When Gervase Frant, new Earl of Stanyon, returns unscathed from the Napoleonic Wars, he finds a unwelcoming household. His stepmother is miffed at his survival, his half-brother resents him as a rival, and somebody is going to great lengths to kill him. Gervase sighs and sets out to straighten the familial tangle.

I can't read Georgette Heyer anymore without noticing the elements recycled from her other books, so: The Quiet Gentleman uses a lot of the Gothic props (albeit to much greater effect) last seen in Cousin Kate; like A Civil Contract, it features a male protagonist (which is unusual for Heyer), and, like The Black Moth, the ostensible "romance" is so far in the background as to be overlooked.

But the key difference, in regards to that last point, is that while The Black Moth was weakened (or at least made uneven) by the remote role of its lovers, The Quiet Gentleman is strengthened through its preoccupations. The center of the story lies with Gervase and his brother Martin, and their complicated relationship drives the novel. In contrast, the charm of Gervase's romantic attachment lies entirely in its obscurity: even if you're attuned to the genre signals, it sneaks up on the reader. (Arguably, this is because the relationship is never properly developed or explained, but! The reader is too busy thinking about Martin and Gervase! Preoccupations!)

The Quiet Gentleman fits more more tightly with the conventions of genre mystery, and in that model, it's less innovative and interesting. Heyer goes to such great lengths not to implicate one character in particular that the reader can pinpoint him as the villain by page 50. (And, much like the heroine's love, the villain's motives are arbitrarily discovered and resolved in the last ten pages.) But Heyer does such a good job engineering Gervase's household as a tight family unit that, despite the glaring obviousness of the villain, the reader can't avoid feeling a wrench when the villain's identity becomes steadily more obvious. If only Heyer had developed the villain -- made the villain more than a one-dimensional saint who turns into a one-dimensional sinner -- The Quiet Gentleman would be a great novel. But...no. Heyer's strength is not multi-dimensional characters.

Which is why Martin Frant is such a surprisingly and pleasing character, because he is multi-dimensional, because he has well-developed motives and regrets, and because his relationship with brother Gervase is both affectionate and antagonistic. And, as the novel's conclusion reveals, Martin's feelings are not one-sided: Gervase has been involved in his own quiet campaign of protection and provocation. ( )

paperback

Gervase Frant finally returns to his father's estate to claim his title as the new Seventh Earl of St. Erth at Stanyon. Unscathed from glory at Waterloo, Gervase expected a hero's welcome - instead he's given a frigid cold shoulder. Upon his return only Theo, a cousin even quieter than himself, is there to greet him--and when he meets his stepmother and half-brother open disdain put a chill on Gervase's welcome, and he detects open regret that he has survived inconveniently two wars. Now he must establish himself as the new head of the house... and ignore his family's rising hostility.

Then Gervase's eye is caught by beautiful and charming Mariann Bolderwood, a collector of beaux -- the same young woman already much in favor with his half-brother. Gervase struggles to maintain a gentlemanly balance, but now the brothers are again rivals as they bid for the lady's attentions. But the dangers of the Lincolnshire countryside could never be more unexpected. Gervase finds himself the victim of repeatedly life-threatening accidents. And soon it becomes increasingly clear that someone wants the new Earl cruelly dead. Level-headed Drusilla Morville is captivated by Gervase but knows that she does not stand a chance against the debutantes vying for his affections, until Gervase's life is endangered and free-spirited Drusilla comes to the rescue.

Less than a hero's welcome...
Returning to his family seat from Waterloo, Gervase Frant, seventh Earl of St Erth, could have expected more enthusiasm for his homecoming. His quiet cousin, stepmother, and young half-brother seem openly disappointed that he survived the wars. And when he begins to fall for his half-brother's sweetheart, his chilly reception goes from unfriendly to positively murderous.
One of Heyer's most suspenseful Regency romances, The Quiet Gentleman combines an ingenious mystery plot with her signature witty style and effervescently engaging characters.
What Readers Say:
"A must read. You will love the quirky characters, the great suspense plot, and the incredible wit."
"A breath of fresh air... Heyer's witty dialog, engaging and sparkling characters, and humorous repartee make this an engaging and wonderful read."
"One of my favourites; it is a mystery as well as a lighthearted comedy of manners."

Georgette Heyer wrote over fifty novels, including Regency romances, mysteries, and historical fiction. She was known as the Queen of Regency romance, and was legendary for her research, historical accuracy, and her extraordinary plots and characterizations. ( )

Yay, my first Georgette Heyer!

I’m happy she wrote so many books, because I love her writing. So witty. I’ve never encountered a protagonist quite like Gervase. I loved his calm, thoughtful, firm way of dealing with people, friend and foe. He made me think of my college advisor who was nicknamed “the velvet bulldozer” because of his knack for gently, kindly, getting his way. Drusilla was fantastic! I laughed and cheered for her so much as she went about her business, being reasonable and fixing everything.

This had a touch of romance, but it was more of a mystery with humorous social commentary. Because I’m secretly a detective—and a genius—I figured out who was trying to kill Gervase. But it was still fun getting there, and I loved how Gervase’s friends were all forcing their protection on him. Martin’s Bow Street Runner was the best!

I started this on audio, and James MacCallum did a nice job portraying so many different characters. I’m not sure I liked how he did Gervase. He came off sounding rather pompous, but otherwise, I really liked his performance. Had to switch to e-book at around the halfway point so I could blow through to the end. ( )

Oh, was this a fun read! Considered one of Heyer's historical romances, I'd argue it has a much stronger mystery plot than anything else (which of course makes me happy).

Unscathed from the wars, Gervase Frant finally returns to his father's estate to claim his title as the new Earl of Stanyon. But his stepmother's resentment and his half brother's open disdain put a chill on Gervase's welcome. Now he must establish himself as the new head of the house and ignore his family's rising hostility.

But Gervase begins to find himself the victim of repeatedly cruel accidents. Soon it becomes increasingly clear that someone wants the new Earl of Stanyon dead.

There are shades of Mrs. Bennett in Gervase's step-mother that had me chuckling under my breath as I read, and Gervase himself was smooth as silk, level-headed and the kind of alpha male that doesn't need to assert his alpha-ness, he just is. Miss Moreville is an excellent character as well; wonderfully level-headed and not the last bit silly or 'romantic', while Martin is the male personification of silly and romantic.

The mystery itself was truthfully not really mysterious; Heyer was too heavy-handed for the ending to be anything but obvious, and not a little tragic, but I loved what she did with the rest of the story and the characters; everyone got what was best for them, if not what they wanted. In an oeuvre that covers the spectrum of quality writing, The Quiet Gentleman definitely sits nearer the top. I hope my luck continues with my next Heyer read. ( )