Publication
Naperville, Illinois : Sourcebooks Landmark, [2016]
Collection
Call number
Fiction H
Status
Available
Call number
Description
Fiction. Mystery. Historical Fiction. HTML: 'Tis the season-to be dead... A holiday party takes on a sinister aspect when the colorful assortment of guests discovers there is a killer in their midst. The owner of the substantial estate, that old Scrooge Nathaniel Herriard, is found stabbed in the back. While the delicate matter of inheritance could be the key to this crime, the real conundrum is how any of the suspects could have entered a locked room to commit the foul deed. For Inspector Hemingway of Scotland Yard, the investigation is complicated by the fact that every guest is hiding something-throwing all of their testimony into question and casting suspicion far and wide. The clever and daring crime will mystify readers, yet the answer is in plain sight all along... Praise for 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 "A writer of great wit and style." - Daily Telegraph "Ms. Heyer is one of the most entertaining writers I have ever ready." - Reading Extravaganza "Miss Heyer has the delightful talent of blending humor with mystery." - Boston Evening Transcript Georgette Heyer wrote over fifty books, including Regency Romances, mysteries, and historical fiction. Her barrister husband Ronald Rougier, provided many of the plots for her detective novels, which are classic English country house mysteries reminiscent of Agatha Christie. Heyer was legendary for her research, historical accuracy, inventive plots, and sparkling characterizations..… (more)
Subjects
Genres
User reviews
LibraryThing member foggidawn
It's Christmas time, and curmudgeonly Nathaniel Herriard has been cajoled into playing the host for a gathering of family and friends. A more inimical group of people could hardly be imagined, and tempers are running high . . . even before Nathaniel is found dead in his room, obviously murdered.
I have read several of Heyer's Regency romances, but this is the first of her mysteries that I have tackled. I liked the setting and the characters assembled at the house party, but thought the mystery was not as strong as others I've read. I also didn't care for Inspector Hemingway, who comes across as conceited -- he falls short in comparison to his contemporaries of the golden age of detective fiction: Lord Peter Wimsey, Hercule Poirot, Roderick Alleyn . . .
That's not to say that this wasn't worth reading -- I did enjoy it, and it took me perhaps longer than it should have to figure out who the murderer was. I'll probably read more of Heyer's detective stories in the future, but her real strength lies in romances, not mysteries.
Show More
Inspector Hemingway of Scotland Yard is called in to solve the case: who murdered Nathaniel Herriard (nearly everyone at the house party had a motive), and how did they do it, as the corpse was discovered in a locked room?I have read several of Heyer's Regency romances, but this is the first of her mysteries that I have tackled. I liked the setting and the characters assembled at the house party, but thought the mystery was not as strong as others I've read. I also didn't care for Inspector Hemingway, who comes across as conceited -- he falls short in comparison to his contemporaries of the golden age of detective fiction: Lord Peter Wimsey, Hercule Poirot, Roderick Alleyn . . .
That's not to say that this wasn't worth reading -- I did enjoy it, and it took me perhaps longer than it should have to figure out who the murderer was. I'll probably read more of Heyer's detective stories in the future, but her real strength lies in romances, not mysteries.
Show Less
LibraryThing member jburlinson
Sustaining interest in a fairly long (322 p.) book when it's ovbious who done it after the first 100 pages requires certain skills, which Ms. Heyer, with all her experience in historical romance and mystery writing, has: specifically, humor, an eye for detail, and the ability to limn a genre
Show More
character. That said, there's too much padding. Particular notice should be paid to the fact that all of the characters, with one signficant exception, make it their business to be as offensive as possible to all the other characters; and that includes the team of Inspector & Sergeant. Yet everyone absorbs this rudeness with the equanimity of ducks with backs well-accustomed to water. Is this supposed to be instructive in some way about the character of the English gentry? Show Less
LibraryThing member riverwillow
This is a fairly pedestrian country house, locked-room, murder mystery. Georgette Heyer is usually the mistress of sparkling and hilarious dialogue but sadly not in this novel. It's not a bad book, just not up to her usual standards.
