Footsteps in the Dark
3. Georgette Heyer, Footsteps in the Dark
Siblings Peter, Margaret, and Celia, along with Celia’s husband Charles, have recently inherited an old house called the Priory, and they decide to move into it. As they begin mixing in the society of the nearby village, they are amused by the rumor that the house is haunted - until strange things begin to happen at the Priory. They hear mysterious groans and footsteps, and soon they’re all a bit spooked. Charles and Peter suspect that a human being is behind the “ghost” and start to investigate the various strange activities in the village. There’s no shortage of suspects, from the absentminded entomologist to the drunken doctor to a mysterious man named Michael Strange. As the four young people investigate the mystery, however, they uncover a far more sinister plot than anything they could have imagined.
As a devoted fan of Georgette Heyer’s romances, I was excited to read one of her mysteries; unfortunately, my expectations for Heyer are so high that disappointment was probably inevitable. The characterization, even of the main actors, seems a little thin - Charles and Peter were basically interchangeable to me, as were Margaret and Celia. The actual plot is entertaining, but for some reason I had trouble focusing on the book. There were some scenes that I felt dragged, especially toward the end of the novel. Also, the scene in which the villain is revealed didn’t fully convince me; I would have liked to know more about his motivations. Really, though, all of my complaints are relatively nitpicky details. The book is good overall, containing a nice mixture of mystery, humor, and romance; and I certainly intend to read more of Heyer’s mysteries. However, when comparing this book to her Regency romances, it definitely falls short.