Reading the Detectives discussion

I will admit that I did not much like the first Heyer mystery I read, but I am pretty sold on the two Inspector Hemingway novels I have read so far. I don't know that much about Georgette Heyer and I am not keen on romance, so what part did her mystery writing play in her career and was it important to her? Does anyone have any other mysteries they would suggest reading? I know we have some Heyer specialists in this group, so I look forward to being informed and educated!

Just to say, I wouldn't normally read Romance as a genre but was pushed into Heyer's romances by a friend and love them to pieces. Very witty, extremely funny, great sense of period, and some wonderful characters.

Heyer's Regency novels are wonderful, and much more entertaining than her mysteries in my opinion.

I just don't think I would like romance as a genre. I am sure they are good, but the idea doesn't appeal to me. However, she certainly includes some romance in her mysteries.

I feel the same about romance. If it crops up in a story and isn't the main theme, I'm ok with it, but I can't read a book where it is the main storyline.

I am not big on romance books either, especially cozy mysteries, but the Heyer regencies are historical fiction too. They aren't ordinary bodice-rippers. In fact, I saw a mention of the battle of Ciudad Rodrigo, a Peninsular War siege, I was intrigued and from there I went on to become fascinated with the whole Napoleonic era. So romance can lead to other pursuits. :-)

I don't read all that much romance these days, though I have done in the past, but I do love the Georgette Heyer Regencies I've read so far and agree with you, Betsy, that they are also fine historical fiction.

Susan wrote: "I will admit that I did not much like the first Heyer mystery I read, but I am pretty sold on the two Inspector Hemingway novels I have read so far. I don't know that much about Georgette Heyer and..."

Going from memory, it was something she started to work with her husband. (he was always very dismissive of her romances & preferred her more serious works)The first one Footsteps in the Dark her two brothers also had some input & it is shows that "too many cooks spoil the broth!"

Her next was Why Shoot a Butler? was just her & her husband. I have no idea why I didn't 1★ that one it is terrible & Heyer herself has said she doesn't have idea how the crime was committed. I have only just obtained The Unfinished Clue but I believe it is one of her better ones & she really hit her stride with the Hannasyde/Hemingway novels.

Why did she stop writing them? They didn't sell anything like as well as her romances & she & her husband never came to grips with the British taxation system. GH was also very slow to fire a useless accountant. She should have been a very wealthy woman but was constantly in financial difficulty.

Christie was another author that you couldn't believe was permanently struggling financially. I think it is confusing that such successful authors never seemed to really manage to make comfortable living out of such long running careers.

Another thing with Heyer was that she was financially supporting so many family members. Her mother, one brother pretty much all the time, the other brother, her husband & a couple of aunts part of the time. Huge load.

Added to that a formidable personality that didn't take advice easily.

Yes, I think Christie was in a similar position. Daughter, son in law, husband, husband's mistress... Not really fair, is it?

Susan wrote: "Yes, I think Christie was in a similar position. Daughter, son in law, husband, husband's mistress... Not really fair, is it?"

A mistress would certainly stick in my craw! GH's husband wasn't a bludger though. He was an engineer didn't like it, ran a sports shop that did well till it didn't, then trained as a barrister.

Poor Agatha, I know. I think Max played on her fear of publicity.

I've just reread The Unfinished Clue and definitely think it's one of the best of the Heyer detective stories, although it does withhold rather too much from the reader.

Agatha Christie's financial troubles definitely came from not properly understanding the tax system, judging by the stuff I've read on her. There was a whole chunk of time when she wasn't paying tax on books she sold in the US properly (possibly during the war) and once Inland Revenue discovered it, they never stopped chasing her for owed monies, which she tried to settle but the sums were too difficult to calculate after such a long time so there was always another demand coming in.

Carol, do you mean that Max was having an affair? That's not something I was aware of. Have I missed something?

Carol, do you mean that Max was having an affair? That's not something I was aware of. Have I missed something?

Susan is the one who mentioned Christie's husband (although I've read before he had a mistress) I'm hoping to read a Christie biography at some stage, but haven't as yet.