LibraryThing member Bjace
The English Christmas house party from Hell results in the death of the rich and choleric host. It's hard to choose which of the guests are unpleasant enough to be the murderer since they're nearly all unpleasant (but I like the ex-chorus girl whose practical self-absorbtion is somewhat
Show More
refreshing.) I found this book somewhat ponderous and a little disappointing, but the solution is fairly clever. Hard starter, but ends well. Show Less
LibraryThing member jjmcgaffey
Meh. Less annoying than some of her other mysteries - but (having read other Heyer mysteries) the romance is obvious from the first few pages (the only sensible female, and the wittily sarcastic male). The victim is not particularly sympathetic, though I like him better than most of those around
Show More
him. It's a little annoying that while Steven clearly dislikes his uncle, the crucial aspect of that relationship is not explicitly mentioned until Hemingway has worked it out already. I swallowed it - he's not the most clueless or annoying Heyer character I've read. The locked room was clever, though I figured out how it was done (in general) about half-way through, before Hemingway actually showed up. The specifics Hemingway had to tell me. The characters, of course, are a bunch of idiots constantly lying to the police and trying to hide perfectly innocent events - but aren't all characters in detective novels? Not bad, I _might_ even reread it. Sometime several years down the line. Show Less
LibraryThing member thereadingrebel
At the Christmas house party in his house(one he didn't want but his brother made him have)Nathaniel Herriard is found murdered stabbed in a locked room. Who could have done it? His business partner Mottisfont who he didn't see eye to eye with or maybe it was his ill-tempered nephew Stephen or
I always love Heyer's characters. She makes them all come to life even the housemaids that you don't even know the names of. With a paragraph Heyer can tell you more about a character then some authors can do in 2 or 3 books. My favorite scene was the reading of the play Wormwood. It was pure genius. Maud,Nathaniel's sister-in-law and her book the Empress Elizabeth kept me laughing. Mathilda was my favorite character. She has a sharp tongue but is also kind. I did like Stephen against my better judgement. He really is a jerk but his wit was always great. I do wish Heyer had kept Hemingway the detective with his other partner. I don't like his new partner and they don't have as great a chemistry together as him and his other partner. Overall a nice fun Christmas mystery.
Show More
could it be his niece the actress who wanted her uncle to give her money for a play or the playwright Roydon or the pretty little idiot engaged to Stephen. There is no shortage of people who could have murdered Nathaniel.I always love Heyer's characters. She makes them all come to life even the housemaids that you don't even know the names of. With a paragraph Heyer can tell you more about a character then some authors can do in 2 or 3 books. My favorite scene was the reading of the play Wormwood. It was pure genius. Maud,Nathaniel's sister-in-law and her book the Empress Elizabeth kept me laughing. Mathilda was my favorite character. She has a sharp tongue but is also kind. I did like Stephen against my better judgement. He really is a jerk but his wit was always great. I do wish Heyer had kept Hemingway the detective with his other partner. I don't like his new partner and they don't have as great a chemistry together as him and his other partner. Overall a nice fun Christmas mystery.
Show Less
LibraryThing member SueinCyprus
An ill-assorted family meet for Christmas, only to find a murder...
The plot is a bit Agatha Christie-like, but the characters are much more realistic and sympathetic. There's a bit of humour too, and an ending which wasn't totally predictable.
The plot is a bit Agatha Christie-like, but the characters are much more realistic and sympathetic. There's a bit of humour too, and an ending which wasn't totally predictable.
LibraryThing member SaraAnn05
It took me two or three attempts to get into this book, despite being a Heyer Fan, because the initial introduction to the characters made them all so objectionable, I wouldn't have cared which one of them had been murdered, as I wouldn't have missed their contribution to the story.
Once the murder
Once the murder
Show More
had taken place, the pace picked up and it became a much more enjoyable reading experience. I figured out the mystery of the locked door quite early on. And was satisfied with the reveal regarding who the actual murderer was. Show Less
LibraryThing member Helenliz
What's not to like here - I mean, apart from most of the people invited to the Christmas part, of course. Looks quite like the house party from hell and that's before the murder is committed.
Nathaniel Herriard is a grumpy old man, with an argumentative family. His brother Joseph decides to host a
The police are called and the stolid policeman does a good job of realising he is in over his head and so calls in Scotland Yard and detective Hannasyde arrives to save the day.
It's a neat little riddle. Things are not quite what they appear. All set within the tight confines of the country house, this is one party you'd want to leave at the earliest opportunity.
Nathaniel Herriard is a grumpy old man, with an argumentative family. His brother Joseph decides to host a
Show More
traditional Christmas family get together, which no-one really wants to be at. As per tradition, relatives under the same roof all get on each others nerves, with Uncle Joe spreading bonhomie with abandon. All is going as well asmight be expected when Nathaniel doesn't come down to dinner and is found dead in his room, with the windows shut and the door locked. The police are called and the stolid policeman does a good job of realising he is in over his head and so calls in Scotland Yard and detective Hannasyde arrives to save the day.
It's a neat little riddle. Things are not quite what they appear. All set within the tight confines of the country house, this is one party you'd want to leave at the earliest opportunity.
