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Georgette Heyer (pronounced "hair") (16 August 1902 – 4 July 1974) was an English historical romance and detective fiction novelist.

Contents 1 Life 2 Bibliography 2.1 Historical novels 2.2 Mysteries 2.3 Contemporary fiction 2.4 Other short stories 3 External links

[edit] Life

Born in Wimbledon, London, her first published work, inspired by Baroness Orczy, was The Black Moth, and was written while she was seventeen to amuse her convalescent brother. She became an increasingly popular writer, supporting her family through her work.

Heyer's early historical romances were mostly set during the 18th century, including These Old Shades and The Masqueraders. Heyer later created her most popular work when she started setting her novels during the English Regency, a period which is strongly identified with her novels. Novels from this period include The Unknown Ajax, Frederica, Venetia, and Black Sheep. These Regency novels, together with the works of Jane Austen, inspired the creation of the entire subgenre of Regency Romance. Heyer did a tremendous amount of research on this period but glossed over the bleaker realities of life when she wrote.

She also wrote whodunit mysteries set contemporaneously in England between World War I and World War II, many of which are classic country-house murder mysteries. In addition, she wrote historical romances set in a variety of other periods, a few straight historical novels, and four contemporary novels. In all, she published 56 works, of which the last, My Lord John, was released posthumously. She supported her husband, Ronald Rougier, financially during his studies for the bar – successfully, as in 1959 he became a Queen's Counsel.

There have been four significant books on Heyer's life and work:

• The Private World of Georgette Heyer by Jane Aiken Hodge (1984), ISBN 0-09-949349-7
• Georgette Heyer's Regency England by Teresa Chris (1989), ISBN 0-283-99832-6
• Georgette Heyer: A Critical Retrospective by Mary Fahnestock-Thomas (2001), ISBN 0-9668005-3-2 (includes short stories "A Proposal to Cicely", "Pursuit", and "Runaway Match")
• Georgette Heyer's Regency World by Jennifer Kloester (2005), ISBN 0-434-01329-3

[edit] Bibliography

[edit] Historical novels

• The Black Moth (1921), ISBN 0-09-946619-8
• The Great Roxhythe (1923)
• Simon the Coldheart (1925), ISBN 0-09-949094-3
• These Old Shades (1926), ISBN 0-09-946582-5
• The Masqueraders (1928), ISBN 0-09-947643-6
• Beauvallet (1929), ISBN 0-09-949093-5
• Powder and Patch (1930), ISBN 0-09-947443-3 (originally published 1923 as The Transformation of Philip Jettan)
• The Conqueror (1931), ISBN 0-09-949092-7
• Devil's Cub (1932), ISBN 0-09-946583-3
• The Convenient Marriage (1934), ISBN 0-09-947442-5
• Regency Buck (1935), ISBN 0-09-946558-2
• The Talisman Ring (1936), ISBN 0-09-947439-5
• An Infamous Army (1937), ISBN 0-09-946576-0
• Royal Escape (1938), ISBN 0-09-947639-8
• The Spanish Bride (1940), ISBN 0-09-947445-X
• The Corinthian (1940), ISBN 0-09-946808-5
• Faro's Daughter (1941), ISBN 0-09-946559-0
• Friday's Child (1944), ISBN 0-09-946804-2
• The Reluctant Widow (1946), ISBN 0-09-946807-7
• The Foundling (1948), ISBN 0-09-946806-9
• Arabella (1949), ISBN 0-09-946562-0
• The Grand Sophy (1950), ISBN 0-09-946563-9
• The Quiet Gentleman (1951), ISBN 0-09-947637-1
• Cotillion (1953), ISBN 0-09-947437-9
• The Toll-Gate (1954), ISBN 0-09-947636-3
• Bath Tangle (1955), ISBN 0-09-946809-3
• Sprig Muslin (1956), ISBN 0-09-947635-5
• April Lady (1957), ISBN 0-09-947634-7
• Sylvester, or the Wicked Uncle (1957), ISBN 0-09-946577-9
• Venetia (1958), ISBN 0-09-946565-5
• The Unknown Ajax (1959), ISBN 0-09-947436-0
• Pistols for Two (1960), ISBN 0-09-947638-X (short stories)
• A Civil Contract (1961), ISBN 0-09-947444-1
• The Nonesuch (1962), ISBN 0-09-947438-7
• False Colours (1963), ISBN 0-09-947633-9
• Frederica (1965), ISBN 0-09-946564-7
• Black Sheep (1966), ISBN 0-09-946803-4
• Cousin Kate (1968), ISBN 0-09-949095-1
• Charity Girl (1970), ISBN 0-09-946805-0
• Lady of Quality (1972), ISBN 0-09-947446-8
• My Lord John (1975), ISBN 0-09-947642-8

[edit] Mysteries

• Footsteps in the Dark (1932)
• Why Shoot a Butler? (1933)
• The Unfinished Clue (1934)
• Death in the Stocks (1935), ISBN 0-09-949362-4
• Behold, Here's Poison (1936), ISBN 0-09-949364-0 (AKA Merely Murder in the U.S.)
• They Found Him Dead (1937), ISBN 0-09-949363-2
• A Blunt Instrument (1938), ISBN 0-09-949365-9
• No Wind of Blame (1939)
• Envious Casca (1941)
• Penhallow (1942)
• Duplicate Death (1951)
• Detection Unlimited (1953)

[edit] Contemporary fiction

• Instead of the Thorn (1923)
• Helen (1928)
• Pastel (1929)
• Barren Corn (1930)

[edit] Other short stories

• "A Proposal to Cicely" (1922)
• "Pursuit" - Text online (in The Queen's Book of the Red Cross, 1939)
• "Full Moon" (1948)
• "Runaway Match"
• "The Bulldog and the Beast"
• "Linckes' Great Case"

[edit] External links

• These Old Boards, a forum for discussing Georgette Heyer and her novels
• A Georgette Heyer email service, users may send the webmaster Regency related questions
• A detailed bibliography
• Georgette Heyer website, detailed fan site
• Georgette Heyer Pollde:Georgette Heyer