Max was having an affair - I first read this (and it shocked me too as I thought they were happy) when I read the book about Christie's disappearance. Agatha Christie and the Eleven Missing Days

I would also like to read a 'proper' biography of Christie, rather than one built around one incident in her life. That was an interesting book, but it tried to bring everything that happened to her back to that one point and interpret it from there. I do think that her disappearance had a profound effect on her though.

I enjoy her mysteries, especially the Inspector Hemmingway ones, he is a really good character. SOme of her historical romances have quite a bit of mystery in the plots as well - for instance The Talisman Ring, The Reluctant Widow, The Quiet Gentleman.

Susan wrote: "Max was having an affair - I first read this (and it shocked me too as I thought they were happy) when I read the book about Christie's disappearance. [book:Agatha Christie and the Eleven Missing D..."

that book is rather dubious - it makes a lot of allegations without sources to back them. I don't think there is any actual evidence that Max was having an affair.

Susan wrote: "Max was having an affair - I first read this (and it shocked me too as I thought they were happy) when I read the book about Christie's disappearance. [book:Agatha Christie and the Eleven Missing D..."
Christie wasn't married to Max Mallowan at the time of her disappearance - that was her first husband, Archibald Christie. They were divorced in 1928 and she married Mallowan in 1930.

I have a few favourite GH mysteries but several of them are very poorly plotted and are only worth reading, in my opinion, for the delightful characters. I return often to Envious Casca and Behold, Here's Poison. Hemingway certainly has more personality than Hannasyde - I like him a lot as a sergeant, too, particularly in his interactions with the Verekers in Death in the Stocks and with PC Glass and Nevil in A Blunt Instrument.

Emma wrote: "Susan wrote: "Max was having an affair - I first read this (and it shocked me too as I thought they were happy) when I read the book about Christie's disappearance. [book:Agatha Christie and the El..."
Agatha Christie and the Eleven Missing Days discusses her second marriage in some detail, and makes various allegations about Max, including hints that he was infatuated with his stepdaughter Rosalind and her friend. The author seems determined to think the worst of everyone.

One of the Christie biographies I've read, not the 11 days one, also hinted at something between Max and Rosalind. I will try and check which one.

I've never read anything about Max actually having an affair though, only insinuations that he must have done being so much younger. Which is a depressingly cynical viewpoint.

Annabel wrote: "One of the Christie biographies I've read, not the 11 days one, also hinted at something between Max and Rosalind. I will try and check which one."

It was An English Mystery - very compelling but also quite cynical in its judgements about practically everyone.

I've got a Georgette Heyer biography waiting in my TBR pile - I know very little about her. I prefer her detective stories to her Regency romances - although I recognise that the romances are superior quality, it's just a genre preference for me. An Unfinished Clue is definitely one of my favourites - lovely characters, although the solution is a bit unfair. Envious Casca has less appealing characters but an excellent puzzle at the heart of it. Duplicate Death is also excellent. Some of the others are under-characterised, or distinctly patronising to women, such as the otherwise fun Death In The Stocks.

Annabel wrote: "I've got a Georgette Heyer biography waiting in my TBR pile - I know very little about her...."

Hi Annabel if it is the Kloester bio be aware that

* It is very dry.
* There are some open spoilers for some of GH's mysteries

The Aiken Hodge one is more readable, but less accurate as she didn't have the same access that Kloester did.

Hmmm, it is the Kloester one. I don't mind spoilers as I think I have read all the mysteries but dryness doesn't sound good. However I only picked it up in a charity shop so I can always just send it back into circulation. Thanks for the warning, Carol!

Emma wrote: "I have a few favourite GH mysteries but several of them are very poorly plotted and are only worth reading, in my opinion, for the delightful characters. I return often to Envious Casca and Behold,..."

I find something to like in all the Heyer mysteries but some more than others. I love Behold, Here's Poison, I think it's my favorite.

Completely agree with this point about the characters. For that, I reread The Unfinished Clue, Envious Casca, Duplicate Death and (taking a deep breath to cope with the patronising depictions of women), Death In The Stocks. Clue is probably my dabpurote despite a rather unfair level of withholding from the reader.

Hi

I received permission from Judy to post this.

The Georgette Heyer Fans group will be reading The Unfinished Clue In December.

I'm quite excited about this, as it is a Heyer I haven't read before. :)

https://www.goodreads.com/group/show/...