Took me a a few chapters to get into this because there were a lot of characters to keep track of. Once I got them somewhat figured out I had no problem enjoying this story. Very fast paced because not just one person died, so the investigation to figure out the culprit was going full steam. The characters were fun, especially Timothy. The investigation was interesting and kept my mind going in all directions.

An absolute classic. Georgette Heyer is so entertaining - you can just see it all unfolding in front of you.
Full of snappy dialogue and humorous interludes, nefarious characters and a bit of romance this novel is one you will revisit time and again.

They Found Him Dead is a golden age British murder mystery by Georgette Heyer featuring Inspectors Hannasyde and Hemingway. Originally published in 1937, this reformat and re-release 5th March 2019 from Sourcebooks Landmark is 384 pages and available in paperback and ebook formats. This book includes the first appearance of Timothy Harte who also appears in a later book in this series.

There is something so appealing and urbane about golden age country house mysteries and this is a good example of the genre. There are a number of suspects with an array of motives. There's a romantic subplot which resolves satisfyingly. There are clues and red herrings. The actual culprit wasn't as much of a surprise as in some of Heyer's other books, but it was a good denouement with a good outcome. The dialogue is witty and well written and the book plot moves along at a good clip which doesn't drag or become dull.

There is a surprising amount of humor to be found here and the addition of young Timothy (who also appears grown up in Duplicate Death) provides a number of genuinely funny scenes in the book. The language is relatively clean with just a bit of cursing, and murder.

It's wonderful that these old mysteries are being kept in print to be discovered and enjoyed by new generations of readers.

Four stars

I was pleased to receive They Found Him Dead as an ARC from netgalley as i read many of Georgette Heyer's historical fiction titles many years ago. I am enjoying discovering and reading Gothic crime writers such as Heyer, Susan Howatch and Mary Stewart. Crimes are solved without the use of internet, mobile phones and all the modern trappings of detective fiction.

They Found Him Dead paralleled the tone and era of another of my recent reads - Howatch's The Dark Shore. There were also shades of Agatha Christie's iconic The Mousetrap.

I enjoyed it, the pace was good and there were plenty of twists and turns. Not all the characters were likeable but Terrible Tim and his parents were highlights. I had sort of guessed whodunit, but there was still an element of surprise in the execution of the murders.

i certainly hope more Heyer's crime fiction will be republished.

A family birthday celebration turns tragic when the current heir to the Kane fortune dies. The new heir is the next to die. What will happen to James Kane the next in line? Who's after the Kane fortune? The long time family friends and business partners, a relative from Australia, or was it the now heir or one of his family. It's up to Scotland Yard Inspectors Hannasyde and Hemingway to figure out who dun it, with help form the Kane family.

Miss Patricia Allison is the secretary/companion to the Mrs. Emily Kane the matriarch of the family. Miss Allison's attention has been caught by James Kane. She has caught his attention as well. A birthday party for Silas's 60th birthday leaves everyone grief stricken when it looks like he had an accident while out for a walk after the party. The next in line Clement inherits the house and business and the wealth only to be shot dead less than a fortnight later. James has been pursuing Patricia for awhile and surprises her with a proposal, which she accepts. James is surprised to find out that he's the next to inherit the Kane fortune. He's sure that he won't be targeted by the killer and feels he's safe, after one indecent he's still not convinced. Even when Patricia and his brother try to warn him after a boating accident the brother has. When his car almost wrecks on a trip home from town he realizes that some one is out to see him dead. Meanwhile Inspectors from Scotland Yard are brought in to the investigation. Hannasyde and Hemingway are immediately suspicious of James. They get help from Jame's brother and his new friend. As the inspectors work through the suspects and eliminate ones and keeps others and more information is revealed they come to different conclusions from each other. Relatives arrive to offer support and become suspects themselves. James must deal with the partners and the deal they want to make with a new family friend. Mrs. Kane's feelings about the whole situation is revealed. James has an idea of who is behind the attempts on his life. The inspectors figure out where the gun was hidden and find evidence of an explosion and reveal that the first death was probably not an accident. An identity is revealed and everyone is surprised by who the killer is. A murderer is revealed and arrested.

