Classic whodunit. Loads of dialogue (more dialogue than action, truth be told) and an engaging cast of characters. Absolutely recommended if you enjoy a good mystery.

A Blunt Instrument was intriguing!

Who would kill the perfect gentleman?

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?

How can you not be intrigued by this caption? I really enjoyed reading this book and highly recommend it to other readers.

It is the fourth and last of the Hannasyde books with Hemingway acting as his sergeant.

What a great little cozy mystery. It starts with a body in the home office/library and the butler follows a few pages in.
Who did it?

Georgette Heyer is considered one of the underestimated writers of mysteries.

This mystery has the hallmarks of Georgette Heyer: witty dialogues, fun characters, upperclassmen drama, and romance.

I absolutely loved it and found it to be a perfect escapist read for a pandemic.

Biblical Justice?

Stroll back in time for another Upstairs/Downstairs look at life and death in early 20th century England. Georgette Heyer captures speech patterns elegantly, bringing characters vibrantly to life as they quibble and chatter amongst themselves, interacting among the various classes with the expected casual indifference. Her inate and active sense of humor brings subtle joy in action and plot which causes me to laugh out loud. The whodunnit has a really strong twist which, in hindsight, seems logical and obvious, but is carefully masked by--even while made (ultimately) apparent--the dialog.

Another great whodunnit by Heyer. A Blunt Instrument featured a highly entertaining proposal of marriage and kept me guessing at the identity of the murderer right until the very end. This wasn't my favourite of Heyer's mysteries but it was still very enjoyable.

Who killed Ernie Fletcher with A Blunt Instrument? It's up to Inspectors Hannasyde & Hemingway to find the culprit. They must shift through an nephew who's the heir, a couple who are neighbors to the deceased, or is there a connection to the dead man's former mistress.

Police officer Glass is the first on the scene of a murder. He's found by the butler of the house calling in the death. They butler and Glass know each other from going to the same church. Inspectors Hannasyde and Hemingway take over the case and start to unravel all the suspects and their alibis. As they try to figure out the extremely tight window of opportunity the more confusing it gets and the more suspects they find. Their first suspect is the nephew and heir to Ernie's fortune, Neville Fletcher. He seems to want to help with the investigation in a cold unhelpful way. A pair of women's foot print bring them to the neighbor Helen North. Her marriage is on the rocks and she's been spending quite a bit of time the the deceased before the murder. She tells them two different stories especially when she finds out her husband John came home early from a business trip. There is also the ever present smart unique true crime writer Sally. Between her and Neville they work to keep the Norths out of trouble. Hemingway is saddled with the bible quoting Glass who continuously tries his patience. There is also the not so pristine life of the victim who recently dumped a mistress. Said mistress commits suicide because of being dumped. There is a mystery man who some how came and went within a short window of time that really didn't have the time to murder the man but also strikes again with a second murder. The inspectors can't find the murder weapon as well. As they begin to eliminate their suspects by revealing the truth. They're left with the mystery man and the nephew. Neville has lost interest in the case and has decided it's time to marry, and who does he pick but the very unladylike Sally. A second look at the second murder, the ex-boyfriend of the former mistress bring the murder to light.

Heyer sets this Inspectors Hannasyde and Hemingway book in 1934-1936 London, England and its suburbs. I'm not sure about this series of hers. It's strange to be reading non regency books from her. I was a little surprised by the murderer, and thought it might be a different minor character. It was a little surprising that the murder seemed to be at the fore front of the investigation, should've figured it out sooner.

Who killed Ernest Fletcher? The well respected gentleman was discovered in his study, bludgeoned to death. Superintendent Hannasyde - together with sidekick Hemingway - soon discover that the victim actually had no end of enemies - a host of suspects who may have wanted him dead. An eccentric and colourful cast together with a fun and frivolous plot make for an enjoyable, escapist read.

A bit of a let down, but still nice.

This was this the first mystery by Heyer that I had read, and I was a little disappointed in it. The blurb mentioned her along other 'incomparable authors as Christie, Marsh, They and Alligham'; I didn't feel this book was at that level as a whodunnit. I was expecting more twists in the plot. Instead, there was one character that early in the book I was wondering why they were there. They didn't seem to have a role in the book except to be the guilty party. And they were. So I think I went into this book with my expectations set too high.

Still, it was a good book - sophisticated language, interesting characters, better than the average book. Recommended. Highly recommended if approached as not being a Christie level whodunnit.

I received a copy of this from NetGalley.com which I voluntarily elected to review.

It is a nice English cozy mystery where almost all the characters are suspects. It is the fourth from Inspector Hannayside series. I will continue with the other stories.
Thank you, NetGalley for this book.

As with all of Heyer's mysteries, this book combines an interesting and enjoyable mystery with an assortment of well-fleshed-out and curious characters. The writing is good, and my only real issue with it is the intermittent use of blasphemy and similar language. Other than that, I would happily recommend it to anyone who enjoys mysteries.

