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Inspector Hannasyde is a fictional and the main character in a series of novels written by Georgette Heyer. Heyer (1902-1974) was an English author of detective fiction and romance novels. In 1935, Heyer’s books focused on a pair of detectives named Inspector Hannasyde and Sergeant Hemmingway.
Order of Inspector Hannasyde Series
| # | Read | Title | Published | Details |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Death in the Stocks / Merely Murder | 1935 | Description / Buy | |
| 2 | Behold, Here's Poison | 1936 | Description / Buy | |
| 3 | They Found Him Dead | 1937 | Description / Buy | |
| 4 | A Blunt Instrument | 1938 | Description / Buy | |
| 5 | A Christmas Party / Envious Casca | 1941 | Description / Buy |
Even though the duo was never famous like other contemporary fictional detectives such as Lord Peter Wimsey and Hercule Poirot, one of Heyer’s novels featuring Hannasyde was dramatized as Merely Murder in New York 1937. The play majorly focused on the comedy aspect rather than mystery and closed after three nights.
Heyer began the publication of Inspector Hannasyde books in 1935 when the first book in the series, Death in the Stocks was published. Inspector Hannasyde concluded in 1938, when A Blunt Instrument, the fourth and the final book in the series was released.
BEST INSPECTOR HANNASYDE BOOKS:
These are two best books in Inspector Hannasyde series by Georgette Heyer, Death in Stocks (1935) and Behold, Here’s Poison (1936).
Death in the Stocks: The first book featuring Inspector Hannasyde. Georgette Heyer is famously known today as one of the inventors of Regency Romance genre, but she also authored dozens of detective books, Death in the Stocks being her fourth detective novel but the first in Inspector Hannasyde series.
In the middle of the night, Arnold Vereker is found stabbed to death in the stocks in the village square. Hannasyde will face lots of challenges trying to solve the mystery surrounding this case. Arnold was a famous man in town but not in good ways, and upon his death, everyone in the town is a murder suspect, since everyone who knew him had a prime motive of wanting Arnold dead. To make it even harder for Hannasyde, Arnold’s eccentric family is making the case even more impossible to solve. Arnold’s half-brother, Kenneth, and half-sister Antonia are not only happy that their brother is dead; they are thrilled to be among the top suspects.
Antonia is engaged and is to be married to Rudolph Mess, a man who had a strong motive for wanting Arnold dead. There are also other characters but a significant challenge arises when another character arrives on the crime scene, and this new suspect has no alibi. Despite the efforts put forth by their cousin Giles Carrington, a man acting as their solicitor, Kenneth, and Antonia, insists on making no series efforts of clearing their names, but instead focus out on soring their issues in their complicated love lives.
Georgette Heyer’s mystery novels have stood the test of time, and you will be surprised to discover that it was her husband who wrote the plotlines while Heyer created and developed the characters. It is the sparkling dialogue and the characters that are the strong points of Death in the Stocks.
Behold, Here’s Poison: In the second book in Inspector Hannasyde, the author introduces Mr. Gregory Matthew, a man who rules his family strictly. He denies allowing his nephew to waste his funds working as an interior designer or even allow Stella, to get married to Dr. Fielding who hides secrets. However, Mathew has soft spots for the women; he will enable his sister Harriet and his sister-in-law to live with Zoe to live with him. When the workers find Matthews dead, it comes as a massive shock to everyone and Dr. Fielding family is convinced that Matthew died of heart attack.
Mrs. Lupton, one of Matthew’s siblings, insists that a post-mortem is carried out. Even though the family is convinced that Matthew’s died of natural causes, the young miss is confident that there was foul play involved, when it is finally discovered that Matthews was murdered and his will comes as something of a shock to everyone. By the time Superintendent Hannasyde gets the case going, the evidence is already gone missing, and picking out the suspects in this murder mystery will prove harder than he had ever imagined.
OTHER BOOK SERIES YOU MAY LIKE:
If you love Inspector Hannasyde books, then you will find these two books series a good match. “Miss Silver” Series by Patricia Wentworth featuring Miss Maud Silver, a retired teacher, and governess who becomes a professional private investigator based in London England.
You will also like “Roderick Alleyn” Series an English detective series written from 1930’s to 1970’s by Ngaio Marsh.
What Is The Next Book in The Inspector Hannasyde Series?
There doesn't seem to be an upcoming book in The Inspector Hannasyde Series. The newest book is A Christmas Party / Envious Casca and was released on February, 6th 1941.