Georgette Heyer's Regency & Georgian era books have always been a favorite. I wasn't sure what to expect with her mystery books because I've never read them before. I was somewhat surprised to find them set in more of a modern generation than her other books. I had narrowed my suspects down to two of the characters and so was a little surprised by who the murderer was. The Hannasyde and Hemingway series was different and entertaining and a who dun it that you'd enjoy. If your a Heyer fan they're a must read.

I really enjoy Georgette Heyer's Regency romances, so I was excited to read one of her mysteries (courtesy of NetGalley). This felt like a novel designed to compete with Agatha Christie, and while Heyer can't match the queen of mystery, They Found Him Dead was still an enjoyable read. After finishing the book, I discovered that this is book #3 in the Inspectors Hannasyde & Hemingway series, but that really doesn't seem to matter since Hannasyde and Hemingway are rather minor characters. I look forward to reading the other books in this series!

First sentence: Miss Allison thought that Silas Kane’s sixtieth-birthday party was going off rather better than anyone had imagined it would.

Premise/plot: If you're looking for a mystery novel with QUIRKY characters and multiple murders to solve, then They Found Him Dead should be your next read.

This mystery novel is vibrant and busy! Silas Kane died on his sixtieth birthday party--a tragic accident, so everyone believes except for the exuberant Timothy! He sees MYSTERY and CRIME everywhere he looks. But when Silas Kane's heir, Clement, is murdered just a short time later, others join Timothy in thinking that there is a killer in their midst! Jim Kane is the next heir, and Timothy and Miss Allison are worried that he'll be the next victim. And it appears the danger is very real as several attempts are made on his life...

Can Inspector Hannasyde and Inspector Hemingway solve the case in time? Will Timothy be a big help or a hindrance?


My thoughts: I loved, loved, loved, LOVED this one. It may just be my favorite mystery novel by Georgette Heyer. And while it won't be replacing Daughter in Time by Josephine Tey as my all-time favorite-and-best mystery novel, it is certainly making the list of my favorite mystery novels. I think I can say that I love this one more than most Agatha Christie novels--though I'd have to reread them to see if any can top it.


What did I love about They Found Him Dead? The characterization!!! If you want to win my heart--authors pay attention--it's through characterization. I am all about the characters. This one offers characters to love and characters to love to hate. (For the record, I love, love, love Patricia Allison, Jim Kane, and Timothy Harte. I do not love the attention-seeking Rosemary--Clement Kane's cheating wife.)


It's been just enough time since I first read They Found Him Dead (2013) that I could not remember exactly WHO did it--which was an ideal way to reread it. It was an intense read for me. I kept muttering please don't let it be...please don't let it be... This is something I usually never do since I don't get super-attached to characters most of the time.

I read this book many years ago, and I was delighted to read it again. Georgette Heyer has always been one of my favorite authors. She’s a wonderful regency author, but her mystery stories are also excellent. I love everything about this book. If you enjoy older English mysteries, give this one a try. You won’t be disappointed.

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

Another great mystery from Georgette Heyer. Witty and full of a wonderful cast of characters, They Found Him Dead left me guessing right till the very end. Perfect for Agatha Christie fans.

You are introduced to a large family with extended branches at the party of Silas Kane within the first part of the story. The pace really picks up with the unexpected death of Silas Kane that very night which is first thought an accident. This is very much a mystery of its time set in the 1930’s and you get a real feel of how family interacted at this time. Those who are fans of Miss Marple will really enjoy this mystery.
I was given an ARC of this book by Netgalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my review. It has not influenced my opinion.

I've heard wonderful things about Georgette Heyer and have wanted to read something by her for a while. However, I'm not sure this was the book to start with.

The first 60-ish pages were dull. Mostly lists of character names and explanations of how they all fit together. I almost stopped right there, but pushed through it all to get to the story.

