Georgette Heyer Poradie kníh (chronologicky)

Set in the Georgian era, this romance novel weaves a tale of love and intrigue, showcasing Georgette Heyer's masterful storytelling. The narrative features captivating characters and a rich historical backdrop, marking a significant turning point in Heyer's career as she solidified her reputation in the genre. With its blend of romance and wit, the book exemplifies the charm and complexity of the period, establishing Heyer as a leading figure in Regency Romance literature.

Set in the Georgian era, this romance novel follows a captivating narrative that showcases Georgette Heyer's skill in weaving intricate plots and rich characterizations. With its blend of humor, intrigue, and vibrant historical detail, the story highlights the complexities of love and social dynamics. First published in 1926, it marked a significant milestone in Heyer's career, solidifying her reputation as a leading figure in the genre and earning her the title of the Queen of Regency Romance.

Elizabeth Arden's journey of self-discovery unfolds against the backdrop of her upbringing with a distant father and a strict aunt. Struggling with her lack of direction and understanding of happiness, she navigates the challenges of adulthood. The narrative delves into her quest for identity and fulfillment, highlighting the impact of her upbringing on her choices and relationships.

Featuring an extensive collection of romance fiction, this book offers over nine hundred pages and three hundred and fifty thousand words of engaging narratives. Readers can expect a variety of beautifully crafted stories that explore love in its many forms, promising an immersive experience for fans of the genre.

The narrative explores the clash between Victorian values and postwar rebellion through the lives of Elizabeth Arden and Stephen Ramsay. Elizabeth, a naive bride, struggles to adapt to married life and recoils from her husband, leading to discontent. Her journey of self-discovery takes her from Queen's Halt to London, Torquay, and Wood End, where she seeks wisdom and strength. The story is a poignant examination of personal growth and the complexities of love against the backdrop of societal change.

Georgette Heyer single handedly created and popularized the historic and regency romance genre. Heyer's writing is lively, witty, and charming full of vividly realized characters and well researched historic locales. Simply put she had no equal among her contemporaries. We have gathered Heyer's first four novels and a short story together in this omnibus edition. There are three hundred and fifty thousand words and over nine hundred and fifty pages of fantastically written romance fiction. Included are The Transformation of Philip Jettan, The Black Moth, The Great Roxhythe, Instead of the Thorn, and "A Proposal To Cicely."

In the 1920s, Georgette Heyer wrote a number of contemporary short fiction pieces, published in various women's and literary magazines of the era. Now, for the first time ever, these stories are collected in this fully-authorised anthology, with commentary by Heyer's official biographer, Jennifer Kloester, and Reading Heyer's Rachel Hyland.The stories include: - "A Proposal to Cicely"- "The Little Lady"- "The Bulldog and the Beast"- "Lincke's Great Case"- "Acting on Impulse"- "The Chinese Shawl"- "Whose Fault Was It?"- "The Old Maid"The collection also includes a bonus Georgian tragedy, "Love", and the search for "On Such a Night", a story long-missing from the Heyer canon.Given their proper context within Georgette Heyer's burgeoning literary career, in many ways these stories serve as her "Juvenilia," and are not only of great scholarly and popular interest to those who study and enjoy Heyer's magical works, words, and worlds, but amply demonstrate the seeds of genius that have since made her one of the most enduring and admired authors of the 20th-century.

2017 Reprint of 1926 First Edition. Full facsimile of the original edition, not reproduced with Optical Recognition Software. Heyer essentially established the historical romance genre and its subgenre Regency romances. Her Regencies were inspired by Jane Austen, but unlike Austen, who wrote about and for the times in which she lived, Heyer was forced to include copious information about the period so that her readers would understand the setting. To ensure accuracy, Heyer collected reference works and kept detailed notes on all aspects of Regency life. While some critics thought the novels were too detailed, others considered the level of detail to be Heyer's greatest asset. Her meticulous nature was also evident in her historical novels; Heyer even recreated William the Conqueror's crossing into England for her novel "The Conqueror". In "The Great Roxhythe" Charles II is in need of some ready cash, and since Parliament refuses to bankroll his excesses, he turns to assorted foreign powers for financial aid. Acting as intermediary in these delicate, secret negotiations is the seemingly indolent Lord Roxhythe, a Royal favorite who will need every ounce of cunning at his disposal to get the job done. This is her second novel and exceedingly hard to find in original printings.