Show Less
LibraryThing member JBD1
I didn't like this one quite as well as Why Shoot a Butler?, but it was close. Sort of a typical locked-room mystery, plus one heck of a Christmas house party. Perfect for a good long train ride.
LibraryThing member hemlokgang
Not my cup of tea
LibraryThing member FerneMysteryReader
This is my first introduction to a novel by Georgette Heyer. In some ways, it reminded me of the play I've seen performed many times ~Arsenic and Old Lace~ only this murder mystery in the setting of an English country home at Christmas and to be solved by Inspector Hemingway of Scotland Yard and
Show More
his faithful Sergeant at his side. Show Less
LibraryThing member hailelib
I reread this book recently as I love Heyer and wanted a mystery. The novel takes place in an English country house during the late '30's and always reminds me of Agatha Christie books set during this same period. Of course, the murderer is obvious but the real mystery is 'how' since this is one of
Recommended for fans of this type of mystery.
Show More
those classic locked-room murders.Recommended for fans of this type of mystery.
Show Less
LibraryThing member bekkil1977
It was very entertaining, and I actually had the murderer figured out but then decided no, it couldn't be and changed my mind. Uncle Joe has invited all the family out to his older brother Nathaniel's estate, Lexham Manor, for the Christmas holiday. Nathaniel is a crochety old fellow who doesn't
Show More
really care for any of his family, including his brother Joe. When he turns up dead, stabbed in the back, in his room that was locked on the inside, the question isn't really so much who did it, since everyone had a motive, but rather how they accomplished the feat. The only other locked room mystery I remember reading is a Sherlock Holmes story, "The Speckled Band". I'm sure there have been others, I just don't remember. It was very neatly done, I enjoyed it. Show Less
LibraryThing member LARA335
Enjoyable, traditional, country-house, snowy Christmas, locked room, who-dunnit. Some fun characters: the narcissistic fiancée, the sees-good-in-all uncle, the curmudgeonly house-owner. And all the better that I was guessing the wrong murderer with another solution!.
LibraryThing member wyvernfriend
I honestly think I would have preferred to read this than listen to it.
It's all about a holiday party that goes wrong when the owner of the estate is found dead. It's a classic locked room mystery with backbiting family and money troubles causing all sorts of red herrings.
Enjoyable and some day I
It's all about a holiday party that goes wrong when the owner of the estate is found dead. It's a classic locked room mystery with backbiting family and money troubles causing all sorts of red herrings.
Enjoyable and some day I
Show More
really should read it. Show Less
LibraryThing member Figgles
Passable locked room/country house party mystery, with at least one laugh out loud moment. Bit of a slog as none of the characters were particularly likeable so it was hard to engage. I find Georgette Heyer's mysteries too alike in tone to her Regency romances (which I enjoy), which begs the
Show More
question - are the Regency romances written in the parlance of the 1930s or has her research into the Regency period spilled over into her contemporary writing? Show Less
LibraryThing member SarahEBear
"A Christmas Party" by Georgette Heyer is an entertaining and light Christmassy read. This standard Christmas whodunnit, is set in an isolated country mansion featuring a cast of the worst set of family members imaginable. There is everyone from the crabby land owner, to the loveable-rogue of an
Show More
uncle, the ungrateful nephew and heir, to the gold-digger fiancé to the hysterical actress. Predictable and silly, but plenty of fun. Show Less
LibraryThing member jillmwo
Thoroughly enjoyable locked room murder mystery. Good levels of humor balanced off against the search to find the killer. Like so many of Heyer's crime novels, the story has much to say about the class system that was entrenched in England just prior to the second World War as well as the need at
Show More
that time to either marry money or inherit it in order to maintain some level of comfort and status. Note: This one offers a number of good points of discussion for library book groups. Show Less
LibraryThing member MacDad
This book was a revelation for me. Until I read it for a book group I was unfamiliar with Georgette Heyer or her series of mystery novels. And at first I was unimpressed with the story, as she dumps nearly a dozen characters into her narrative at the start of their book, some of which were
Heyer’s story is built around a pair of classic English mystery tropes. The first of these is that of the country house, which proves the setting for a Christmas party hosted by Nathanial Herriard, a curmudgeonly retired businessman, and organized by his brother Joseph, a former actor who is the picture of jolliness. Once together family tensions soon bubble to the surface, and culminate in the discovery of the host’s body in his locked bedroom. Here we see the injection of the second trope: the locked room mystery, one that baffles the investigating police. Even with Inspector Hemingway of Scotland Yard on the scene, the police seem unable to lock onto a satisfying suspect until a chance mention leads the pieces to fall into place, leading to the identification of the murderer and the solution of the case.
