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32nd out of 50 books
—
296 voters
Behold, Here's Poison (Inspectors Hannasyde & Hemingway #2)
When Gregory Matthews, patriarch of the Poplars is found dead one morning, imperious Aunt Harriet blames it on the roast duck he ate for supper. After all, she had warned him about his blood pressure. But a post-mortem determines that the cause of death is much more sinister. Murder. By poison.
Suspicion falls immediately amongst his bitter, quarrelsome family. Each has a m...more
Suspicion falls immediately amongst his bitter, quarrelsome family. Each has a m...more
Paperback, 320 pages
Published
April 6th 2006
by Arrow
(first published 1936)
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After slogging through some of Heyer's duds (No Wind of Blame and Death in the Stocks) I was beginning to worry that getting through my stack of 7 Heyer murder mysteries was going to be a chore. Happily, Behold, Here's Poison was every bit as good as Why Shoot a Butler? and The Unfinished Clue.
This offering features a cast of family and friends who all have the motive, means and opportunity to murder gruff and bullying Gregory Matthews, who is found dead in his bed. Did he die of natural causes?...more
This offering features a cast of family and friends who all have the motive, means and opportunity to murder gruff and bullying Gregory Matthews, who is found dead in his bed. Did he die of natural causes?...more
Golden Age mystery. Gregory Matthews is found dead. It seems to be food poisoning, but his meddling sister insists on a post mortem, to the mortification of his family, and the diagnosis is poison. His niece finds it all rather unbearable, and shockingly sordid, and it really doesn't help that cousin Randall, the new head of the family, keeps dropping around to be wear on everybody's nerves and make insinuations.
So, I found another Heyer mystery in the library, and couldn't help myself. This one...more
So, I found another Heyer mystery in the library, and couldn't help myself. This one...more
Heyer has a way of introducing her characters then altering your perception of their qualities. In this book she brings us into a bickering, unhappy, extended family. At first blush there does not seem to be a redeeming feature amongst them yet the one we never meet is the person they consider rude, unpleasant, and, of course, dead. As the interactions progress it appears there are reasons for some of the unpleasant behavior due to the controlling character of the dead man.
As with Neville and ot...more
As with Neville and ot...more
George Matthews is dead. Though the doctor initially says it is syncope (heart issues), George's sister (Mrs. Lupton) insists that an autopsy be performed. When one is done, it is found that he is dead of nicotine poisoning.
This is a typical Heyer novel where the rich and cranky old man is killed surrounded by his not-so-loving family. This particular rich and cranky old man had a sister (eccentric penny pincher who likes to save dribs and drabs of everything for later use), a sister-in-law (his...more
This is a typical Heyer novel where the rich and cranky old man is killed surrounded by his not-so-loving family. This particular rich and cranky old man had a sister (eccentric penny pincher who likes to save dribs and drabs of everything for later use), a sister-in-law (his...more
Originally published on my blog here in March 1998.
This seems to be one of the best of Georgette Heyer's dozen or so detective novels (I haven't read quite all of them, so I can't be definite about it.) It has a much better plot than most of her novels in this genre, though it still doesn't live up to the motto they still insist on putting on her detective novels even today ("Queen of Mystery and Suspense" - a title that could be far better applied to any of Agatha Christie, Ngaio Marsh, Margery...more
This seems to be one of the best of Georgette Heyer's dozen or so detective novels (I haven't read quite all of them, so I can't be definite about it.) It has a much better plot than most of her novels in this genre, though it still doesn't live up to the motto they still insist on putting on her detective novels even today ("Queen of Mystery and Suspense" - a title that could be far better applied to any of Agatha Christie, Ngaio Marsh, Margery...more
The master of the house is dead, and apparently, it's poison. His sister (an obnoxious hypochondriac), sister-in-law (an empty-headed, but good looking idiot), niece (who wants to marry the doctor he hates), and nephew (who he's about to send down to South America) all have motive and opportunity. Throw in an overbearing sister and the other nephew that everyone hates (who just happens to inherit just about everything) and you have teh recipe for a lovely little mystery.