All the gallantry, villainy and elegance of the age that Georgette Heyer has so triumphantly made her own are exquisitely revived in these wonderfully romantic stories of the Regency period. Georgette Heyer achieves what the rest of us aspire to.' Katie Fforde'My favourite historical novelist - stylish, romantic, sharp and witty.

The Honourable Christopher Fancot navigates a chaotic masquerade caused by his family's complicated issues, leading to unexpected challenges and adventures.

All'epoca delle guerre contro Napoleone, il giovane maggiore di brigata Harry Smith ha la fama di essere tra i combattenti più fortunati al servizio del leggendario Lord Wellington. Ma se è scampato ad assalti, malattie e scontri cruenti, soccombe davanti allo sguardo ardente della giovanissima spagnola Juana, incontrata dopo la battaglia di Badaioz. E tutti i compagni d'arma sono disposti a scommettere che la carriera di Harry è ormai seriamente minacciata

Quando accoglie in casa la giovane e deliziosa nipote Sophy, Lady Ombersley è ben lontana dall'immaginarsi quello che la ragazza è capace di scatenare. E neppure il figlio Charles, assai meno dolce e arrendevole di lei, ne ha una vaga idea. Sophy è infatti a dir poco inarrestabile nel voler risolvere i problemi altrui e dipanare i grovigli sentimentali di chi le sta attorno; inoltre non dimentica i suoi affari. Anche di cuore. Insomma, pare che nessuno sia in grado di fermarla, tranne, forse, proprio Charles. Ammesso che lo voglia...

In diesen vier Erzählungen von Georgette Heyer erleben die Protagonisten Abenteuer mit Postkutschen, Duellen und Glücksspiel. Sie verlieben sich unabhängig von ihrem Stand und heiraten, oft nach vielen Umwegen. Heyer fängt die Gesellschaft des englischen Biedermeier meisterhaft ein.

When Gervase Frant, Seventh Earl of St Erth, returns at last from Waterloo to his family seat at Stanyon, he enjoys a less than welcoming homecoming. Only Theo, a cousin even quieter than himself, is there to greet him - and when he meets his stepmother and young half-brother he detects open disappointment that he survived the wars & the dangers of the Lincolnshire countryside are quite different to those of the battlefield.

The reigns, deaths, and ruthless struggle for power of Richard II and his cousin Henry IV is viewed through the eyes of Henry's youngest son, John of Lancanster. John, Duke of Bedford--very human, very powerful, intensely virile--he is an unforgettable figure in England's most turbulent and bawdy era. He grew to manhood fighting for his father, King Henry IV of England, on the wild and lawless Northern Marches. A prince of Royal blood, loyal and strong, he was the greatest ally that his brother - the future Henry V - was to have. Master of court intrigue, perilously close to the awesome responsibilities of the Crown, he remained a full-blooded young Englishman--an unrestrained lover, an unbridled seeker of adventure and pleasure.Filled with the clash of bitter rivalries and deadly power struggles, this is Georgette Heyer's last and most ambitious novel.

Nel suo nome è racchiuso un destino: Charity Steane è infatti una ragazza davvero caritatevole, pronta a offrire il proprio aiuto a quanti ne hanno bisogno, sempre affabile e disponibile. Orfana, vive con una dispotica zia, tanto dura e severa da indurla a fuggire per cercarsi una vita migliore. Ma nell'inghilterra del primo Ottocento come può cavarsela una giovane sola e senza mezzi? La sorte vuole che sul suo cammino Charity incontri l'affascinante, giovane e ricco Lord Desford, il quale, al pari della fuggiasca, sente l'irrefrenabile impulso di soccorrere chi si trova nei guai, soprattutto se si tratta di una fanciulla con i lineamenti dolcissimi e gli occhioni ingenui...

Ein spannender Liebesroman über Gervase Frant, den Earl of St. Erth, der nach Waterloo zurückkehrt und auf Widerstand seiner Stiefmutter stößt. Doch mit Charme gewinnt er das Herz von Drusilla Morville. Plötzlich wird ein Mordanschlag auf den Hausherrn verübt, was die Situation dramatisch verändert.

When Gervase Frant, Seventh Earl of St Erth, returns at last from Waterloo to his family seat at Stanyon, he enjoys a less than welcome homecoming. Only Theo, a cousin even quieter than himself, is there to greet him - and when he meets his stepmother and young half- brother he detects open disappointment that he survived the wars.

The three nephews of cantankerous Mr Penicuik know better than to ignore his summons, especially when it concerns the bestowal of his fortune.

