By Georgette Heyer

Another good listen on audio. One of my top Heyer mysteries. Unlike the related They Found Him Dead, I did not remember who the killer of the two victims was. It was rather a surprise in both cases, so cleverly done. The clues were there though! Unlike many of her mysteries where the secondary characters provide the humor and the interest and the protagonists are rather boring, in this one the good guys are the most intriguing. Terrible Timothy from They Found Him Dead, makes a fine hero and has grown into a loyal, charming, and thoroughly lovable lead. Jim and Pat make a welcome appearance, and Tim and Jim’s redoubtable mother plays a significant off-screen role. However, the main attraction, I found, was Tim’s fiance, Beulah (what a name!). She is surely one of the more unusual heroines in any of Heyer’s books. Sulky, hostile, rude, even silly, but needing and loving the sunny Timothy as much as he deserves. Somehow, you just love her because of her lack of social grace and charm. I was glad to see Hannasyde’s old number 2, Now DCI Hemingway, was so respected and successful, despite his plebeian roots. Pretty unusual for a Heyer. Needless to say, the secondary characters/suspects were very entertaining despite being full-blown stereotypes of their roles. **4 stars out of 5**

October 18, 2017