I read the first few cha...more
I read the first few cha...more
This is a mystery novel set in Britain around 1936 (which is when it was written). The mystery was clever, the pacing was good, and journey (full of the the characters' foibles) to the answer was fun.
The author introduces a lot of the characters quite rapidly at the beginning. It's not immediately clear how everyone is related to each other (especially since it's an odd assortment of relationships), but it all gets sorted out fairly quickly.
Most of the characters aren't exactly nice people, but...more
The author introduces a lot of the characters quite rapidly at the beginning. It's not immediately clear how everyone is related to each other (especially since it's an odd assortment of relationships), but it all gets sorted out fairly quickly.
Most of the characters aren't exactly nice people, but...more
Nov 21, 2012
Sophie
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
kindle-fire-book,
2012-books
I read this book shortly after reading Death in the Stocks and I enjoyed encountering some of the same characters--Giles Carrington, Superintendent Hannasyde, Sergeant Hemingway--in both books. But the star of this book, for me, was Randall Matthews, the "amiable snake" at the center of the mystery. When Randall is first introduced, the reader is not quite sure what to make of him, but as the story unfolds, Ms. Heyer slowly reveals his character as being quite other than what he seems. I enjoyed...more
I'm not a fan of Ms Heyer's regency romances, but I have enjoyed her mysteries. In this book, the tyrannical patriarch of a family is discovered dead in his bed. While his sister, sister-in-law, niece and nephew who live with him believe he must have died of a heart attack in his sleep and his doctor declares he died of natural causes, his other sister who comes over, takes one look at him and demands a postmortem, much to the alarm and horror of the rest of the family.
The heir is loathed by al...more
The heir is loathed by al...more
Oct 25, 2007
Jackie "the Librarian"
rated it
5 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
aficionados of dry British wit
At first, everyone thinks that Gregory Matthews died of a combination of nastiness, apoplexy, and the duck he ate for dinner that night. Then Aunt Harriet, "a regular cough drop" dies, too, and that changes everything. Stella and her brother Guy agree that it's just too bad the deaths can't be pinned on poisonous cousin Randall, the heir to the family fortune. A lovely, acid-tongued comedy of manners, as good as anything by Agatha Christie.
This murder mystery could not have come from anyone but a British author. It is SO typical of the genre: the manor house, the servants, the dysfunctional family. It's all there. The story revolves around the Matthews family, each more detestable than the next. There really aren't any likable characters with the exception of the police Superintendent who doesn't figure all that much in the plot. This is definitely not a police procedural and the detective is only a minor player in the action. As...more
I was put off by the beginning of this book, which is set in 1930s England. The assortment of catty, underemployed family members/suspects seemed all too typical - and by now terribly trite. But while most of the "cast" remains insufferable, a few - such as Stella and Randall - become more interesting as the plot moves forward. There are also some nice unexpected plot developments.
As has been pointed out elsewhere about her mysteries, Heyer seems more interested in the comedy of manners aspect...more
As has been pointed out elsewhere about her mysteries, Heyer seems more interested in the comedy of manners aspect...more
This is one of the mysteries written by Georgette Heyer, who is perhaps better known for her Regency Romances. Although characters and style of living are similar to those in her romances, this story is truly a murder mystery without the focus on social behaviors of the era. Because this is Heyer, I expected at least a touch of romance, and I was not disappointed in that respect. Because this is Heyer, you'll not be bored with the characters.