Robin and Prudence Merriot have been dissemblers since they were children. And in this age of slippery politics, they need to be. So it is nothing for them to rescue a rich heiress from her abductor. But once committed to their masquerade, they must see it through...

At the age of five-and-thirty, Sir Waldo Hawkridge, wealthy, handsome, eligible, illustrious, and known as the nonesuch for his athletic prowess, and when he comes north to inspect his unusual inheritance at Broom hall in the West Riding, his arrival leads to the most entertaining of ramifications. When they learned that Sir Waldo was coming, the village gentry were thrown into a flurry. The famed sportsman himself! Heir to an uncounted fortune, and a leader of London society! The local youths idolized "the Nonesuch"; the fathers disapproved; and the mothers and daughters saw him as the most eligible--and elusive--man in the kingdom.While there, he meets Tiffany Wield, a positively dazzling young heiress who is entirely selfish and possessed of a frightful temper, as well as her far more elegant companion-governess. Twenty-eight year old Ancilla Trent had put away any and all thoughts of romance when she became a governess, and at first she could only be amused at the fuss over Sir Waldo. Can Sir Waldo convince the practical Miss Trent that it is not above her station as a governess to fall in love with him?

Lehký romanticko-dobrodružný příběh. Zchudlá šlechtična Elinor je nucena přijmout místo guvernantky na venkově. Dojde však k záměně: kočár ji odveze do jiného sídla, kde lord Carlyon očekává ženu, jež slíbila, že se za úplatu provdá za zhýralého a zadluženého mladíka. Když se omyl vysvětlí, přichází zpráva, že dotyčný byl těžce zraněn ve rvačce, a lord přesvědčí Elinor, aby se za umírajícího provdala. Než noc skončí, je vdovou po muži se špatnou pověstí a paní zadluženého panství. A navíc se o staré sídlo zajímají francouzští agenti, neboť Elinořin zesnulý manžel se zřejmě zapletl i do špionáže... Nakonec se všechno elegantně rozuzlí a mladá vdova získá nečekaného nápadníka...

"When the redoubtable Sir Horace Stanton-Lacy is ordered to South America on Diplomatic Business he parks hi sonly daughter Sophy on his sister in Berkeley Square. But Sophy's cousins are in a sad tangle. The heartless and tyrannical Charles is betrothed to a pedantic bluestocking almost as tiresome as himself; Cecilia is besotted with a beautiful but quite feather-brained poet; and Hubert has fallen foul of a money-lender. It looks like the Grand Sophy has arrived just in time to save them all-

A fateful mistake... Stepping into the wrong carriage at a Sussex village, Elinor Rochdale is swept up in a thrilling and dangerous adventure. Elinor is rather surprised that her prospective employer is quite rich, and more so at the decayed grandeur of the house to which she is transported. Elinor thought she was entering Highnoons as a governess, but Edward Carlyon, the handsomely fashionable gentleman who carefully interviewed her, obviously needed no governess. Carlyon was seeking a wife-not for himself, but for his young cousin, Eustace Cheviot, the dissipated and profligate owner of the ruined estate, who now lay on his deathbed. Surprised and repulsed as she was by this strange proposal, Elinor was nevertheless unable to resist Carlyon and his mystifying plans. Ned persuades Elinor to marry his cousin as a simple business arrangement.

Under the reign of Louis XV, corruption and intrigue have been allowed to blossom in France. Lord Justin Alastair, the notorious Duke of Avon, known for his coldness of manner, his remarkable omniscience, and his debauched lifestyle. Society believes the worst of Justin, who is clearly proud of his sobriquet, 'Satanas'. In a dark Parisian back alley, he is accosted by Leon, a young person dressed in ragged clothing running away from a brutal rustic guardian. The Duke buys Leon, a redheaded urchin with strangely familiar looks...

In diesem heiteren Regency-Roman von einer Meisterin des Genres versucht Tante Abby, ihre Nichte Fanny vor dem charmanten, aber zweifelhaften Stacy Calverleigh zu schützen. Als Stacys skandalumwitterter Onkel auftaucht, wird Abby von seiner geheimnisvollen Aura angezogen, während sie sich gegen ihre Gefühle wehrt.