While Heyer conceives of a cunning mystery with a satisfying answer, what sets her novel apart from others of its type is its reliance upon character. This becomes clear early on, as she takes the time to show the tensions within the family before her victim is murdered. This helps to establish the plausibility of several members of the party as murderers, even before their respective motives are raised. Character also becomes key to the murder itself, with a resolution that is both surprising yet also perfectly plausible given the development Heyer has undertaken to that point. It left me eager to read Heyer’s other mysteries, as if they’re anywhere near as good as this one I can look forward to hours of reading enjoyment.
Show More
initially difficult for me to distinguish from one another and nearly all of whom appeared unpleasant to one degree or another. Yet as the events unfolded, I found myself draw in to what proved a highly enjoyable tale.Heyer’s story is built around a pair of classic English mystery tropes. The first of these is that of the country house, which proves the setting for a Christmas party hosted by Nathanial Herriard, a curmudgeonly retired businessman, and organized by his brother Joseph, a former actor who is the picture of jolliness. Once together family tensions soon bubble to the surface, and culminate in the discovery of the host’s body in his locked bedroom. Here we see the injection of the second trope: the locked room mystery, one that baffles the investigating police. Even with Inspector Hemingway of Scotland Yard on the scene, the police seem unable to lock onto a satisfying suspect until a chance mention leads the pieces to fall into place, leading to the identification of the murderer and the solution of the case.
While Heyer conceives of a cunning mystery with a satisfying answer, what sets her novel apart from others of its type is its reliance upon character. This becomes clear early on, as she takes the time to show the tensions within the family before her victim is murdered. This helps to establish the plausibility of several members of the party as murderers, even before their respective motives are raised. Character also becomes key to the murder itself, with a resolution that is both surprising yet also perfectly plausible given the development Heyer has undertaken to that point. It left me eager to read Heyer’s other mysteries, as if they’re anywhere near as good as this one I can look forward to hours of reading enjoyment.
Show Less
LibraryThing member kaulsu
Heyer spent a lot of words in describing her suspects. For my tastes, half as many would have been better. However, she did not make it too, too obvious who dunnit until the end. Lots of misdirection, and the case could have been made for most of the characters.
LibraryThing member Berly
I think I prefer Heyer's romances over her mysteries. And I liked them better when I was a teen. This one had annoying characters and a predictable ending. Ah well. At least it was the right season!
LibraryThing member murderbydeath
That half star is because my expectations, based on previous Heyer mysteries, were completely blown away.
Envious Casca is both a text-book Country House Mystery and Locked Room Mystery, and it's far and away the best Heyer mystery I've read so far. It's a slow burn, certainly; almost half the book
It feels like it would be too easy to give away important plot points here, so I'll just say the murderer wasn't who I thought it would be (although I was close), some of the characters were a little too vile to be believed, and I'd have preferred at least one more paragraph, preferably a page, at the end. There's a small romance, because it's Heyer, but I'm not sure it isn't launched and HEA'd all on the same page, so it's really not more than a small also-ran. That it would end the way it did felt inevitable, but there was never any actual romancing.
The more I type, the closer I get to spoilers, so just read it if you like anything you've ever read by Heyer (she's hit and miss in both romance and mystery) and you're in the mood for a slow read with great, biting dialogue. I don't think you'll be disappointed.
Envious Casca is both a text-book Country House Mystery and Locked Room Mystery, and it's far and away the best Heyer mystery I've read so far. It's a slow burn, certainly; almost half the book
Show More
goes by before anyone dies, but Heyer placates her audience - at least this one - with the acerbic humour and no-holds-barred verbal warfare that takes place amongst the family members, written brilliantly by Heyer. These people are so vile to each other the only wonder is that the blades didn't come out sooner; at one point, tea was served and I thought to myself "I wouldn't drink that if I were you. Any of you."It feels like it would be too easy to give away important plot points here, so I'll just say the murderer wasn't who I thought it would be (although I was close), some of the characters were a little too vile to be believed, and I'd have preferred at least one more paragraph, preferably a page, at the end. There's a small romance, because it's Heyer, but I'm not sure it isn't launched and HEA'd all on the same page, so it's really not more than a small also-ran. That it would end the way it did felt inevitable, but there was never any actual romancing.
The more I type, the closer I get to spoilers, so just read it if you like anything you've ever read by Heyer (she's hit and miss in both romance and mystery) and you're in the mood for a slow read with great, biting dialogue. I don't think you'll be disappointed.
