"Behold, Here's Poison" Review

This is the first time I have read a book by Georgette Heyer. I got interested in reading something by her when I read a review of one of her romance novels on another blog.


Behold, Here's Poison is a cozy mystery about extended families  sharing the same large house, with servants and the works. Gregory Matthews owns the house, and is the head of the family. Therefore, he controls all the money. Of course he is the one who is poisoned and dies as a result.


There are many suspects among all the family members, two sisters, Miss Harriet Matthews, Mrs. Gertrude Lupton, with a little wimpy husband. Next we have the Sister-in-law, Zoe Matthews, and her two adult children, Guy and Stella Matthews. Another nephew, Randall Matthews, who lives else where, but is always coming by to visit. Then there are friends, Mr. and Mrs Edward Rumbold, Dr. Fielding, and of course we mustn't forget the servants... There are too many suspects to list them all here. It took me a while to get them all straight in my head, but I finally got it accomplished.


All in all Ms. Heyer did a good job of creating each character, even the murdered mans character, which helped to understand why everyone hated him. He had a lot of money, but lacked the charm to go with it.


The family did a lot of what I would call bickering, and I can imagine living in such close quarters with an extended family, how that could cause bickering. It was a witty and fun book to read, and I must say I learned a few new words, such as---peccadilloes, myrmidon, jackanapes, and "potty" a chiefly British description to describe Aunt Harriet, it's meaning being, slightly crazy.


Anyway, it was a fun book and pleasant to read. I am giving it 3*** it was an OK read.


I bought this book at a second hand bookstore, I own it.