The story itself was a light mystery. While the murderer wasn't "revealed" until the end, it was obvious pretty early on who was the guilty party. I was really hoping for a big twist and having it revealed that it was a completely different character, but that's not what happened.

I'd like to read another Heyer mystery to compare and see if they are less easy to guess.

Murder in Black and White

"Mrs Mansell had been to college in the days when such a distinction earned for a woman the title of Blue-Stocking and the right to think herself superior to her less fortunate sisters." ~from the book

Okay, I admit to being a huge fan of black and white movies and kept visualizing this as one. We are introduced to the rather large cast at a dinner party in honor of the senior Mr. Kane on the occasion of his 60th birthday. Barely middle-aged these days, in the pre-war (WWII) era this was looked upon as dotage and heirs awaited inheritance with bated breath. We have a full range of personalities, from the young, movie-mad half-brother of the great nephew on up to the doyenne of the clan, plus the partners. Confused? Don't worry, as they are fleshed out the relationships fall nicely into place. With all the elegance, subtle humor, casual brutalities, and style of a bygone era, this cleverly plotted murder mystery unfolds with a flair.

I received this book for free from Netgally. This did not influence my review.

They Found Him Dead struck me as an awful title for a murder mystery, yet I’ve discovered I love Georgette Heyer’s mysteries almost as much as I love her romances, so an off-putting title could not deter me from requesting this book for review.

Heyer often opens her novels by throwing her reader into the middle of family muddles where the family trees are large and complicated. I’ve learned not to fret when I’m lost at the beginning. Heyer does such a fine job of drawing her characters that their individual personalities and quirks define them. Very quickly the large cast sorts itself out.

In They Found Him Dead, a large dysfunctional family gathers with long-time business associates to celebrate the sixtieth birthday of the head of the family/head of the business. It is not a pleasant party. Some of the attendees, anticipating a large inheritance, are hoping he won’t have many more birthdays. Moreover, his business partners are peeved at his reluctance to cough up the money for a risky new investment opportunity. When he is found dead the following morning, there are plenty of potential murderers.

The local police investigate and declare the death to be the result of a weak heart. Although those who know the situation have doubts, nothing is pursued until the heir is shot in the head in the middle of the day while sitting at his desk and the murderer disappears into thin air.

Now they bring in Inspectors Hannasyde and Hemingway. Although it seems likely they have two murders to solve, they can’t be sure the first death was a murder. And it seems impossible to find someone with motive and opportunity to commit both. The more they explore, the more baffled they become.

There is a sweet romance brewing alongside the mystery. A nephew farther down the line of inheritance (Jim Kane) has become smitten with Miss Allison, the companion of his great-aunt. (The elderly aunt is the reigning queen of the family.) While everyone believes Jim is far too nice to be a suspect, the second murder unexpectedly moves him into the spot of heir, which means he has an uncomfortably strong motive. The inspectors will not rule out the possibility Jim killed both men until it becomes clear someone is also trying to kill Jim. Solving the crimes takes on a new urgency.

There are a couple of likely villains, but the tight plotting makes it difficult to pin the blame on anyone in particular. Meanwhile, the business and family dynamics propel the plot forward until Hannasyde plucks out the final clue and everything falls into place.

This novel is not as amusing as Death in the Stocks, but it is still very entertaining. I look forward to more of the Inspectors Hannasyde and Hemingway series.

A man dies in a seeming accident, just before he would have rejected a certain business deal that his partners want. Then his heir is murdered, also just before rejecting that same deal. Who is the killer? Is it the next heir to the property? Or the man who wanted the wife of the murdered man? Or perhaps one of the partners in the fatal deal? Most importantly of all, is the next heir in danger of being killed too?

With Heyer's usual flair for interesting characters and witty dialogue, this is an enjoyable mystery with enough background interest to keep things rolling without the need for constant suspense. Though it does seem a shame (spoiler alert?) that no one had the decency to bump off either Rosemary or Betty! Overall, the writing is good, the content clean, the characters interesting, the plot/mystery well managed and the conclusion satisfying. My only quibble is the amount of blasphemy that Heyer seems to consider necessary - probably every few pages on average, though I've got good at ignoring it. 4.5 stars, the half star removed because of this problem.

