Masterful. Cuts to the chase!

Reading Heyer: The Black Moth

by Rachel Hyland     

A rather wonderfully, light hearted, yet shrewd interpretation of Heyer's first novel, The Black Moth. 

The prologue was adroit and immediately grabbed my attention. (Mind you 'These Old Shades' was the Heyer novel I first read, and to this day I am in love with the Duc of Avon and Leonie! Oh! Stamp of pretty foot, Monsiegneur!)

So this well delivered expose of The Black Moth has me recalling those stories and feelings that revolved around this novel, These Old Shades  and Devil's Cub. Certainly Hugh Tracy, the Duke of Andover, is darker than Justin, the Duc of Avon. 

Whole generations have been born and died since I first read Heyer. And I am still enamoured of her works, and still reread them with the same fervour.

And oh Bliss! I reacquainted myself with Heyer in Hyland's fabulous commentary. I was given fresh eyes to see and things reflect on and to laugh at. What a wonderful sardonically, laconic writing style Hylands has, albeit with serious undertones. The inclusion of Jenny, Jack Carstaires horse, is both deft and hilarious.

On a darker note Hyland points to the shocking fact that Hugh Tracy, the Duke of Andover, tries to kidnap and have his way with the Lady Diana Beauleigh (aka rape). The lower classes were targets for this sort of behaviour, but Ladies? Oh my, the class divisions rear their ugly head and the treatment of females generally rears its even uglier head. All of which nineteen year old Heyer, in the early 1920's seems to have had little notion about, or perhaps the real life knowledge to view such actions through?

Certainly, a 2018 view on this Georgian novel written in is illuminating and thought provoking.

This is a witty, well written reflection on Heyer's first novel. I enjoyed it immensely. 

'Damn it, Tracy. Damn it all.'

All Heyer fans need a copy!

A NetGalley ARC

Note: Publication date for April 17, 2018 appears to be deferred. 

*****