From the Bookshelf of Reading the Detectives…

Envious Casca (Inspectors Hannasyde & Hemingway, #6)

Georgette Heyer

Start date: June 15, 2023

Finish date: July 7, 2023

Discussion: Buddy reads

Why we're reading this: Next in our series of Heyer buddy reads.
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What Members Thought

Nov 20, 2017 Susan rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Having read, and enjoyed, “No Wind of Blame,” the first Inspector Hemingway mystery, I was keen to read the second. “A Christmas Party,” is also known by the title, “Envious Casca,” and has a similar, light and humorous touch to it, as the first mystery did.

At Lexham Manor, Nathaniel Herriard lives with his brother, Joseph, and Joseph’s wife, Maud. Joseph has planned a family reunion for Christmas, although there is not really much goodwill to all men, or family members, emanating from Nathanie Having read, and enjoyed, “No Wind of Blame,” the first Inspector Hemingway mystery, I was keen to read the second. “A Christmas Party,” is also known by the title, “Envious Casca,” and has a similar, light and humorous touch to it, as the first mystery did.

At Lexham Manor, Nathaniel Herriard lives with his brother, Joseph, and Joseph’s wife, Maud. Joseph has planned a family reunion for Christmas, although there is not really much goodwill to all men, or family members, emanating from Nathaniel. It is clear, in fact, that this party is very much the wish of Joseph alone, who seems keen to try to get the ‘young people,’ together for Christmas.

Guests include Nathanial’s niece, Paula, who wants her uncle to back a play she wishes to appear in and who has brought the playwright, a young man called Willoughby, as her guest. Paula’s brother, Stephen, has also arrived, along with his pretty, but vacuous fiancé, Valerie. There is also distant cousin, Mathilda and Nathanial’s business partner, Edgar. Nathanial is a difficult and argumentative man, who has rows with his business partner, objects to his nephew’s fiancé and (understandably) resents having a play he is not interested in read aloud to him over Christmas. When he is killed, there are a plethora of suspects and quite a few motives, revolving around the important issue of who inherits Nathanial’s fortune.

I really enjoyed this, although I did not think it was as good as the previous Hemingway book, for the simple reason that the culprit was, in my mind, fairly obvious. I am hopeless at spotting ‘whodunnit,’ so, if I was sure of who was responsible, then I’m pretty sure most other readers would be too. Still, an enjoyable read and – should your own relatives drive you crazy at Christmas – you can read this and know you are not alone is objecting to having to socialise during the festive season! Personally, I felt deeply for poor Maud, who just wanted to sit by the fire and read her book… ...more

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Dec 12, 2019 Christine PNW rated it really liked it · review of another edition

This is not the first time that I’ve read Envious Casca, as it was originally titled. I think I’ve read it through a full three times – the first and second times I couldn’t quite remember the solution to the mystery. This time, I knew the ending and was able to see the clues as they were embedded in the story.

This is a classic English mystery – closed circle, locked room, country-house, Christmas mystery. I’ve read other Heyer mysteries, and will complete the list at some point, but, right now, This is not the first time that I’ve read Envious Casca, as it was originally titled. I think I’ve read it through a full three times – the first and second times I couldn’t quite remember the solution to the mystery. This time, I knew the ending and was able to see the clues as they were embedded in the story.

This is a classic English mystery – closed circle, locked room, country-house, Christmas mystery. I’ve read other Heyer mysteries, and will complete the list at some point, but, right now, I think this is her best.

The book opens with the gathering of the Herriard family for Christmas at the behest of Uncle Joseph, who lives with his brother, Nat Herriard. Nat is the patriarch of the family, and the one with all of the family money.

“Joseph, having lived for so many years abroad, hankered wistfully after a real English Christmas. Nathaniel, regarding him with a contemptuous eye, said that a real English Christmas meant, in his experience, a series of quarrels between inimical persons bound to one another only by the accident of relationship, and thrown together by a worn-out convention which decreed that at Christmas families should forgather.”

Nat has no children, but his nephew, Stephen, has been acknowledged as his heir. Stephen is the child of his other brother, who died many years ago. Stephen’s mother lives in Canada with her 3rd husband and isn’t in the picture at all. Paula, Stephen’s sister, is also a guest for Christmas. Paula has brought along her latest squeeze, a playwright named Royden, and Stephen’s vacuous but pretty fiancee, Valerie, is also there for the holiday. There’s also a random cousin, Mathilda, Nat’s business partner, Mottisfont and Joseph’s wife, Maud, to round out the guest list.

