingway mystery book. Wally Carter is shot dead crossing a bridge without anyone being near the murder weapon. I found this book a bit tedious and dull. The murder only occurred about half way into the book and it is only then that Inspector Hemingway appears. The beginning was taken up with introducing the house party and characters who were not particularly interesting. The story seemed very drawn out and the solution was obvious. I was glad when it ended.

[Staci · Rating 2 out of 5]

Wow, this was not the book that I was hoping to read. I struggled, literally struggled, to finish this book. The problem---way too much verbage (not a word, I know). The descriptions of dinners, clothes, you name it, was so over the top that I felt like screaming. You could read pages and nothing happened. I won't be rushing out to read another mystery by Heyer, but I will continue to read her Regency romance books because I really did enjoy those.

[Jemidar · Rating 4 out of 5]

Buddy read with Kim :-).

A lighthearted cosy mystery full of wonderfully eccentric people, high drama, red herrings and a very clever 'howdunit.' Definitely keeps you guessing to the end. Not your usual detective novel, but great fun all the same.

[Jennifer · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think I need to take a break from the Heyer mysteries for a bit. It's easy to devour them, but this one left me feeling a bit disappointed. (Which, to be honest, is often the case when the story is more about the clever set up of the murder method--I much prefer the story and detecting to focus on the characters.) Anyway, I'd say this is the funniest of Heyer's stories I've read so far, mostly due to the melodramatic mother-daughter acting team of Ermyntrude and Vicky, one of whom having left the stage and the other longing to step onto the boards. So if you're in the mood for a mix of the clever and the hammy, this is a good choice.

[Mela · Rating 4 out of 5]

I repeat I am not a fan of detective books. But I must admit it is hard not to like Heyer's detective books (although I am saying it after reading only two of them).

I used to think that if one had taken a romance from Heyer's novels there would have remained not many of her charm. But it isn't true.

This book was a perfect Heyer's charm. Funny, light, enjoyable, entertaining. Reading it I wasn't only solving the mystery, I was enjoying charming language, meeting amusing characters and simply I have had a good time with the witty book.

[Leslie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This review is for the audiobook edition only.

Ulli Birve did a fine job narrating this mystery overall. In particular, her voice for Ermentrude was excellent. However, for a few of the male characters (such as the butler Peake and Inspector Cook), her narration was at times wooden.