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The Toll-Gate

3.77 of 5 stars 3.77 · rating details · 2,104 ratings · 134 reviews

Captain John Staple's exploits in the Peninsula had earned him the sobriquet 'Crazy' Jack amongst his fellows in the Dragoon Guards. Now home from Waterloo, life in peacetime is rather dull for the boisterous, adventure-loving Captain. But when he finds himself lost and benighted at an unmanned toll-house in the Pennines, his soldiering days suddenly pale away besides an a...more

Paperback, 288 pages

Published October 6th 2005 by Arrow (first published 1954)

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Dec 16, 2011 Estara rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: fans of books like The Scarlet Pimpernell or The Prisoner of Zenda in tone, not in plot

Shelves: re-read, read-in-2011, ebook

If you don't read this looking for a romance, but for derring-do and adventure and loads of Napoleonic era thieves cant, you'll be quite happy with your purchase ^^.

Not to say that what there is of the romance isn't as lovely as Heyer's best, but it is cut much shorter and deeply subsumed under the main plot (as a matter of fact I think the nearest relative of this book may be The Reluctant Widow, with its focus on the spy plot).

Because you have a deep dark crime story being uncovered by an ext...more

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May 14, 2013 Jacey rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: historical-fiction

Georgette Heyer: The Toll Gate

When Crazy Jack Staple, lately of Wellington's returns to civilian life after the defeat of Napoleon, he finds that there's not much to satisfy the adrenaline junkie he's become, and no woman who really interests him. Then, while escaping from his boring cousin's boring houseparty he rides into Derbyshire to visit a friend and puts up for the night at a lonely toll gate cottage when he finds the gate-keeper has left his ten year old son, Ben, alone and petrified.

Jac...more Georgette Heyer: The Toll Gate

When Crazy Jack Staple, lately of Wellington's returns to civilian life after the defeat of Napoleon, he finds that there's not much to satisfy the adrenaline junkie he's become, and no woman who really interests him. Then, while escaping from his boring cousin's boring houseparty he rides into Derbyshire to visit a friend and puts up for the night at a lonely toll gate cottage when he finds the gate-keeper has left his ten year old son, Ben, alone and petrified.

Jack not only finds a mystery, but he finds romance in the shape of Nell, granddaughter of the ailing squire, competent and capable, and somewhat too tall for polite society and the 'ton.' It's love at first sight for Jack, but since he's masquerading as the gatekeeper's cousin, Nell takes a bit of convincing, however her retainers (faithful groom and nurse/companion) have no qualms about Jack and quickly decide that he's Nell's likely saviour as she'll soon be ousted from her home when her grandfather dies (as he has left it to her the obvious male heir, her unsympathetic cousin).

At its heart this is as much mystery as romance. The keeper, Ben's father, only stepped out for an hour, but now he's missing. Nell's odious cousin and his even more odious friend have installed themselves in the manor which the cousin hopes soon to inherit, but they don't seem to have a very good reason for doing so. There's a good-hearted highwayman and a Bow Street Runner sniffing around.

Jack latches on to the mystery, determined to solve it and so the romance almost takes a back seat until romance and mystery collide. There's much more derring-do than in Heyer's usual Regency Romances and it fairly bounds along to a pistols and fisticuffs conclusion.

The characters are well-drawn from Jack and Nell, to Nell's grandfather, once a sportsman and now laid low by a stroke, but far from unaware that something is amiss. The low characters nearly all speak thieves cant, which is probably unrealistic as they aren't all thieves. Jack manages passable cant-speak, too and I suspect Ms Heyer had access to Captain Grose's Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue (1811) on her desk as she comes out with words like 'jobbernoll' and 'slumguzzle' and phrases like 'dicked in the head.'

