Penhallow [Import] [Paperback]

Georgette Heyer (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 23, 2007

Adam Penhallow’s death seems, at first, to be by natural causes. But Penhallow wasn’t well liked — so bad tempered, that both his servants and his family hated him. It soon transpires that Penhallow was murdered, poisoned, in fact, on the eve of his birthday celebration, and there are more than a dozen prime suspects.

Editorial Reviews

Review

'The best psychological murder story of this and several seasons past' -- New York Times

An impressive drama' -- Times Literary Supplement --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

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. She wrote twelve detective stories, which earned her much critical acclaim and the title 'Queen of Crime.' Georgette Heyer died in 1974 at the age of seventy-one. Georgette Heyer's mystery novels: April 2006 Death in the Stocks - 0099493624; Behold, Here's Poison - 0099493640; They Found Him Dead - 0099493632; A Blunt Instrument - 0099493659 September 2006 Envious Casca - 0099493667; Detection Unlimited - 0099493748; Duplicate Death - 0099493756; No Wind of Blame - 0099493675 January 2007 Penhallow - 0099493683; Footsteps in the Dark - 0099493691; Why Shoot a Butler? - 0099493721; The Unfinished Clue - 009949373X

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 352 pages
• Publisher: Arrow (January 23, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0099493683
• ISBN-13: 978-0099493686
• Product Dimensions: 5.1 x 1.2 x 7.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (19 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,964,874 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

60 of 60 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fear and loathing in Heyer's world., January 29, 2000

By 

Daniel - See all my reviews

This review is from: Penhallow (Hardcover)

Could this really be by the same woman who wrote Cotillion, and The Grand Sophy, and many other marvellously witty historical romances? It is a Heyer that isn't a typical Heyer, but I highly recommend it. If you thought Heyer could only write romantic fluff and froth, you failed to notice and appreciate the cast-iron gauntlet of reality beneath the soft swansdown-trimmed velvet glove. Penhallow is a very unusual book, written to persuade Heyer's publishers to break off her contract - and it shows just how much talent Heyer had. She sat down and rushed off this book, and it came out as this deeply disquieting, deliberately dissatisfactory - but yet compelling and fascinating novel. One of her most savage and dysfunctional families comes together in this book. The imagery is powerful, the writing pulls no punches. This book will shock you if you thought you knew Heyer's style, it may even be a severe disappointment (I do not find it disappointing, but it is admittedly very hard to categorise) but it is frighteningly good. The tyranny and sadism of the old man unfortunately is all too believable, as are the reactions and behaviour of his family. It is a psychological novel with no romantic elements, and must not be read with the expectation of romance, but rather, prepared for the macabre, and the insights into the downtrodden or controlled psyches and minds. It is an extremely interesting book, and astonishingly well-written.

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars It's not likeable, but its good, January 28, 1998

By 

Barbara "Digger's Domain" (Cheyenne, WY, United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Penhallow (Hardcover)

I have to totally agree with the above review. This book is excellently written! It is similar to Agatha Christie's 'Hercule Poirot's Christmas' - only Heyer wrote her version about 5 years earlier. An old man is the tyrant of his household. When he is murdered, everything comes apart. Georgette Heyer conveys the emotions of dispair and hopelessness and regret much better than Christie does in her version. The murderer thought things would be better, they're not, but the old man can't be brought back to life again. I didn't like it because I like more light hearted books - and this is not Heyer's normal light-heartedness, admittedly, but it is very well written.

13 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars The psychological Heyer, October 28, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Penhallow (Hardcover)

Those who expect Heyer's usual romance, or even her usual mystery will be disappointed. "Penhallow" tells the story of an elderly tyrant, who keeps a tight reign over his numerous family. Depending on their respective personality, most of them are either nervous wrecks or are holding in deeply repressed anger. With such an atmosphere, it is no wonder that Penhallow gets murdered; but the reader knows who the murderer is. There is no mystery, in other words, though there is a plot twist which allows the murderer to get away. Instead, the focus is on the intense atmosphere of bitter rivalries and anger between the members of the family. It is fascinating, in a warped sort of way, and therefore a good read; but some may find it unpleasant.