The Talisman Ring (30 page)

BOOK: The Talisman Ring

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Mysteries

Behold, Here’s Poison

It’s no ordinary morning at the Poplars—the master is found dead in his bed and it turns out that his high blood pressure was not the culprit. From the dotty Zoe Matthews to her wonderfully malicious nephew Randall, every single member of the quarrelsome Matthews family has a motive and none, of course, has an alibi. The suspects maneuver, mislead, quibble and prevaricate as the amiable Detective Inspector Hannasyde sifts through the evidence trying to discover the murderer before the next victim succumbs. Heyer’s dialogue is a master class in British wit, sarcasm and the intricacies of life above and below stairs. A truly fiendish plot tests the ingenuity of the quietly resourceful Inspector Hannasyde and leads to a clever and unpredictable conclusion.

The Unfinished Clue

At first glance, it should have been a lovely English country-house weekend party. But it’s the guest-list from hell and the host, Sir Arthur Billington-Smith, is an abusive wretch who everyone at the party turns out to have a reason to hate. When he’s found in his study stabbed to death, the unhappy guests and estranged family find themselves under the scrutiny of Scotland Yard’s cool-headed Inspector Harding. The unlikely cast of characters is sketched with Georgette Heyer’s usual brilliant wit and insight into human nature. Inspector Harding emerges as an unlikely hero, following red herring after red herring and finding his own happiness in the process.

Why Shoot a Butler?

In a classic English country-house murder mystery with a twist, it’s the butler who’s the victim of murder, rather than the murderer. When local barrister Frank Amberley, on his way to visit his aunt and uncle, takes a wrong turn and discovers a murder, on impulse he protects the young woman he meets at the crime scene. In the course of ferreting out the killer, his disdain for the bumbling police adds comic relief, and he displays true brilliance at solving the crime. Heyer uses her attention to detail and masterful characterizations to concoct a crime in which every clue complicates the puzzle, and the police are typically baffled. The conclusion will come as a surprise and delight to Heyer aficionados and general mystery lovers alike.