Death in the Stocks is the first book in the Country House Mysteries – Inspector Hannasyde series by Georgette Heyer. First published in 1935, this is a reprint. When the body of Andrew Vereker, a prominent, wealthy man, who isn’t liked by anyone, is discovered in the stocks on the village green in a small town just outside of London, Superintendent Hannasyde is assigned to the case. Hannasyde pays a visit to Vereker’s second residence, Riverside Cottage, and finds Vereker’s half-sister, Antonia is staying at his home. She is waiting for her skirt to dry, as it was covered in blood. Antonia is quite rude and uppity (“extremely – equivocal”) with Hannasyde, and becomes a suspect in the murder. Antonia puts a call in to her cousin, Giles Carrington, who is a solicitor, and he agrees to represent her and her brother, Kenneth. As the novel progresses, most of the family members, who aren’t a bit upset about the murder, become suspects. They are all unhelpful, and do nothing to help solve the mystery, thinking they are above the law.

Although Heyer was most known for creating Regency romance novels, she also wrote what she referred to as thrillers, which were detective mysteries. Her characters are mostly upper class, and they exhibit stereotypical mannerisms of snobbery and selfishness. Heyer is an excellent storyteller, and readers will feel like they are at the scene, looking in on the drama that the spoiled characters cause. Heyer‘s writing has been compared to Agatha Christie and Dorothy Sayers, but with the element of humor and wit.

Although lighter than some of the thrillers being marketed today, there is some suspense, and plenty of humor. The book is an easy read, but is hard to put down because the characters are so funny. There is no graphic violence, language, or sex, so the book is suitable for all ages.

Death in the Stocks is fun, and readers will want to pick up the other books in the series.

Special thanks to NetGalley for supplying a review copy of this book.

Summary:

A real murder mystery, set in a classic English country town.

Main Characters:

Antonia Vereker: Half-sister (and don’t you forget it) to the deceased, she is both happy he is dead, and loving being in the frame for the murder.

Kenneth Vereker: Half-brother, and like Antonia he’s happy at the demise at the less-than-beloved half.

Inspector Hannasyde: Humourous, thorough and dogged detective, he gets there in the end through old-school hard work.

Minor Characters:

Giles Carrington: The solicitor cousin, whose main role in life is to keep his cousins on the right side of the law, and assists the police with high quality amateur sleuthing.

Plot:

The book, the first in a series, is set in the years of and around the Great Depression, when class consciousness and a certain deferment to the nobility or upper-class was considered the norm, even expected. The suspects are by-and-large of this “class”, and treat everyone they meet with disdain. You can see the sneer forming on the lips as they speak.

A young, inexperienced policeman, doing his nightly rounds in the sleepy village of Ashleigh Green, discovers a bloodied body in the ancient stocks of the village, which turns out to be that of Arnold Vereker, a wealthy and much-disliked weekend visitor to the village.

The local Inspector is sent for, and he soon concludes that “The Yard” will need to be brought in. At this point, we begin to meet some of the main suspects who cheerfully admit that the death is good news to and for them. At this point, I have to say that these people are more than half-way to bonkers.

Antonia is staying in her half-brother’s apartment, having driven down to surprise him when he got there (only he never did). We discover she is engaged to Rudolph Mesurier, an employee of Arnold who Arnold hated. Kenneth, we discover, is “above money”, as he is living the life of a bohemian artist.  Admittedly, he is hard-up for cash, and wants to marry his fiancée Violet. He is also amazingly rude.

Rudolph is hiding secrets, and Violet, considered a gold-digger by the others [odd choice to pick the impoverished artist, if that be so], is not as much a do-gooder as she first appears. A third person then appears, a larger-than-life personality

What I Liked:

The characters do grow on you, but for me don’t really become likeable.
What I Didn’t Like:

The mystery itself was easily solved, even for someone like me who is rubbish at sleuthing!
There was not much action in it, and relies on the dialogue for interest.
Overall:

This is a novel of its time, and it is unfair to apply 21st century thoughts and mores to this era. It was written around the 1930’s (I got an advance copy, as I believe it is being re-issued in 2019).

Nothing like this could be written now, as it contains gross examples of racism, class condescension, sexism, and the atmosphere it depicts is unpleasant to modern eyes and ears - the so-very-English uppercrust scoring points off each other in barbed debate, while the minions and assorted sub-humans wait deferentially on their chance to be recognised. People are expected to show the stiff upper lip (unless of course you are not of “the quality”, then all bets are off.

I had never heard of Georgette Heyer before (or, I had but I forgot), and this style and era of writing does not appeal to me. It absolutely will resonate with a certain type of audience, who like to evoke that much different and now disappeared world, and there is nothing wrong with that.

Acknowledgements:

Thanks to Netgalley for sending me an advance copy, for an honest and objective review.

Georgette Heyer is a master storyteller. I adore her historical novels, and this one is no exception. She captures the time period beautifully, and the story is terrific. If you're a Heyer fan, you should pick this one up. And if you're not a Heyer fan, you should pick this one up, and you soon will be.