This was a well-crafted mystery, with some good red he...more
This was a well-crafted mystery, with some good red he...more
Loved this book. 4.5 stars. It may not solve all the world's problems, but what it does (British cozy-mystery) it does very well. Heyer is the mistress of writing quirky, amusing characters, and she does it very well here. Heyer is also the mistress of writing sarcastic, sharp-tongued, foppish male characters who have no hesitation saying what others might only think, and who appear somewhat superficial, lazy and idle but actually have hidden depths. Randall is a good example of this (although f...more
I read this in a couple of hours while lying in bed one morning on maternity leave, after I bought a copy in a secondhand bookstore a month or so ago. (The cover of this edition on Goodreads is extremely odd - a young woman in a party mask has absolutely nothing to do with the plot of this book). This is the first one of Heyer's mysteries I've read, and I don't know if it's typical - a cozy mystery including a dash of romance (although a romance I found just a little hard to believe in). It was...more
Behold, Here’s Poison is one of mystery books written by Heyer and yes, there are more genres that this author was very skilled at writing. It is what one might call a cozy mystery. The action of the book revolves around the murder of George Matthews, a master of the Poplars where he lived with his sister, Miss Matthews, his sister-in-law, Mrs. Matthews, and her two children, Stella and Guy. Mr. Matthews is found dead one morning in his bed and upon closer examination it turns out that the cause...more
The Matthews family is thrown into chaos by the death of the Master of the house. Inconceivably, he is found to have been poisoned. He has ruled his family and his neighborhood so heavily it is hard to imagine anyone having the gumption to kill him. However, that same rule gives everyone a motive.
In my opinion Heyer's mysteries don't have the sparkle I expected after reading all her Regency romances. This book didn't even come alive until the Heir rode in. Randall Matthews bears a resemblance to...more
In my opinion Heyer's mysteries don't have the sparkle I expected after reading all her Regency romances. This book didn't even come alive until the Heir rode in. Randall Matthews bears a resemblance to...more
Heyer's an incredible writer, and she does amazingly three-dimensional characters really well. And in 'Behold Here's Poison' she does a very good job of taking a lot of very real characters, and putting them in interesting conflict.
So why only 3 stars? The reader isn't given any clues at all that would help them figure out 'whodunnit' and trying to figure out for yourself is half the fun of any mystery. And there's an unnecessary romance wedged in at the end for no good reason.
Still an enjoyabl...more
So why only 3 stars? The reader isn't given any clues at all that would help them figure out 'whodunnit' and trying to figure out for yourself is half the fun of any mystery. And there's an unnecessary romance wedged in at the end for no good reason.
Still an enjoyabl...more
Mystery - Copyright 1936
A very clever and entertaining mystery. When Mr. Matthews, wealthy head of the family, is found murdered by poison, his relatives (most of whom live in his mansion) seem to each have plenty of motive.
As the dead man's constantly quarrelsome family await the outcome of the investigation, they bicker and insult each other with wickedly sharp tongues. Most of the family -- both young and old -- are pretty dislikeable, but not so that it interferes with the story's enjoyment....more
A very clever and entertaining mystery. When Mr. Matthews, wealthy head of the family, is found murdered by poison, his relatives (most of whom live in his mansion) seem to each have plenty of motive.
As the dead man's constantly quarrelsome family await the outcome of the investigation, they bicker and insult each other with wickedly sharp tongues. Most of the family -- both young and old -- are pretty dislikeable, but not so that it interferes with the story's enjoyment....more
I believe Georgette Heyer was hoping to make the cousin Randall an attractive bad boy à la Johnny Depp; instead, he comes off as simply repugnant, like Philip Seymour Hoffman in the indie film Happiness. Some of the other characters are simply caricatures. In addition, Heyer is tight-fisted with the clues, although the set-up is a clever one.
Detective Inspector Hannasyde is an amiable and clever fellow, but readers would do better to instead read The Unfinished Clue, which is a better mystery wi...more
Detective Inspector Hannasyde is an amiable and clever fellow, but readers would do better to instead read The Unfinished Clue, which is a better mystery wi...more
Enjoyable, well written, English whodunit, with some lovely plot twists, dry humour and a little old-fashioned romance along the way. I really feel that Heyer's mysteries are terribly underrated.
