Behold, Here's Poison [Hardcover]

Georgette Heyer (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 14, 1983

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. But a post-mortem determines the cause of death as murder by poison. It falls to Superintendent Hannasyde to sift through all the secrets and lies among the bitter, quarrelsome family.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Although her contemporaries Agatha Christie, Dorothy L. Sayers and Ngaio Marsh got more attention, Heyer (1902-1974) also was an important pioneer in the mystery field. When she wasn't writing her more famous historical romances, Heyer turned out several sharp and satirical mysteries such as this one, which in many ways is as bracingly modern as the film Gosford Park in its treatment of life above and below stairs in a posh country house. The excellent British television actor Dickson, probably best known to American audiences for his performance in A&E's The Scarlet Pimpernel, perfectly catches both the edge and depth of Heyer's writing, as he creates dozens of characters who differ subtly in age, sex and-most importantly-class, in this story of a poisoning and its aftermath. Dickson's solid, no-nonsense reading of Inspector Hannasyde, Heyer's quietly impressive sleuth, might make listeners long for a video version somewhere down the road.
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Review

'Miss Heyer's characters and dialogue are an abiding delight to me... ' --Dorothy L Sayers

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover
• Publisher: Amereon Ltd (October 14, 1983)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0891906398
• ISBN-13: 978-0891906391
• Product Dimensions: 8.6 x 5.8 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (22 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #5,396,643 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Author of over fifty books, Georgette Heyer is the best-known and best-loved of all historical novelists, making the Regency period her own. Her first novel, "The Black Moth," published in 1921, was written at the age of fifteen to amuse her convalescent brother; her last was My Lord John. Although most famous for her historical novels, she also wrote eleven detective stories. Georgette Heyer died in 1974 at the age of seventy-one.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

26 of 28 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Murder by Deception, July 26, 2007

By 

Nash Black "Troubadour" (Jamestown, KY) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Behold, Here's Poison (Paperback)

"Behold, Here's Poison" by Georgette Heyer is a story that lingers in the mind. I read this book many years ago, but had the wrong author in mind when searching for it to reread. It was a delight to rediscover this clever story with a murder weapon I've never seen used in another story.
Her characters dance from the opening page as real people we'd never meet except between the covers of a book. This is the second appearance of Supertindent Hannasyde as he struggles to deal with vivid "dingbats" and less than helpful relatives who will do their dam-est to protect the family name and foul his investigation. Randall Matthews is so finely drawn he is best described by his beloved as a "amiable viper."
A comic read, which will find a place on your shelf of "keepers," if for no other reason than to study the exquisite art of the English verbal insult.
Nash Black, author of "Qualifying Laps" and "Sins of the Fathers."

11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Bet You Can't Guess!, September 22, 2000

A Kid's Review

This review is from: Behold, Here's Poison (Hardcover)

The plot is not great, but the other qualities in the book make up for this deficiency. Her characters are charming and well-developed, and you'd never guess who the murderer is - although that may be because it's so unlikely. One of my favourite Heyer mysteries, along with Why Shoot A Butler and The Unfinished Clue. If you liked Heyer's mysteries, you could also try Mary Stewart, who writes suspense/romance as well.

11 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Heyer is always a great bet!, August 16, 2002

By 

"regencylover" (Arkansas) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Behold, Here's Poison (Paperback)

Although she cannot be called a great mystery plotter (the murderer is highly unlikely and there is a dire lack of clues), her characters make up for any defects. The lovely dispicable Randall, is hilarious one of my favorite Heyer unheroes. I prefer her Regencies but the mysteries are highly palatable as well.