I enjoyed this.
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Oct 09, 2012 Nikki rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: books-set-in-england, fiction, not-so-trashy-trashy-novels

I think this may be my favorite of the Georgette Heyer books I've read. The love story part is charming, but free of the misunderstandings that so often crop up in Heyer's romances; and there is enough mystery and action in the story to satisfy anyone. The date is approximately 1817; Jack Staple, the protagonist (well, let's just call him the hero, which he is), not interested in being in a peacetime army, has sold out his commission and is getting some pressure to marry from his mother and sist...more

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Jun 03, 2012 Sally rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: audiobooks

I enjoyed this, another mystery by Georgette Heyer, who is best known for her Regency Romances. Although I have enjoyed her romances I have read so far, I find I am liking the mysteries even better. This may be, in part, because the cozy mystery is one of my favorite genres, but I also think it has quite a different feel to it from the romances. I have not read all of Heyer's writings, but it is my intention to get to at least most of them eventually. The romances are a bit formulaic, so it is r...more

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May 25, 2012 jess rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012, fiction

Yeah, that's right. I read a Regency Romance novel. It's part of the 2012 Reading Challenge that Kelsey started - I am trying to read across a variety of genres I don't normally reading, including Romance.

This is the story of a soldier in 1817. He's broad, tall, very strong and very bored by everything since the war ended. He heads out adventuring across the countryside and finds a toll-gate where a boy is tending the gate alone due to the mysterious absence of his father. Jack settles in to he...more

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Oct 09, 2011 Nan rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

A light and amusing Regency mystery with touches of romance, The Toll-Gate is told primarily from the point-of-view of the hero, Captain Jack Staple. The romantic element is light, and while Nell's situation is dire, the full complications of it are barely addressed. Instead, we're presented with something that almost seems like a comedy of classes, as Jack poses as a toll-gatekeeper even though he's Quality. His attempts to mimic the speech of the working classes seem to pass muster, but everyo...more

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Aug 23, 2011 Laura rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Originally published in 1954, The Toll-Gate is a regency novel by Georgette Heyer. Unlike the other books I’ve read by Heyer, The Toll-Gate is not so much a regency romance as a regency mystery with a bit of romance. The novel is set in 1817 in the Peak District, which is an upland area in north central England mainly in Derbyshire (which is also the setting for many scenes in Pride and Prejudice).

Captain Jack Staple is on his way to visit a friend, when he discovers a toll-gate untended except...more

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Dec 30, 2010 Jane Stewart rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: historic-mystery-with-some-romance

3 ½ stars. Entertaining mystery with a hero who saves the day. I prefer stories with more romantic relationship development.

STORY BRIEF:
Captain John Staple has just left the military after Napoleon’s defeat. He is traveling to see a friend and comes across an unmanned toll-gate. The gatekeeper has disappeared, and his son Ben is alone and frightened. John offers to help and stays the night. The next day Nell is traveling through and needs the gate lifted. For John it is love at first sight. He d...more 3 ½ stars. Entertaining mystery with a hero who saves the day. I prefer stories with more romantic relationship development.

STORY BRIEF:
Captain John Staple has just left the military after Napoleon’s defeat. He is traveling to see a friend and comes across an unmanned toll-gate. The gatekeeper has disappeared, and his son Ben is alone and frightened. John offers to help and stays the night. The next day Nell is traveling through and needs the gate lifted. For John it is love at first sight. He decides to stay with the boy and be temporary gatekeeper until Ben’s father can be found (and to get to know Nell).

Nell’s grandfather Sir Peter is close to death. Her parents died earlier. Her cousin Henry has moved in planning to take over when Sir Peter dies. Henry’s friend Nat is also staying at the house. There are bad vibes about Nat.

As John talks to Nell and others coming through the gate, he begins investigating and uncovers murder and robbery. He takes some interesting action.

REVIEWER’S OPINION:
I usually don’t read mysteries because I prefer strong emotional relationship development. This is mostly mystery, so I was surprised that I enjoyed it. The main draw was John doing interesting things with interesting characters. I was not glued to my seat. It was easy to put down, but it worked well for me as an audiobook. When deciding between 3 and 4 stars, I rounded up to 4 because it had some things I didn’t expect.

Nell’s role is passively walking on egg shells. Her grandfather is near death. Any stress could kill him, so Nell lies about things to keep him calm. She doesn’t do anything to get rid of Henry or Nat who scare her. But I’m not sure what she could have done. She’s quiet and doesn’t take action about anything. There is no money or provision for her future. The estate is burdened with debt. There is no interesting dialogue between Nell and John. It’s really a story about John investigating the mystery and saving the day. He’s the strong, smart, action hero.