Das schöne Findelkind Belinda ist schuld daran, daß sich der junge Herzog von Sale, als schlichter Reisender verkleidet, auf den gefährlichen Weg macht, um sie den Klauen eines abgefeimten Gauners zu entreißen. Da ihm auf seiner Reise der von zu Hause durchgebrannte Lausejunge Tom in die Arme läuft, hat er bald zwei Sorgenkinder auf dem Hals und auf den Fersen mancherlei hartnäckige Verfolger. Wie es ihm gelingt, seine Schützlinge unversehrt in Sicherheit zu bringen und sich selbst unsterblich zu verlieben - das kann nur die Meisterin gepflegter Unterhaltung, Georgette Heyer, mit so viel Witz, Überraschung und Spannung erzählen.

Tragedy befalls the Carter family following an eventful visit from a Russian prince and a scandalous blackmail letter. The murder of Wally Carter generates a bewildering mystery - how does one shoot a man crossing a narrow bridge without being near the murder weapon when it is fired?

Sir Waldo Hawkridge, a wealthy and handsome bachelor known as The Nonesuch for his athletic skills, thinks he has outgrown the possibility of love.

The Priory may be ramshackle in appearance, but Peter, Margaret and Celia, are totally charmed by their newly-inherited country house.

Simon Beauvallet has always known his own mind, and friend and foe alike know never to cross the flaxen-haired mountain of a man whose exploits in battle have earned him knighthood, lands and gilded armour. After Agincourt, he has no equal save the king in generalship – until his legendary prowess is balked by a woman. In Normandy, the icy rage of Simon the Coldheart must melt – or quench Lady Margaret, spitfire of Belrémy.

Non è un Natale come tutti gli altri a Lexham Manor. I sei ospiti si ritrovano sospettati di omicidio quando il vecchio padrone di casa viene accoltellato alla schiena. II commissario Hemingway svelerà il mistero.

Dvadsaťosemročný sveták, Silvester Rayne, vojvoda zo Salfordu, sa po mnohých skúsenostiach so ženami rozhodne oženiť. Na svoju nastávajúcu má vlastné, najvyššie kritériá: krása, oddanosť, dobrá výchova a uhladené správanie. Vzájomná láska a porozumenie však medzi ne nepatria. Phoebe Marlowová je pravý opak obrazu, aký si vojvoda o vyvolenej vytvoril. Chudá, nenápadná, prostroreká žena miluje kone a navyše má výbušnú povahu. O ich manželstve rozhodli rodičia už pri narodení... Jedno z najúspešnejších diel Georgette Heyerovej, kráľovnej viktoriánskej romance, si svoju popularitu získalo vďaka príslovečnému slovnému humoru a neuveriteľnej znalosti dobových reálií.

Even as a 14-year-old orphan, Simon Beauvallet knew his own mind. Later, friend and foe alike will know better than to cross the flaxen-haired mountain of a man whose exploits in battle have earned him knighthood, lands and gilded armor. In Normandy, the icy rage of Simon the Coldheart must melt - or quench Lady Margaret, spitfire of Belremy.

Duellist and gamester, the young Marquis of Vidal had fairly earned the sobriquet 'Devil's Cub' - a tribute to the wilder excesses of his father, the Duke of Avon. When Mary Challoner discovered Dominic's plans to run away with her lovely sister, she donned cloak and mask in a daring impersonation and found herself bound for France with the most notorious rake in Georgian London. The many admirers of These Old Shades will meet some familiar friends.

Dispossessed of crown and kingdom, crushed and routed at the grim Battle of Worcester, the young Charles II is forced to flee for his life. Out of the heat of battle, the outlaw King and his tiny party must journey across Cromwell's England to a Channel port and a ship bound for France and safety.

Ve vesnici nedaleko Londýna je nalezen probodnutý muž. Podezřelí jsou zejména jeho sourozenci a možní dědici z Londýna. Tak začíná detektivní román, v němž advokát, který obhajuje klientku podezřelou z vraždy, rozřeší vraždu tohoto muže, pozdější vraždu jeho bratra.

On a sweltering June evening in Thornden, the Hasells host a lively tennis party at their mansion, the Cedars. Young Haswell has just returned from an event with the charming Abby Dearham. The village's elite are in attendance, including the Squire, the Vicar, and the sharp-tongued heir to local real estate. However, the unpopular solicitor Sampson Warrenby is notably absent, much to Abby's relief, as she questions his invitation and his influence over the village leaders. The festivities take a dark turn when Mavis, Warrenby's frantic niece, bursts in with shocking news: her uncle has been found dead, shot in the head beneath an oak tree. Panic ensues as the villagers, each with their own motives for wanting Warrenby gone, become suspects. Mavis is among them, but so are others, including the rival solicitor and a couple harboring a guilty secret. As the investigation unfolds, it becomes clear that Warrenby was involved in blackmail, complicating matters further. Chief Inspector Hemingway must navigate a web of deceit and animosity to determine who among the ten suspects transformed their hatred into murder, all while uncovering the truth behind Warrenby’s death.