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

This is a mystery of its time and era. The tone of this mystery is very Agatha Christie 1930’s. If you like being taken back to a more mannered time. Where position in society is everything. There are many suspects and twists on the timing of the murder which will keep you following to the end.
I was given an ARC of this book by Netgalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Georgette Heyer, has added another witty, solid mystery to her Collection. Although, this Book was written in the Golden Era of Mystery the characters are still fun for today. Nigel has languid charm, Sally writes mysteries but wears a monocle, Helen, her sister is one of the suspects. There are all the usual interactions and red herrings to make this a new favorite of mine.

Heyer, famous for her Regencies turned out just as good a mystery. PC Glass whose every word is a quote from the bible made me laugh several times. The cast is strong in this one. An old -favorite, Superintendent Hannasyde, is on the trail through lies, bad alibis and murky comings and goings. Somehow it all makes for delicious reading.
Five Stars...

When Ernest Fletcher is found bludgeoned to death in his study, everyone is shocked and mystified: Ernest was well-liked and respected until Superintendent Hannasyde who, with consummate skill, begins to uncover the complexities of Fletcher's life & it seems the real Fletcher was far from the gentleman he pretended to be. There is, in fact, no shortage of people who wanted him dead.
Then, a second murder is committed, with striking similarities to the first, giving a grotesque twist to a very unusual case.
This book was written in the 1930's & as with all of the author’s murder mysteries is very evocative of the time. I love the mix of sleuthing & humour & feel that she definitely had ner tongue in her cheek at times. The characters have depth but apart from the lovely Hannasyde I didn't like any but then I wasn't supposed to, so job done! The ‘perp' wasn't hard to discover but I enjoyed how the case was solved.
My honest review is for a special copy I voluntarily read

I do enjoy Georgette Heyer's mystery novels. They are of a different time, but there is something that is still so very satisfying when you read them. Like many books of this period, there is a small cast of characters, all of whom potentially have a motive for doing away with the murder victim. Part of the fun is then trying to work out 'who-done-it'.
This particular story was quite ingenious, I did actually guess who the murderer was, but had decided that I must be wrong and barking up the wrong tree. When the big reveal came, I was fairly surprised to discover that I hadn't been mistaken after all.
I think one of the things that make Heyer's novels, both her murder mystery and Regency novels, so enjoyable, is her sense of humour. More than one of the characters in this book appears to be a caricature of a particular type. One of who takes himself very seriously and the other who does not at all.
This was a great read and I really enjoyed following Hemmingway and Hannasyde's attempts to get to the bottom of who the murder was and why. I have a few more of these books still to go, I seem to be reading them in no particular order, but I am looking forward to enjoying another one soon.

A Blunt Instrument by Georgette Heyer is the fourth book in Inspectors Hannasyde & Hemingway Mystery series but can be read as a standalone.

I really like that the books can be read in any order and apart from two policemen there aren't any resurrecting characters.
I have to admit that it wasn't as compelling and absorbing as the others. It somehow feels too exaggerated and perhaps a bit comical. The murderer was obvious, the characters unusually bland and slightly boring. Apart from Neville and Sally who managed to perk things little.
I do have to say that I found policeman Glass really irritating with his constant quoting of Bible verses and gloom.

When a rich and liked Ernest Fletcher is murder in his study within a five minute period of being seen by the household members the question arises as who could have done it that quickly and still get away. As the story unfolds the layers of truth slowly start to reveal themselves and show that the victim might not have been so charming, honorable and well loved as it first appeared. So it is up to the experienced due to solve this puzzle and catch the killer.

I came to the work of Georgette Heyer rather recently and was taken by her sparkling and fun regency romances, but I pursued her books into other historical eras and, mostly lately, into other genres such as her murder mysteries. I find that they have the same sparkling dialogue and touch of madcap humor that her regencies possess which is a further delight.

Most of her mysteries take place post-WWI at an English country house and feature either Superintendent Hannasyde or Hemingway as the Scotland Yard detective sent to solve the case. A Blunt Instrument is no exception. It is the fourth and last of the Hannasyde books with Hemingway acting as his sergeant.

A Blunt Instrument highlights a colorful circle of characters from laconic and witty Neville, the deceased’s nephew who stands to inherit, to the witless and often lachrymose neighbor, Mrs. Helen North; the deceased’s most recent flirtation. Poor Hannasyde and Hemingway are saddled with a Jeremiah like Bible-quoting local constable and several would-be suspects who have their own reasons for throwing shade on the investigation of a man who was supposedly too well-liked to have been a victim.

I enjoyed this one for its historical, classical feel. It was a crime in a time before our later crime-scene tech advancements so the investigation work was tramping around going at witnesses and shifting for hints in their statements. In this one, the timeline was the sticking point because witness statements were contradictory. Though, that said, as a reader, I doubt I was meant to believe Helen’s statements (yes, she had three, at least, by the end).