The narrator Daniel Hill was good - maybe speaking a little too fast once in a while – but maybe not. He’s not my favorite, but he was fine.

DATA:
Unabridged audiobook length: 9 ¼ hours. Narrator: Daniel Hill. Swearing language: none that I recall. Sexual content: none. Setting: 1816-1817 England. Book Published: 1954. Genre: historical mystery with a little romance.(less)

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Jun 30, 2009 Nicole rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: reviewed

I love Georgette Heyer's historical romance novels for their combination of colourful characters, frolicking adventures, exuberant humour, and mercurial mystery. I have many Heyer favourites including Devil's Cub, Frederica, Sylvester, These Old Shades, The Reluctant Widow and now The Toll-Gate. I think The Toll-Gate sets itself apart with more than the usual hint of romance.

***********

It takes a lot to unnerve Captain John Staple, a man with a reputation for audacious exploits and whimsical non...more I love Georgette Heyer's historical romance novels for their combination of colourful characters, frolicking adventures, exuberant humour, and mercurial mystery. I have many Heyer favourites including Devil's Cub, Frederica, Sylvester, These Old Shades, The Reluctant Widow and now The Toll-Gate. I think The Toll-Gate sets itself apart with more than the usual hint of romance.

***********

It takes a lot to unnerve Captain John Staple, a man with a reputation for audacious exploits and whimsical nonsense. But when he finds himself mired on the moors� on a dark and stormy night, no less! �John hardly expects to find a young, frightened boy who's been left alone to tend a toll gatehouse.

Never one to pass up an adventure, John decides to take up residence in Derbyshire as a gatekeeper until he can find the lad's father. But as John investigates the suspicious disappearance, he begins to unravel a far more complex mystery. And at its center is a woman� the very one to tame John''s reckless spirit.

***********

Captain John Staple is making his way to his friend Henry Babbacombe's home in Leicestershire and becomes lost due to imprecise directions. Having wasted many hours, in the night he finally comes upon the toll-gate pike road he was looking for manned by a obviously frightened young boy. Having learnt the boy's father has disappeared John Staple takes upon himself looking after the boy until the morning. In the morning at the first sight of Miss Nell Stornaway waiting to pass the toll-gate to go to church, Captain John Staple is lovestruck and duly rendered speechless for some moments. He decides to stay and take care of the toll-gate until the boy's father reappears and to find out just exactly who Miss Nell is...

This story is very sweet at times...Nell and John pronounce their love for each other not very far into the book, which provides us with many romantic moments whereas Heyer's books usually only have romantic moments in the last chapter. The reading of the story was a bit more challenging because a lot of "cant" or "flash" language was used and there were unfamiliar words (e.g. tater, hog-grubber, tipping over the dabs, bowman prig, twigs), which made for a tad frustrating but amusing read trying to decipher the colloquialisms.

There is the invariable sparkling dialogue and all the characters in the novel are well developed with each their own little idiosyncrasies. The plot is paced nicely around mysterious events such as the disappearance of individuals, clandestine assignations, nocturnal adventures, secret relationships, theft of sovereign coins and investigations of multiple murders. I loved the more romantic bent to the story, I loved Captain John Staple (there is a scene when he takes of his shirt off at the water pump and I could so imagine his big, brawny body!) and how devoted he is to Nell. I loved that the mystery was so well thought out. There is nothing not to love about The Toll-Gate and I highly recommend to fans of Heyer, romance and historical fiction.

http://myobsessionwithbooks.blogspot....(less)

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Oct 29, 2012 Sher rated it 5 of 5 stars

Book 67 2012 Reading Challenge--I listened to this book on tape, and as a result had the full impact of Heyer's absolutely magnificent dialog and vernacular. I can't recall any book with such incredible dialog-- so funny and masterfully witty. What makes the book excellent is the different classes of characters interacting, hence various class vernacular, and the main male protagonist plays various roles in the story from different classes. So, his dialog is a hoot as he changes from one class t...more