Note that I received a complimentary copy of the book from NetGalley. I was not required to write a positive review and this is my considered opinion of the book.

They Found Him Dead by Georgette Heyer is another masterful read. This is the third book in a series but can be read as a standalone. There are no references to previous cases and books can be read in any order.

When very rich and slightly eccentric Silas Kane is found dead on the cliff everyone thinks he just slipped and fell. Next in line for inheritance, his cousin Clement Kane steps up dreaming of finally being able to make a deal with an Australian businessman Roberts and keeping his unfaithful wife happy with diamonds and furs when he is shot in his study. By the time third cousin Jim Kane becomes an heir it is obvious that someone is trying to kill the family off.
Inspector Hannasyde and Sargent Hemingway are taking the case over. With the help of Jim Kane's younger half brother and his fiancee story slowly unfolds.
What I a particularly like about this series is that old fashioned mystery style of writing and storytelling.
Flamboyant and quirky characters, English countryside and great mystery with a well developed plot make this one of my favorite series.
I also appreciate a good sense of humor and make sarcastic comments.
It is steady paced, giving readers time to get to know characters, and get the feel of the place and time.
Setting is beautiful. I also like how it always ends with all involved getting together for the murderer to be revealed.

I'm a fan of Georgette Heyer but I think I missed some of her mysteries this one included.
I like the Golden Age feeling in this book, the likable cast of characters and the plot.
The mystery was very good and it kept me guessing till the end.
It was en engaging and entertaining read and I'm happy I still have Heyer mysteries to read.
Recommended!
Many thanks to SOURCEBOOKS Landmark and Netgalley for this book, all opinions are mine.

The morning after the celebrations for Silas Kane’s 60th birthday he is missing then is found dead at the foot of a cliff. The theory that Silas accidentally lost his way in the fog is confirmed when the coroner returns a verdict of death by misadventure. then Kane's nephew and heir is murdered and threats are made on the next in line to the fortune. So Scotland Yard are called in & as the redoubtable Superintendent Hannasyde delves further into the case he discovers that nothing is quite as it seems.
The author is my all time favourite for Historical romances so I had to read her mystery novels & I haven’t been disappointed, there are plenty of red herrings & as always Hannasyde is his unflappable self, ably aided by Hemingway. The novel was written in the 1930’s & is evocative of the period. A well written story with well fleshed characters & a murder mystery that kept me engrossed from cover to cover
My honest review is for a special copy I voluntarily read

Vintage Who-Dunnit Enters the Digital Age
This is the digital version of the original 1937 release. This wonderful story read like a movie in my mind. I do love 1930s mystery films and this could easily be one. From the classic cars to English country estates to choosing to fly over going by ship – it is a delight! Aside from the era in which it was written, the story is excellent. It follows the classic formula; lots of suspects with motives, a few red herrings, a few scandals, and excellent characterizations. There are old doddering people, old cranky people, bubble-head beauties, hard workers, loyal workers, spoiled children, and spoiled wives. There is nothing not to love in the entire book! I am looking forward to reading more of these classics! I received this book for free and this is my honest review.

It is my first Georgette Heyer's book and the plot and even the characters reminds me of Agatha Christie's stories. Silas Kane is missing only to find him later death. Who was it? Lots of suspects and Superintendent Hannasyde is going to tell us which one was it. I really enjoyed the book and I will continue the series.

Having celebrated his sixtieth birthday with a party, Silas Kane is found missing the next morning. Nearly everyone occurs that his death was an acident, until another body is discovered, murdered.
Superintendent Hannasyde investigates all the red herrings in the story.
The style of writing is certainly indicative of it being written 1937.
An enjoyable mystery but not with a lot of depth as far as the characters were concerned, and admittedly a couple of annoying ones.