The Herriard family is an obstreperous and argumentative bunch. Nat is not so awful as Simeon Lee from Christie’s holiday classic, Hercule Poirot’s Christmas, but he enjoys a wrangle as much as the next guy. Some families get together for a game of Pictionary during the holidays, the Herriard’s get together for their own version of Festivus, which primarily relies on the airing of grievances.

‘Miss Herriard,’ responded Mathilda coolly, ‘treated the assembled company to a dramatic scene – she’s an actress, good in emotional rôles. I wasn’t present, but I’m told that she and Mr Herriard had a really splendid quarrel, and enjoyed themselves hugely.’

‘Seems a funny way to enjoy yourself, miss.’

‘It would seem funny to you or to me, Inspector, but not, believe me, to a Herriard.’

When Uncle Nat ends up dead in his locked bedroom, having been stabbed in the back, everyone is a suspect and everyone, almost, has a motive. This is an exceptionally clever mystery, relying on misdirection, and some legal and medical intricacies for the solution. ...more

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Oct 02, 2018 Lady Clementina ffinch-ffarowmore rated it really liked it

Shelves: series, mystery, murder, country-house, georgette-heyer, inspector-hemingway

The second of Heyer’s Inspector Hemingway mysteries—this was one I was supposed to read last year for a ‘buddy read’ but only got down to now. This one is set in a classical country setting, in a manor house, Lexham Hall, owned by one Nathaniel Herriard, an ill-tempered old man, who shares his home with his brother Joseph and Joseph’s wife Maud. At Christmas Joseph wishes to have a traditional celebration and invites his nephew Stephen and niece Paula, besides a cousin Mathilda Clare, and Nathan The second of Heyer’s Inspector Hemingway mysteries—this was one I was supposed to read last year for a ‘buddy read’ but only got down to now. This one is set in a classical country setting, in a manor house, Lexham Hall, owned by one Nathaniel Herriard, an ill-tempered old man, who shares his home with his brother Joseph and Joseph’s wife Maud. At Christmas Joseph wishes to have a traditional celebration and invites his nephew Stephen and niece Paula, besides a cousin Mathilda Clare, and Nathaniel’s partner, a Mr Mottisford. Stephen brings his rather empty-headed but pretty fiancée Valerie and Paula arrives with a young playwright Willoughby Roydon, whose play she wants her uncle to finance, and in which she is to play the lead. Nathaniel wanted neither the celebration, nor approved of Valerie or the play, and this leads to the typical Christmas scenario of flared tempers and strong words. But when on Christmas eve, Nathaniel who had gone up to his room to change for dinner, is found dead, things take a completely different turn. The local police are unable to handle the matter as their detective-inspector is down with the flu and Inspector Hemingway is sent over from Scotland Yard to handle the matter.

This was an enjoyable enough read for me, since I like murder stories in these classical settings, and while the murderer was not too much of a surprise for me (partly, may be, because the person reminded me very much of someone in the Dickens book I’m reading), I hadn’t quite been able to figure out very much more of the plot, which had quite a few layers to it, and the answer to the whole mystery, or rather how the Inspector came upon it, I thought was really fun. It was also much easier to follow than the ‘how’ in the first book. The book definitely had the same humorous tone as the first book did though perhaps a touch less. However, the characters seemed just a little too similar to some in the first Hemingway book, one connected with the theatre who seemed to act a part often (actually constantly); a young lady who seemed to enjoy provoking the Inspector, and such. I did like how some of the characters were done though one may not have ‘liked’ them as people. So while I liked the book quite a bit, I might have enjoyed it all the more had I not read the first one before this.
...more

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Dec 27, 2016 Julie Durnell rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: mystery, christmas, england-uk

I enjoyed this book, but it was hard going the first half-once I got past the interminable family squabbling, the sardonic grinning Stephen, and the quelling looks from butler Sturry is was very good. The ending makes the book worth the read for sure!