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Jan 09, 2012 Emilie rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 11, fiction, historical

coo-you're not bamming me, big 'un! i can see you're quality.

captain jack disguises himself as a toll-gate keeper in this regency romance, adventure romp, and mystery. there are a few things that make this book different than most other regency romances. jack and nell (the primary love story protagonists) are not the wealthiest nor the smartest dressed nor the most physically desirable.

much of the dialogue is spoken in thieves cant. the secondary couple is rose and the thief (i cannot remember h...more coo-you're not bamming me, big 'un! i can see you're quality.

captain jack disguises himself as a toll-gate keeper in this regency romance, adventure romp, and mystery. there are a few things that make this book different than most other regency romances. jack and nell (the primary love story protagonists) are not the wealthiest nor the smartest dressed nor the most physically desirable.

much of the dialogue is spoken in thieves cant. the secondary couple is rose and the thief (i cannot remember his name, but they both are working class for lack of a better term [she is nell's maid and he is a thief] and play pretty big roles in the story). even though it's a disguise, jack works throughout the novel as a toll-gate keeper and takes care of a child; and even his real position, though very comfortable, is not the richest of the rich.

there's a lovely moment when jack is first getting to know the thief, and they are both trying to discern if the other is trustworthy and knowing that they are not quite who they say who are, trying to figure out what their story is. and jack says, you speak a lot of thieves cant for me to believe that you are the honest man who you say you are. and the thief answers, well, you understand quite a lot of thieves cant!

i like the theme of how within the disguise jack plays a role and ends up being/finding more himself; the freedom in disguise theme from a lot of shakespearean plays. i like that the characters, both sets of lovers are characterised more by their values than their appearances or their social status. they are not ruled by social conventions and don't wear the latest styles or always have the sharpest wittiest responses ready on their tongues, but they care about what is right and good and it's not just concepts to them, it translates into actions.
they like adventure and having fun, that is what brings jack to the toll-gate to begin with. but, their love of fun and adventure doesn't mean that doing right by other people doesn't come first. they are willing to break the rules if it's what they feel is right. they take risks. they think for themselves! they put love and emotional support before outward shows and displays of success or worth. they care more about how they and the few people they really love feel and what they think, than about impressing everyone in society.

it's interesting too, that though nell (who is sadly a less compelling & less charming character than jack; but it's kind-of refreshing to have a heroine who is not an endlessly sparkling wit which can be so much fun, but sometimes these woman have nothing going on underneath, and nell clearly has a heart and the reader feels that is what jack loves her for). anyway, she needs a kind of rescuing, which is interesting because it's so overtly a financial kind and so clearly about her being female in this time and her grandfather cannot leave her the estates when he dies because she is a woman. so in a way, she really needs a kind of rescuing from jack, though she is not looking for it. the story isn't saying she needs love or a man to save her. it's saying her access to the financial security she needs to survive is through a man/marriage and showing the reader why the marriage plot is about a lot more then silly young women swooning over silly ideas of romance and also, why the idea of romance would be so much more understandably something to swoon over when it's almost not an option not to get married, but love in that marriage is a possibility. and nell doesn't really want to be given the financial security out of pity so there's commentary on women's position in society and it's interesting how it plays out and how they negotiate all of this. and i'm focusing on themes, where the book plays mostly with the adventure, romance, and mystery in front. the dialogue is very funny. and heyer doesn't miss an opportunity to remind us how big our hero is.(less)

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Aug 28, 2012 Julia rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: romance, mystery

This book tries to be both a mystery and a romance, but the two don't fit together well.

Captain John Staples, formerly an officer in the British Army, is on his way to visit a friend when he stops at a toll-gate staffed by a young boy. (Note: a toll-gate seems to be a precursor of today's tollbooths on the highway. Travelers with horses and/or wagons are required to pay a toll in order to pass through on the road. The gate keeper takes the money, gives a ticket, and opens the gate.)
When question...more

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Mar 03, 2011 Gem rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: historical-fiction, highwayman, mystery, romance

