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Georgette Heyer

Georgette Heyer, (pronounced "hair") born August 16, 1902 ? died July 4, 1974, was a historical romance novelist.

Born in Wimbledon, England, her first published work, inspired by the 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 created her most popular work when she started setting her novels during the English Regency, a period which she made uniquely her own. Novels from this period include The Unknown Ajax, Frederica, and The Black Sheep. She did a tremendous amount of research on this period, but glossed over the bleaker realities of life when she wrote.

She also wrote mysteries set contemporaneously in England between World War I and World War II which are classic country-house murder mysteries. (See also whodunit.) In all, she published approximately over 60 works. Her writings were mainly Regency romances but she also wrote a number of detective novels plus short stories and a radio play based on one of her books. From her royalty income, she was able to put her husband through law school.

There have been three significant books on Heyer's life:

1. The Private World of Georgette Heyer by Jane Aiken Hodge (1984)
2. Georgette Heyer's Regency England by Teresa Chris (1989)
3. The Black Moth (1921)

• A Proposal to Cicely in 'The Happy Mag.' (1922)
• Instead of the Thorn (1923)
• The Great Roxhythe (1923)
• The Transformation of Philip Jettan (1923)
• Simon the Coldheart (1925)
• These Old Shades (1926)
• Helen (1928)
• The Masqueraders (1928)
• Beauvallet (1929)
• Instead of the Thorn (1929)
• Pastel (1929)
• Barren Corn (1930)
• Powder and Patch (1930)
• The Conqueror (1931)
• Devil's Cub (1932)
• Footsteps in the Dark (1932)
• Why Shoot a Butler? (1933)
• The Convenient Marriage (1934)
• The Unfinished Clue (1934)
• Death in the Stocks (1935)
• Regency Buck (1935)
• Behold, Here's Poison (1936)
• The Talisman Ring (1936)
• An Infamous Army (1937)
• They Found Him Dead (1937)
• A Blunt Instrument (1938)
• Royal Escape (1938)
• No Wind of Blame (1939)
• Pursuit (in The Queens Book of the Red Cross) (1939)
• The Corinthian (1940)
• The Spanish Bride (1940)
• Envious Casca (1941)
• Faro's Daughter (1941)
• Penhallow (1942)
• Friday's Child (1944)
• The Reluctant Widow (1946)
• Full Moon (1948)
• The Foundling (1948)
• Arabella (1949)
• The Grand Sophy (1950)
• Duplicate Death (1951)
• The Quiet Gentleman (1951)
• Behold, Here's Poison (1953)
• Cotillion (1953)
• Detection Unlimited (1953)
• A Blunt Instrument (1954)
• The Toll-Gate (1954)
• Bath Tangle (1955)
• Envious Casca (1955)
• Sprig Muslin (1956)
• April Lady (1957)
• Venetia (1958)
• The Unknown Ajax (1959)
• Pistols for Two (1960)
• A Civil Contract (1961)
• The Nonesuch (1962)
• False Colours (1963)
• Frederica (1965)
• Black Sheep (1966)
• The Unfinished Clue (1966)
• Cousin Kate (1968)
• Charity Girl (1970)
• Lady of Quality (1972)