Helen is too obvious for words and I had the strongest urge to pitch a bucket of ice water at her every time she showed up in a scene. However, she does turn out to be a necessary figure in the story. She loves her husband, but finds a solid, hardworking man who doesn’t go in for gambling or lots of cocktail parties not enough so gets into trouble to stir him up and gets into an intrigue to make him act jealous. John chooses to keep his peace and wait her out because he actually loves her despite of her antics. He is even willing to frame himself to protect her. Her sister, Sally, is much more level-headed and gets the lamentable task of verbally shaking her into some sense, but Sally does enjoy being right in the thick of a murder investigation because she writes mysteries. I had a good time whenever Neville appeared in a scene. He leads people on a merry chase, but he’s never really obstructive and will tell the truth unlike Helen and her husband. But, the character who is the real corker is Constable Glass. His religion runs to the hell and brimstone sort and he speaks entirely in Biblical aphorisms and not the helpful sort. He drove everyone to Bedlam had had the sergeant, Neville, and Sally scrambling for their own Biblical quotes to shut him up. I know he will annoy the Dickens out of some, but he was a buffoon and I could only laugh most of the time.

I figured this one out before the big reveal and even got the motive even though the author did her level best to distract with all the characters and the nonsense going on. I confess that it was because of reading other mysteries that I cottoned to the truth and not because I’m all that brilliant.

All and all, I’m delighted that Sourcebooks is reprinting these old Heyer detective stories for a new generation to discover them and enjoy the antics and wit of her work. Those who enjoy old-style country house mysteries will be the target audience for this books/series.

My thanks to Sourcebooks Landmark via Net Galley for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

Classic English Country House Mystery
This book was originally written in the 1930s and it contains all of the charm and morals of pre-WWII Britain. As will all of Ms. Heyer's works, there are plenty of suspects with an abundance of motives and quite a few red herrings. The story is a wonderful study of the idle rich who spend their time and money on pointless activities. Unlike today's cozy mysteries, little time is spent on describing food or clothing that is not pertinent to the mystery. Instead, a deep story is uncovered for the pleasure of the reader! Readers who enjoy Agatha Christie should really enjoy this author! This is the 4th of her Inspectors Hannasyde and Hemingway series. I received this book for free and this is my honest review.

These are busy books. It's like the author took a ginormously deep breath and began talking/writing at a frantic pace and doesn't stop until she's finished at the very end of the book. The characters all are the same way as well, except for maybe Inspector Hannasyde; he seems to be the only one who is slow and methodical. The suspects, the victim's family members and acquaintances, and the other policemen all seem to talk a mile a minute. There is a lot of dialog in these books, though I don't think they're lacking in description/narration. The main form of story-telling just seems to be through dialog. None of this is to say I don't enjoy these books, because I absolutely do. The style is just very lengthy with not a lot of breaks, so, for me, that makes them just a bit harder to read as the chapters are long and it's hard to find a stopping point to be able to put the book down to, you know, go on with life. ha ha.

The mystery of who killed Ernest Fletcher winds all over the place, with a very colorful cast of suspects and characters throughout the book. There are a lot of scripture/Biblical references throughout this book, and how Sargent Hemingway and Neville Fletcher try to deal with their perceived annoyance of these constant fanatical religious declarations from Constable Glass is entertaining. Neville himself is entertaining and a unique individual, as well as his relationship with Helen and Sally (the monocle Sally wears is intriguing and I would love to see this book made into a movie just to see her and the interactions between Neville, Helen, and Sally, as well as, of course, Hannasyde and Hemingway, the recurring main characters in this series).

I did actually at one point towards the end begin to suspect who the killer ended up being but couldn't see how, until the very end when everything was explained. Ms. Heyer does a very good job, in my opinion, of hiding the solution to the mystery and keeping me guessing, with red herrings and interesting bits all along the way to keep the story moving.

Another great mystery from Ms. Heyer. I look forward to reading this entire series, as well as reading her Regency romances and other books to see how they compare to her mysteries.

I've been a fun of Georgette Heyer books for a long time and I liked this mystery.
It's a comedy of manners, enjoyable and entertaining.
The characters are well written, not always likable but they're surely witty.
The style of writing aged well and I liked how she developed the plot.
A very good book, recommended!
Many thanks to SOURCEBOOKS Landmark and Netgalley for this ARC. I voluntarily read and reviewed this book, all opinions are mine

Seemingly well-liked Ernest Fletcher is found dead in his study. But there may be quite a few people whi wanted him dead, but with all the evidence how could the murder be done in such a short time. And then there is a second murder.
It is for Superintendent Hannasyde and Sergeant Hemingway to investigate.
I did find that the guilty party may have been too obvious and there were some really annoying characters, like Officer Glass and the idiotic Helen North. But overall the story was enjoyable enough.