I felt this had quite a different feel to the majority of other Heyer books I've read - not that I didn't enjoy it. Less romance, more mystery. The opening chapter is off-putting, and after having reached the end of the book it seems a little unnecessary, with a whole confusing cast of characters that do not show up again. Still, the book quickly improves. Jack is a highly likeable figure and his interactions with Ben amusing; the language is a tad harder to decipher than most of Heyer's books b...more

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Sep 01, 2012 Linda Baker rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: ebook

The Toll-Gate (1954) tells the story of Captain John Staple. "Crazy Jack" is beloved by his comrades and known for his exploits both on and off the battlefield. Back from the Peninsular Wars, he is bored with his country life and being encouraged by his family to marry. Having never met a girl who "levelled" him he is in no hurry to settle down. When he stumbles across a toll-gate with a missing gatekeeper and a frightened child, nothing will stop him from taking over the toll-gate and solving t...more

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Jan 26, 2012 Amanda rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I read a few Georgette Heyer books when I was in highschool and I remember them being quick, fun, easy reads. In this book I found the language really hard to follow at times. I'm not sure if it's because so many of the characters aren't upper class, so there's more slang that I don't know, or if this author's books are different from the way I remember them. I think the next time I read a Georgette Heyer book I'll borrow a paper version from the library so I can see what it's like first!
Towards...more

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Dec 17, 2012 Kate K. F. rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

The main character of this book is just out of the army where he was known as Crazy Jack because nothing ever goes simply for him. The story starts as he's riding to visit a friend and then stops at a toll in the middle of the night because the gatekeeper's missing and ends up comforting and protecting his worried son. There's brilliant use of thieves' cant, a romance between two quite well-suited people, a highwayman that wants to be a farmer, a mystery including something hidden in a cave and...more

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Apr 03, 2012 Kerry rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: regency-romance, historical-fiction

I am a big fan of Heyer's Regency romances, but favor primarily those told primarily from the perspective of one of her wrong female heroines. The Toll-Gate is told almost exclusively from the hero's perspective and is therefore not quite as much fun for me as, say, Frederica or The Grand Sophy. This is especially unfortunate because the heroine, Nell, seems like a character that could have ranked right up there with my other favorites had she been developed

That said, this story is a lovely, lig...more

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Jan 15, 2012 Theresa rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: mystery

This story has more mystery than romance though there is a romance. Captain John Staple just out of the military sets out to visit a friend and avoid his mothers matchmaking attempts. John very much reminded me of some of Cary Grants roles, he is a big fun loving guy who loves a bite of adventure. On the way he discovers a mystery at the toll-gate and takes it upon himself to solve it. This is the first time in a long time I've read one of this authors books which is excellent as a historical an...more

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Mar 05, 2009 _inbetween_ added it · review of another edition

Criticism from modern readers of all persuasions, the original English with quaint cant, and time having passed - I'm not sure which of these factors most spoils my re-reading of what was the one pleasure in my life.

Chink and Rose are still delightful, more than the love-at-first-sight that was the little romance of this "romance"; John's easy killing after first trying to manipulate the law for an old man was a recurring Heyer theme of course; Babbacomb was also fun, and esp. the interplay wit...more

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May 27, 2012 Elderberrywine rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: romance

Heads-up, Goodbooks. That synopsis for the plot of this book is for some other book entirely. The cover, however, is right.

Well, be that as it may, a new (to me) Georgette Heyer is the perfect way to kick off my summer reading ~~orgy~~ season. A fairly unusual Regency Heyer in that it concentrates more on the mystery than the romance, but I am happily in the company of the charming Captain Jack as he runs into a fearful and abandoned young boy manning the toll gate, and nearly immediately uncovers s...more

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Nov 23, 2010 Beth rated it 3 of 5 stars

This was the first book I've read by Georgette Heyer, who is considered to be one of the best authors of regency romances. I was kind of disappointed. Maybe I should have chosen a different title. The story is about Captain Staple, a tall good-natured bachelor, who while on his way to visit a friend (and escape a house party of relatives promoting prospective suitors), gets lost and ends up spending the night at the house of a toll-gate keeper. The toll keeper has gone missing and his young son...more

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Oct 30, 2009 Kim rated it 1 of 5 stars