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I'm never quite sure how I feel about Heyer's mysteries, much as I love her regencies. For this one, I thought the mystery was good (I didn't guess the murderer), and I enjoyed the 1930s country house setting, but I thought the hero was pretty much a supercilious, egotistic snob, and got away with it. I have no idea why the "heroine" (a dubious attribution) found him so attractive. I'm not personally attracted to men who sneer at me and insult me in every possible way, no matter how attractive t...more
Behold, Here's Poison is the last of the Heyer mysteries I have. I like Inspector Hannasyde, and Giles Carrington from Death in the Stocks also makes an appearance; but I found the irritating, waspish Randall very annoying (to me, there is something effeminate about the kind of catty insult he's so fond of delivering). Discovering that he had more depth than it initially appeared redeemed him, but not enough to get the book another star. Once again, Heyer's mystery characters just aren't anywher...more
This is my first Heyer mystery. I read it after reading her biography, which was not entirely complimentary of her mysteries, citing stinted language and meandering plots. Those things may have been true, but I don't care! I thought this was great anyway!
It reminded me a little of It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia because the majority of the characters were crazy and vile (in a hilarious way). The few characters who lived in the real world and injected sense into the proceedings highlighted the...more
It reminded me a little of It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia because the majority of the characters were crazy and vile (in a hilarious way). The few characters who lived in the real world and injected sense into the proceedings highlighted the...more
Not exactly a _pleasant_ Heyer. Few, if any, of the main characters have redeeming qualities although few have the type of character flaws that make one banish people from one's circle. They are all, to some degree or another, narcissists. None of them have grand visions and none care for much other than their own personal comfort.
The murder itself is both distinctly clever and yet carried off in a way that a careful reader should be able to get a hint of the correct solution.
As a murder myster...more
The murder itself is both distinctly clever and yet carried off in a way that a careful reader should be able to get a hint of the correct solution.
As a murder myster...more
Behold, Here’s Poison mixes mystery with a little romance. Although the introduction to the main characters seemed stilted, Georgette Heyer, does a wonderful job of giving each character personality. I especially enjoyed how she managed my perception of one of the characters. When she introduces him we see him through the prejudiced eye of his family. As we get to know him, we begin to see the unjustness of the family prejudices. I found the characters more interesting than the mystery and wish...more
Given the colorful and seductive cover, I was expecting a feminine mystery of minimal depth. Happily, I found a book that was written in the 1920's and had the feel of an Agatha Christie novel -- mystery without a focus on detective minutiae or a love story. It was just a good old-fashioned family tragedy that took twists and turns as the local police investigated the murders to slowly and clumsily unearth the pieces to reveal the truth. Lacking in intrigue at times and with a culprit who seemed...more
I liked the earlier Heyer mysteries I've read much more than this one. My lack of enthusiasm is in some part due to the writing but also due to the very poor audio book version I listened to. The reader made unlikeable characters even more so. Indeed, his rendition of Randall made him so very unlikeable that the already thin romantic sub-plot was made totally unbelievable. I found it fairly easy to work out the identity of the murderer, but not the details of why the murder was committed, so I h...more
Another entertaining mystery from Georgette Heyer. This is the third one I've read and it's not getting repetitive or anything, so far. I am intrigued to read Death in the Stocks since some of the side characters also appear in it (technically, they appeared in it first).
I must say, this book is full of really unlikable characters. Some of them are so self-absorbed and ridiculous that you almost wish they WOULD get murdered or arrested just so you wouldn't have to listen to them anymore. Heyer c...more
I must say, this book is full of really unlikable characters. Some of them are so self-absorbed and ridiculous that you almost wish they WOULD get murdered or arrested just so you wouldn't have to listen to them anymore. Heyer c...more
Audio book: I've listened to this book at least five times. It's one of my favorite classic mystery stories. By 'classic' I mean a set of characters who, for the most part, do not work but live off a rich relative, and women who sigh over not having a man to hold their hand during crises and who act like complete air-heads. I like to consider these historical settings.
But the mystery is good with lots of red herrings (or are they), the characters entertaining in their eccentricities, and, most i...more
But the mystery is good with lots of red herrings (or are they), the characters entertaining in their eccentricities, and, most i...more
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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
More about Georgette Heyer...
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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“Randall laid his hand on Stella's, but only to remove it from his sleeve. "My precious, you really must have some regard for my clothes," he said with gentle reproach. "Much as I love you, I cannot permit you to maul this particular coat.”
—
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“I can't imagine what possessed you to propose to me."
"Well that will give you something to puzzle over any time you can't sleep.”
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