Affairs of honour between bucks and blades, rakes and rascals; and affairs of the heart between heirs and orphans, beauties and bachelors; romance, intrigue, escapades and duels at dawn: all the gallantry, villainy and elegance of the age that Georgette Heyer has so triumphantly made her own are exquisitely revived in these eleven stories of the Regency.Georgette Heyer's historical accuracy and eye for a wonderful story of romance is unequalled, and in Pistols For Two we can see the skills which won her a devoted audience that continues to this day.Stories in the book:Pistols for twoA Clandestine AffairBath MissPink DominoA Husband for FannyTo Have the HonourNight at the InnThe DuelHazardSnowdriftFull Moon

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. Murder. It falls to Superintendent Hannasyde to sift through all the secrets and lies and discover just who killed Gregory Matthews, before the killer strikes again...

When Ernest Fletcher is found bludgeoned to death in his study, everyone is shocked and mystified: Ernest was well-liked and respected, so who would have a motive for killing him? It seems the real Fletcher was far from the gentleman he pretended to be.

When young and beautiful governess Kate Malvern finds herself unemployed in Regency England, she is surprised and grateful to receive an invitation to live with a distant aunt. She has never met her Aunt Minerva Broome, and hardly knows what to expect at majestic country home of Staplewood. Her aunt, uncle, and cousin welcome her to their estate, buy her new clothes, and provide all the amenities a young lady of quality should have. Soon, Kate begins noticing strange things about the manor. Though the guests are few, even family dinners are formal. Unexplained noises and events occur in the night. Surrounded by her domineering Aunt, handsome but moody cousin Torquil, and cousin Philip, who appears to have taken her in instant dislike, Staplewood soon turns from an inviting stately house to a cold and gloomy mansion

Independent and spirited, Miss Annis Wychwood gives little thought to finding herself a suitable husband, thus dashing the dreams of many hopeful suitors. When she becomes embroiled in the affairs of the runaway heiress Lucilla, Annis's life becomes more complicated, as she soon encounters her fugitive's uncivil and high-handed guardian, Mr. Oliver Carleton. Befriending the wayward girl brings excitement and unexpected consequences, among them greater interaction with Lucilla's guardian, who is quite the rudest man Annis has ever met..

To help rescue a rich heiress, Prudence Tremaine masquerades as a man to hide her identity, which becomes rather inconvenient when she finds herself enchanted with Sir Anthony Fanshawe.

A Regency romance in which fate and impulse collaborate to saddle Viscount Desford with a friendless, homeless waif named Cherry Steane. Could it be that Desford has begun to fall in love with Cherry? From the author of COUSIN KATE, FRIDAY'S CHILD and THE UNKNOWN AJAX.

Beauvallet by Georgette Heyer released on Feb 23, 2004 is available now for purchase.

With her high-spirited intelligence and good looks, Abigail Wendover was a most sought-after young woman. But of all her high-placed suitors, there was none Abigail could love. Abigail was kept busy when her pretty and naive niece Fanny falls head over heels in love with Stacy Calverleigh, a good-looking town-beau of shocking reputation and an acknowledged seductor. She was determined to prevent her high-spirited niece from becoming involved with the handsome fortune-hunter. The arrival to Bath of Stacy's uncle seemed to indicate an ally, but Miles Calverleigh is the black sheep of the family. Miles Calverleigh had no regard for the polite conventions of Regency society. His cynicism, his morals, his manners appalled Abigail. He also turned out to be the most provoking creature Abigail had ever met - with a disconcerting ability to throw her into giggles at quite the wrong moment. Will Abigail overcome Mile's indifference towards his nephew and help Abigail foil Stacy's plans?

The sixtieth birthday party of Silas Kane was marred by argument and dissension amongst his family.But then Kane's nephew and heir is murdered and threats are made on the next in line to the fortune, throwing a new and sinister light on Silas Kane's death.

When she meets Charles Audley, dashing aide-de-camp to the great Duke of Wellington himself, her joie de vivre knows no bounds - until the eve of the fateful Battle of Waterloo ...