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Dec 13, 2022 Jackie rated it really liked it

I enjoyed this on re-read so much more than I did years ago. Originally, I didn't like Heyer's mysteries because they are not like her romances but over time I have come to like them as something separate.
This book I first really liked because it has Inspector Hemingway in it and I find him amusing. On my latest read, I really appreciated how brilliant the set-up is for the murder. The characters are well-drawn and there is so much humor to be found in their interactions. 4.5 stars. ...more

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Nov 13, 2017 ShanDizzy rated it liked it · review of another edition

Wow! I am starting chapter 9 and I think this may be my 1st time reading a book in which I find all of the characters disagreeable. I mean, I don't like any of them. But the mystery is intriguing. I finally finished this story!! Those people got on my nerves! Like I've already mentioned, though, the mystery was definitely a facer. ...more

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Jun 14, 2011 Abbey rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: vintage, myst-fems-project, myst-set-andor-auth-uk, reviewed

1941, #2 Inspector Hemingway, rural England at Christmastime
classic set-up, basic plot, decent-to-good characters, well-crafted, entertaining overall.
[classic cosy, three stars and a touch more]

Can’t get more basic classic big-house cosy than this, with its Wicked Uncle holding the purse strings, two siblings each bitter and strong-willed, a dependent weak brother and his peculiar wife, the patient cousin, a magnet for all the goings on (also in love with one of the siblings/heirs), two intrus 1941, #2 Inspector Hemingway, rural England at Christmastime
classic set-up, basic plot, decent-to-good characters, well-crafted, entertaining overall.
[classic cosy, three stars and a touch more]

Can’t get more basic classic big-house cosy than this, with its Wicked Uncle holding the purse strings, two siblings each bitter and strong-willed, a dependent weak brother and his peculiar wife, the patient cousin, a magnet for all the goings on (also in love with one of the siblings/heirs), two intrusive newcomers and wannabe family members (a playright and an insipid blonde) asked down for the holidays by the siblings, and a nicely diabolical plot carefully set into motion by The Least Likely Suspect.

I twigged onto the culprit almost immediately but read on just to see how it might come out, and persevered all the way through because I wanted to know how the murder was actually done. Must admit, locked-room stories are definitely not my favorite type of mysteries, so I started at a disadvantage, and several of the characters were *extremely* annoying, plus Heyer kept harping on a couple of particularly maddening bits over and over! But the over-emphasis actually had a point; it’s not Heyer’s fault if what would likely have been seen as amusing in the 1930s affected me somewhat as nails on a blackboard do...

But the writing is mostly excellent - and mostly funny too, if awfully similar to her previous mysteries. The main action consists of acerbic, witty family members who mouth off regularly against stupid or clueless family members or outsiders, with barbs flying and Attitude-with-a-large-“A” all over the place. But I do happen to find that-sort-of-thing amusing, and Heyer is extremely good at it. The only true weakness is that of the personality of the policemen, particularly the lead one, Inspector Hemingway. Possibly he might have seemed more interesting had I read the earlier book in which he featured, but I haven’t done so as yet. He came across here as boring, perfunctorily written, almost pure stock, unlike his predecessor in her writing, Inspector Hannasyde.

However, the over-all effect is that of a classic, entertaining couple-of-afternoons reading. At 400 pages it was a touch repetitve in places and would have benefitted from some slight pruning, but while not her best, it’s still very good stuff.
...more

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Jul 27, 2017 Neer rated it liked it

After being majorly disappointed with WHY SHOOT THE BUTLER? I had kind of given up on Georgette Heyer but then found a lot of people talking about this and so gave it a go. Am glad that I did because it is quite enjoyable and though I guessed the modus operandi (and by extension the murderer) it is a decent locked-room mystery.

First Line: It was a source of great satisfaction to Joseph Herriard that the holly trees were in full berry.

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Mar 05, 2011 Bev rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: british-mystery, vintage-mystery, mystery, christmas

There's no place like home for the holidays. And no place for a murder, either. Especially in Georgette Heyer's period mystery, Envious Casca. Uncle Joseph has convinced his curmudgeonly brother Nat Herriad to allow all the family and their guests to come home to Lexham Manor for a good, old-fashioned English Christmas. Nevermind that none of the relatives really get on with each other and that Nat would rather quarrel than raise a glass of good cheer. It's going to be jolly--at least until some ...more

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Jan 23, 2022 Sarah G rated it liked it · review of another edition

A good solid country house murder. A trifle long at 380 pages, but there is a lovely solution to a closed room murder to counterbalance that. There are some well-drawn characters but others are mere cardboard cutouts, a difficult feat to achieve with such a small cast and so many pages to fill.

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