Show Less
LibraryThing member catseyegreen
This is a classic locked door murder mystery. A family is gathered together for Christmas but they are anything but full of Christmas spirit. They are all fighting and at each others throats when the host, Nathaniel is murdered on Christmas Eve. After being entirely bewildered by the family
I originally read this as Envious Casca, when I found this volume at the second hand store I was excited until I realized I had read it before. That was a disappointment.
re-read 2/20/2023
Show More
member's testimonies the local constable sends for Scotland Yard. Inspector Hemmingway has to sort out the family feuds and contradictory stories to discover the murderers identity. I originally read this as Envious Casca, when I found this volume at the second hand store I was excited until I realized I had read it before. That was a disappointment.
re-read 2/20/2023
Show Less
LibraryThing member WhiskeyintheJar
"Damn it, he was in here with the door locked!" Stephen said. "He can't have been stabbed!"
I think Heyer wrote a story about people she hated in real life, relished and had a hell of a time making them (an exaggerated version) vapid, insipid, and whiney; but oh so highly quotable. This is second in
The following quote is a bit of a spoiler and my little comment after it, you'd know who ends up pairing up and probably figure out two characters who aren't the killer. Beware! You can pick back up at the Bonus :)
Lest you forget this is a Heyer and those romance inspirations I was talking about,
He pulled her rather roughly into his arms. "O God, Mathilda, do keep me in order!" he said, in a suddenly thickened voice. "I need you! I need you damnably!"
She found that her own voice was unsteady. "I know. You are such a fool, Stephen: such a dear impossible fool!"
"So are you, to care a damn for me," he said. "I never thought you did. I can't think why you do."
She took his face between her hands, looking up at him a little mistily. "I like savage creatures. Bull-terriers and Stephen Herriard."
Hey, you leave bull-terriers out of this! I had a contentious relationship with Stephen but he, somewhat, redeemed himself in the end. But seriously, bless her heart and all the Mathildas in the world who take these men on.
Bonus:
Heyer provides us with your next time you want to leave work early excuse. If someone accidentally brushes up against you:
Nathaniel at once became a cripple. He said: "My lumbago! Damn you, don't do that!" and tottered to a chair, one hand to the small of his back and his manly form bent with suffering.
Lumbago! Works every time.
I think Heyer wrote a story about people she hated in real life, relished and had a hell of a time making them (an exaggerated version) vapid, insipid, and whiney; but oh so highly quotable. This is second in
Show More
the Inspector Hemingway series and god love the man for the testimonies and evidence he has to shift through to discover the killer. As a locked door mystery, it's pretty good. The cast of characters is varied but small enough to keep track of and most work as plausible red herrings, I was wrong with my first guess as to who the villain was. The first half is mostly setting the scene with introductions and glimpses into characters' personalities and hints to possible murder motivations as they arrive to the house party. The second half is where the murder occurs and the whodunit gets going. It's a bit slow going as first the sergeant and then Inspector Hemingway arriving on the scene talk to everyone but then the clues start rolling in and the story starts to make headway. How the murder occurs was a little goofy but I would classify this as a cozy mystery with some romance inspirations sprinkled in, so it's all in good fun.The following quote is a bit of a spoiler and my little comment after it, you'd know who ends up pairing up and probably figure out two characters who aren't the killer. Beware! You can pick back up at the Bonus :)
Lest you forget this is a Heyer and those romance inspirations I was talking about,
He pulled her rather roughly into his arms. "O God, Mathilda, do keep me in order!" he said, in a suddenly thickened voice. "I need you! I need you damnably!"
She found that her own voice was unsteady. "I know. You are such a fool, Stephen: such a dear impossible fool!"
"So are you, to care a damn for me," he said. "I never thought you did. I can't think why you do."
She took his face between her hands, looking up at him a little mistily. "I like savage creatures. Bull-terriers and Stephen Herriard."
Hey, you leave bull-terriers out of this! I had a contentious relationship with Stephen but he, somewhat, redeemed himself in the end. But seriously, bless her heart and all the Mathildas in the world who take these men on.
Bonus:
Heyer provides us with your next time you want to leave work early excuse. If someone accidentally brushes up against you:
Nathaniel at once became a cripple. He said: "My lumbago! Damn you, don't do that!" and tottered to a chair, one hand to the small of his back and his manly form bent with suffering.
Lumbago! Works every time.
Show Less
Language
Original publication date
1941
ISBN
9781492644705
Other editions
A Christmas party : a seasonal murder mystery by Georgette Heyer (Paper Book)