A duplicate bridge party, given in London by an ambitious widow in search of a husband for her dull-witted daughter, becomes the scene of two sinister murders

Rozvážna a bystrá Mary Challonerová je presvedčená, že skazený, zlomyseľný Dominic Alastair, markíz z Vidalu, sa s jej sestrou Sophiou napriek matkiným intrigám nezamýšľa oženiť. Rozhodne sa, že zachráni sestrinu povesť a dá rozmaznanému markízovi poriadnu príučku. Ani vo sne jej však nenapadlo, že sa jej rozzúrený šľachtic pomstí únosom! Keď sa v ňom konečne prebudí zodpovednosť a uvedomí si, že uniesol nevinné, počestné dievča, navrhne jej sobáš. Ale čo sa stane, ak si Mary dovolí hrdého a očareného markíza odmietnuť?

The legend of the Headless Horseman and a proposed marriage de convenance both have their impact on the mystery of a golden talisman ring and Lord Lavenham's young heir, Ludovic. Neither Sir Tristram Shield nor Eustacie, his young French cousin, share the slightest inclination to marry one another, yet it is Lord Lavenham's dying wish. For there is no one else to provide for the old man's granddaughter while Ludovic remains a fugitive from justice.

Powder and Patch by Georgette Heyer released on Jan 23, 2004 is available now for purchase.

Frederica Merrivillová prichádza do Londýna s troma mladšími súrodencami a s odhodlaním nájsť vhodného manžela pre svoju nádhernú sestru Charis. Vyhľadá markíza Alverstoka, vzdialeného známeho ich nebohého otca, a požiada ho, aby im zabezpečil vstup do vyberanej londýnskej spoločnosti. Nevšedne priamočiara Frederica zapôsobí na markíza natoľko, že na vlastné prekvapenie súhlasí s jej nečakanou žiadosťou. Pri srdci ho totiž hreje predstava, že tým spraví naprotiveň svojej samoľúbej sestre. Frederica s vervou dláždi cestičku k dokonalému ženíchovi pre Charis, popritom sa stará o dvoch nezbedných mladších bratov a divokého poľovníckeho psa, ktorý veľmi neochotne privyká pravidlám veľkomesta. Alverstoke, muž v najlepších rokoch, neskutočne bohatý, znudený a arogantný, s údivom sleduje jej nasadenie aj praktický prístup k životu a čoraz častejšie vyhľadáva jej spoločnosť. A hoci Frederica nemá ani štipku z krásy, ktorou oslňuje mužov jej mladšia sestra, zdá sa, že má čosi dôležitejšie... zmysel pre humor a charizmu.

Krásna Judith Tavernerová a jej brat sir Peregrine sa vyberú do Londýna za svojím poručníkom grófom z Worthu, ktorého im v závete ustanovil ich nebohý otec. Aké je však ich rozčarovanie, keď zistia, že ním je muž, s ktorým sa za nepríjemných okolností zoznámili cestou! V Londýne sa ihneď rozchýri, že slečna Tavernerová je bohatá dedička, a ponuky na sobáš sa zo všetkých strán len tak sypú. Medzi uchádzačmi o jej ruku nechýba ani člen kráľovskej rodiny. Ona však všetkých vytrvalo odmieta. Komu patrí jej srdce?

It should have been a lovely English country-house weekend. But the unfortunate guest-list is enough to exasperate a saint, and irascible General Sir Arthur Billington-Smith was nobody's idea of the perfect host. In fact he was absolutely frightful. He bullied his wife, Fay, grumped at his guests, refused gleefully to help his financially stricken indigent nephew, and positively blew his stack when his wayward son, Geoffrey, took up with a nightclub dancer, Lola de Silva, who was definitely N.Q.O.C. (Not Quite Our Class.) Sir Arthur is an abusive wretch hated by everyone from his disinherited son to his wife's stoic would-be lover. But a houseful of people he loathes isn't his worst problem… Is it any wonder that one fine, bright, English June morning Sir Arthur quite literally became a bloody bore when he was firmly stabbed in the back with a pretty little Chinese dagger? When he is found death, no one is particularly grieved, least of all his family, -- and no one has an alibi. The unhappy guests find themselves under the scrutiny of Scotland Yard's cool-headed Inspector Harding from London, who has solved tough cases before -- but this time, the talented young inspector discovers much more than he's bargained for. He confesses his feelings for her and she affirms that they are reciprocated. But he thought everyone was guilty?