Re-released on January 1: Footsteps in the Dark

Re-released on February 1: Death in the Stocks

**** 4 stars: Loved it. For a blast to the past in both writing style and into the mid 1900s, Footsteps in the Dark and Death in the Stocks is perfectly entertaining.
 

Recommended readers:

If you like novels written in a different time
If you enjoy your history and mystery with humor
If you like Georgette Heyer mysteries
Here's my Rankings:

4/5 for characters
4/5 for plot
4/5 overall
REVIEW FROM BOOKS FOR HER:
Sourcebooks Landmark is bringing back - with vibrant, updated new cover art - two classic Georgette Heyer mysteries. Heyer wrote 56 books, including romances, mysteries and historical fiction. The two novels we reviewed were part of her early mystery - though she is most known for her Regency Romances.

Footsteps in the Dark is as you'd expect from Heyer - humorous characters trying to unravel a mystery in their deceased uncles abandoned estate. The lackadaisical siblings, Peter, Celia and Margaret, start to dig deeper in to the mystery. 

Death in the Stocks is classic Heyer mystery also - with a well-orchestrated plot and entertaining, humorous characters. When a body of a wealthy businessman is discovered. While the local magistrate investigates, with the help of the family's solicitor and nephew, they are increasingly confused by the odd niece and nephew, who do nothing to prove their innocence. It's quite hilarious how the two young adults act.

For a blast to the past in both writing style and into the mid 1900s, Footsteps in the Dark and Death in the Stocks is perfectly entertaining. I definitely recommend enjoying a Georgette Heyer mystery (or two) as you can fit them in!

Available Oct 2: Murder on Millionaires' Row by Erin Lindsey

So happy to be given a whole budget to replenish our senior shelves in the school library. The books in there are far from appealing at the moment and I have been delighted to find books here that will intrigue, captivate and engross my senior students.

This is a fantastic read with characters they will be able to connect with, a pacy narrative and an ending that will provide plenty to talk about. I am a long time Georgette Heyer fan and look forward to recruiting some new ones!

It's great to read a book that does not feel formulaic and gives some credit to their reader's intelligence too. Young people are very fussy about the books they choose to read and in this time-precious day and age it really has to be something above and beyond the ordinary to get them to put down their devices and get their noses stuck in a book.

I think this is one book that will capture their imagination and keep them turning the pages until the end. This is definitely going onto my 'must-buy' list and I really look forward to seeing what the young people themselves think of this clever and engaging novel.

Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks for an eGalley of this novel.

Evidently this golden oldie will be getting a new cover on February 1, 2019. I have been a fan of the Georgette Heyer mystery series for a very long time but somehow managed to miss this first offering in the canon. I'm glad I read it if only to know how much Heyer improved the books over time. This one had loads of the "bright young things" but their very brightness rubbed and chaffed after only a very short while. There is only a certain amount of making fun of murder that I can take before it becomes absolutely an unacceptable way for people to act. Heyer found my credulity level and rubbed it with sandpaper until I thought I would have to put the novel down unfinished.

Here are the basics: step-brother (don't dare call him a brother!) is murdered and his body left in a most unusual place; brother and sister should or could be suspects; everyone could be a suspect; engagements and fiancées are proclaimed everywhere except where they should be; the police inspector needs the help of the amateur sleuth to solve the whole thing.

Read this if you are curious or if you want to know you've covered the entire series.

I became familiar with Georgette Heyer as a writer who wrote in the style of Jane Austen. I enjoyed her romance novels very much, especially as they were Regency Period novels and thus had a special flavor to them.

This novel is a crime mystery. It is set in the early 1900’s in England. It has a much different flavor to it than her Regency pieces. The work is well written and developed, but keep in mind that it is not a modern crime novel that uses new exciting forensic science to solve crimes. Instead these are solved the old fashion way through detailed interviews, logic and at times some luck.

Heyer does a great job of developing each of the characters in the story. The family of the deceased is painted at first with some broad brush strokes that gives us a bit of insight into a dysfunctional family. But as the story develops the brush strokes become more refined and detailed and each character takes on in-depth personalities that you will either love or hate. For me I found that I disliked many of the characters and that made for a trying read until I realized that was her intention. You love some characters and you hate some characters.

This was a pleasant novel but it did seem to drag on a bit long and I was surprised at the ending. That is good and bad. Surprised at how it ended, but disappointed that it seemed abrupt.

All in all I enjoy Georgette Heyer’s writings and will continue to work through her 56 novels.

Death in the Stocks set in 1935 by Georgette Heyer is one of my all time favorite books. When Police-Constable Dickenson finds a man in the stocks, it gave him "quite a turn" especially when he realized the man was dead . The police have no idea who killed him and the suspects abound. Could it be because he was the most hated and corrupt man around? Who is responsible and will they get away with it? Books are not written like this any more and it is a shame. Comical elements thru out. I give it a definite five stars. I received this book from Net Galley and Sourcebooks Landmark for a honest review and no compensation otherwise. The opinions expressed are my own.