I somehow thought that Heyer was mystery. I reserved it at the library and was dismayed to discover on reading the back of the book that she's actually a Regency Romance writer. A genre that I would gladly stick pins in my eyes to avoid reading. The language is excruciating - I didn't know most of the words and sometimes wished for a "Regency Romance" dictionary. Jane Austen's novels take place even earlier than this book and her language is completely understandable. I mean, these people all bu...more

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May 30, 2012 Genesis Hansen rated it 3 of 5 stars

I went on a little Georgette Heyer kick this year - reading several of her novels in between others. Overall they are fun, but silly. Comparisons to Jane Austen are a stretch - there are superficial similarities in plot and setting, but Austen is way out of Heyer's league. I'm not going to bother reviewing them all as they tend to blur together.

Having said that, this was one of the standouts, largely because it includes a mystery along with the romance to fuel the plot. Nothing earth-shattering,...more

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Apr 30, 2012 Margaret Metz rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This is my least favorite Heyer novel so far. I'm not certain whether it was POV (instead of being told primarily from the heroine's perspective, this is nearly entirely from the point of view of the hero) or if it was because there was a lot less romance and more of a mystery ... or if it was all the sort of class comparison that was constantly going on . . .

I really missed the witty banter that normally accompanies the more romantic novels. It isn't the romance exactly, it's the wonderful dial...more

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Jun 28, 2008 Abigail rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: Georgette Heyer Fans / Readers who Like Romantic Adventure Stories

Shelves: georgette-heyer, romance

Review Temporarily Removed.

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Apr 24, 2013 Olga Godim rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: georgette-heyer

This novel is not exactly a romance. It’s a mix of a love story and a mystery. The protagonist John Staple is a former army captain, big and amiable but extremely astute. During the Napoleonic wars, he was a dauntless officer, earning himself the nickname of Crazy Jack for his risky but invariably victorious escapades. Now retired from the army, he is chafing under the boredom of peaceful life. His mother wants him to get married and settle down (what else?). Their dialog is a perfect slice of J...more

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Jan 28, 2013 Risa rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: georgette-heyer, romance, collections-own, 2013, re-read

I last read this book about 16 or 17 years ago. I couldn't recall a single thing about it, even as I read it now. It is one of Heyer's romance mysteries. I found it similar to another of her novels of this kind -- The Unknown Ajax -- perhaps because the heroes of both these stories are so alike -- blond, blue-eyed, handsome "giants" who could contrive to look stupid as they pleased, and were kind and full of laughter and good humour.

It made for a quick, light read, as do all Georgette Heyers. B...more

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Nov 14, 2009 Nancy rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: old-favouries

Another Regency with a mystery (which places the setting in 1816/7) and a romance that gets rather short shrift, although more satisfying than, say, Drusilla and St. Erth. This is more of a 3.5, maybe 3.75.

Rather than presenting mainly from the heroine's POV (a la The Grand Sophy) or going more balanced back and forth between the hero and heroine (Like Cotillion), this is told mainly from the hero's POV (similar to Powder and Patch, The Quiet Gentleman and The Foundling (although in that story t...more

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Oct 17, 2012 Josephine rated it 3 of 5 stars

Not the best Georgette Heyer romance I've read. The attraction between the male and female protagonists seems a bit too 'theia mania' / 'coup de foudre'.

It seems that Captain Staple's adventure is the focus of the story rather than his realtionship with Miss Stornaway - which is fine since his antics make for interesting reading.

There is quite a bit of 'cant' or historical lexicon, which might make readers stumble a bit as they try to decipher what the characters are saying.

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Apr 09, 2013 Chris Phillips rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Interesting story, set in historical times, when traveling meant passing through many tollgates, as one crossed private lands, in the horse drawn days.
Curiosity of a missing gate-man, and his son,scared, and by chance an ex officer calmly takes over, and mysteriously love & crimes abound.... A good read, but I was rather left at the end, with the feeling that it really should have not ended like that, didn't seem quite right! But others might like it the way it is.

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About Georgette Heyer

Georgette Heyer was an amazingly prolific writer who created the Regency England genre of romance novels.

Georgette Heyer was an intensely private person. A best-seller 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. Heyer wrote very well-researched historical fiction, fu...more

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