Thank you NetGalley and SOURCEBOOKS Landmark for my copy of this book! This was my first Georgette Heyer crime novel and I was really looking forward to reading it for a long time. "Death in the Stocks" is a well written mystery where the mystery itself isn't the best part of the book. The actual murderer was quite clear to me since the beginning of the book, but that didn't stop me from thoroughly enjoying the story. Each character has their own peculiarities and the way Heyer describes everyone connected to the plot is much more intriguing than the murder itself. It's rate to find a murder mystery author so invested in the characterization of her characters like this. I certainly recommend this book and look forward to reading more Georgette Heyer novels.

An unusual murder mystery with humour and interesting interactions between its characters. A fun plot with surprising twists with an amiable amateur sleuth thrown in.

Georgette Heyer has been one of my favorite authors for many years.
She wrote wonderful Regency novels, but she was also a master mystery writer. This book, written in the 1930’s, is one of her best mysteries. Even though this story begins with a murder, there’s a thread of humor that runs all throughout this story. The characters are witty, interesting and the dialogue is sparkling. The plot was not easily unraveled. This was a very enjoyable mystery to read. If you love older English mysteries, you’ll love this one.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher. All opinions are my own.

I love Georgette Heyer's regency books but this was an amazing mystery. I will certainly be buying her other mysteries as this was a blast to read. Curl up with this fun and intriguing mystery.

Classic Georgette Heyer! Wonderful banter, characters that will make you smile and a story that moves along at a well-seasoned pace. Fans of her historical romance books will feel at home with her mysteries.

Best known for her regency novels, Georgette Heyer also wrote detective novels set in 1930's Great Britain. In this book a man is found dead in the middle of the night, dressed in evening clothes in the stocks set in the middle of the village green. Superintendent Hannasyde determines his identity and discovers that he is hated by almost everyone. It takes all of his skill to uncover the identity of the murderer. Charming characters and witty dialogue as well as amusing plot twists are all characteristic for a Heyer book. It's a fun book and well worth reading, especially for fans of Golden Age Detective novels.

Georgette Heyer's "Death in the Stocks" from 1935 provides the reader with an interesting puzzle and time period in which a thoroughly dislike-able man finds his end in a small town, in the stocks, dressed in evening clothes.

The police are stymied, the suspects come in handsful, and the reader is left to wonder who-done-it up 'til the bitter end. I say bitter because for the most part, the characters are so dislike-able themselves that I could have been satisfied if all of them were part of conspiracy that did the deed and were taken away by the Detective Inspector.

Readers of British 1930s murder mysteries might like this book. It starts off a bit like a farce. A man with many enemies is found murdered in the stocks. His closest relatives admit that they hated him and have no good alibi. for the murder. After a second crime the book becomes more of a conventional murder mystery.

The book starts out slowly but it a pleasant book to read.

If you could imagine Agatha Christie suddenly transformed into Noel Coward, then you might get some idea of the flavour of this book. The dialogue and the “bright young things” who feature could almost have stepped out of one of Coward’s plays, while the murders could have graced a Poirot.

I was pleasantly surprised, as a newcomer to the author, at how much I enjoyed this tale of the murder of unpleasant businessman, Arnold Vereker, and equally irritated by the antics of his half-siblings, “Tony” and Kenneth.

The regular policeman, Inspector Hannasyde, and the amateur detective, Giles Carrington , provided the ballast and kept the investigation on course. The perpetrator was not too difficult for old mystery hands to work out, but the clues were well-handled and the puzzle was interesting enough. There is romance around, too, but no more than is often encountered in books of this genre from the period of original publication (1935).

I will definitely seek out more of Georgette Heyer’s detective novels on the strength of this one.

Recommended, especially to lovers of authentic 1930’s British mysteries.

Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for the digital review copy.

This book as so much fun to read. It felt a bit like Miss Phryne Fisher Murder Mysteries, but not really. 

Characters were so noisy. They were like wrapping paper being torn and suffled constantly and endlessly. Too much white noise. But the noise itself was fun.

Two murders. Too many suspects. Suspects ho do their worst to make police arrest them. A love story or two. All in all a good ball of yarn with plenty of knots to keep one entertained.

A constant though I had - will the characters ever be serious? Or they forever be grand-standing and speaking in quotes, metaphors and unfinished sentences. I guess this as the whole point. This white and colourful noise made the story of two murders, two broken engagements so superficial it was fun to read.

Good old crime story from the golden age of detective fiction.

I know Georgette Heyer is a hit and miss for some people but I love her books, whether they’re her regency or mystery books. Her mystery books remind me of Agatha Christie—not quite up to par with the Queen but enjoyable nonetheless.

The murder happens right from the start. Arthur has been found with a knife in his back in the stocks. From there, we meet several characters. Including, his half-brother, half-sister, fiancées, a lawyer-that is also his cousin, and all of them have a motive for killing Arthur. None of them are likable either. I enjoyed the banter and watching things unfold. Heyer is incredible at what she writes. I haven’t been disappointed with her stories. Another good one that I’ve had the pleasure of reading.

*Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for an arc in exchange for an honest review.

Georgette Heyer writes wonderful Regency Romances but does not do so well with mysteries. The plot is interesting but the characters are relatively flat. There is a reason her romance novels have stayed in print and the mysteries have not.