The Black Moth was Georgette Heyer's first novel, which she had initially written as a teenager to cheer up her younger brother who was ill.

The story is set in the Georgian era versus most of Heyer's other novels, which have been set in the Victorian era. It follows Jack Carstares, who took the blame when his younger brother cheated at cards. Jack then fled to the Continent for several years but has now returned as a highwayman. One one of his "jobs", he rescues Diana Beauleigh when she is almost kidnapped by the dastardly Duke of Andover. As it would happen, Jack and Diana fall in love, but his past and current employment make life difficult.

I am a huge fan of her novel's but have to say this is not one of my favourites (maybe because she got better as she wrote more?).

This is probably one of my least favourite of Heyer's historical, but I found that I enjoy it more as an audiobook oddly. That said, there were a few odd pronunciations in the reading, notably "Cholmley" as written not as it is usually said, plus some that sounded odd when read aloud but not read on the page (e.g. the affectation of using thé vs tea, and hearing Carstares as "Car-stare-es" when I've read that in my head as "Carstairs" all these years!).

This is a very long audiobook, and once the story speeds up, I'd recommend reading it as 1.25 speed - the slow narration style is great in the set-up, but I found it frustrating once the action kicks in.

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Random House for kindly providing me with a digital audiobook of this book for review.
A few years ago I won a mystery box of ancient paperback novels on eBay. In that box along with such gems as Bed-knobs and Broomsticks, there were also a great many Georgette Heyer novels and I have been slowly consuming them since (in a reading sense of course, I don’t eat old books just to clarify).
The Black Moth is one of the books I own but had not read yet and I was surprised to learn that it was the first novel Heyer published. I think you can maybe see that reflected in the writing as in parts it is a bit overly melodramatic and over written. The black moth of the story, the evil Duke, is your typical caricature baddie character and there are not that many surprises as to where the story goes.
However, as a light and fun read it is enjoyable. I also liked that the story didn’t just focus on the romance, there were class and society issues explored, along with family duty and obligations. I did enjoy the opportunity to listen to the audiobook and found it an easy listen to get through. I did find the character of the Duke slightly overplayed again as the villain, with his sardonic sneer of a voice, but I still enjoyed it and I am happy to have ticked off another Heyer from my list.

Atmospheric and historical, I loved this listen!

Thanks so much to NetGalley and the publishers for letting me listen to this audio book in exchange for my honest feedback.

Can Jack save the beautiful Diana from rakes,kidnap and ruin?

This is a regency swashbuckling highway amn adventure and one that i enjoyed to a degree.

I have read Heyer before, but her crime novels, so this was the first of her Historical novels i have attempted.
The gist of the plot is about one mans adventure, whren he comes out of a long seven year exile and finds out, that upon return to England, he has to resort to robbery to survive, but he comes across his nemesis, they come to blows.

Being a romance, there is a damsel in distress, so if oyu like this type of book, this is for you!

Thank you to the publishers and Netgalley for letting me listen to this book.

This is high melodrama. There are dashing highwaymen with hearts of gold, dastardly dukes, cheating lords and blushing damsels in distress. So much happens in this book I really don't know where I would start with a plot summary. It's fast and it's fun, this novel never takes it self seriously. Chock full of high emotion and regency romance stereotypes, it is like a parody of other Georgette Heyer novels (except, of course, it was written before). It is unrestrained and overwrought, it needs to sit down in a darkened room for half an hour with a cold flannel pressed against it forehead, until it can compose itself for polite company. It is not a badly written book, the language is a delight and this is wit and joy aplenty, but there is something hideous about it that I really love.
I found it hard to like any of he characters but really enjoyed despising them, especially jack, I don't think even he really knows who he is. Lavinia and Tracey were ridiculously over the top in there shallow self contentedness, and Diana, the heroine, I suppose, she lacked the wit and fire of other Heyer heroines, repeatedly needing rescued.
This was a fun read, diverting escapism, but I was glad when I was done.

My thanks to Penguin Random House U.K. Audio Cornerstone Digital for a review copy of the unabridged audiobook edition via NetGalley of ‘The Black Moth’ by Georgette Heyer. The audiobook is narrated by British actor Stewart Clarke.

‘The Black Moth’ was Georgette Heyer’s first novel, published in 1921 when she was nineteen. She had initially written it when she was seventeen to read to her poorly younger brother.

This Centenary edition contains an introduction by Philippa Gregory that places both the novel and Heyer’s historical romances in context.

While Heyer is best known for her Regency romances, ‘The Black Moth’ is set in the Georgian period; likely the early 1750s based on historical references, including a mention of Madame de Pompadour. So there are sedan chairs, card games, beautiful gowns, elaborate wigs for both men and women, and the occasional highwayman. Heyer is well known for great attention to historical detail, though her focus was high society, the ‘haute ton’, rather than on social issues of the period.

The plot involves a beautiful woman and two men. Yet it’s not a triangle given the honourable intentions of one suitor and the extremely dishonourable ones of the other.

Six years ago, Jack Carstares, the Earl of Wyncham, sacrificed his honour for his younger brother and went abroad. He has now returned to England and assumed the false identity of Sir Anthony Ferndale, who makes his living as a gambler and highwayman (though a polite one).

When he comes across the dastardly Duke of Andover in the midst of kidnapping the beautiful Diana Beauleigh, well of course he must intercede. Yet will the Duke be deterred? Will Jack reclaim his honour and the heart of Diana?

Given Heyer’s original intention of entertaining her brother it is an adventure-packed romp with emphasis upon fencing, duelling and definitely swashbuckling. I naturally thought of the little boy in ‘The Princess Bride’ worried about there being kissing.

With respect to the audiobook, Stewart Clarke was brilliant. He brought a great deal of enthusiasm to the reading. With some of the more comic female characters, especially Lady Lavinia, Jack’s frivolous sister-in-law, he effected a high falsetto that had me in tears of laughter. Indeed, his ability to adopt different voices for the characters was very impressive.

I am pleased that Penguin Random House is celebrating the Centenary of the start of Georgette Heyer’s writing career with beautiful new editions of her novels, including producing audiobooks narrated by noted actors. It has given me the opportunity to rediscover the works of Georgette Heyer, who was one of my favourite authors when I was a teenager.

Overall, this was a wonderful, light-hearted romp that is certain to not only please her established fans but delight a new generation of readers.

Highly recommended.

Seven years ago, Jack Carstares disappeared from society when he was caught cheating at cards. Now he survives as a highwayman, leaving his brother Dick to look after things at home and regret the events of the night which saw him and his brother parted. But Jack is brought back into contact with former friends and acquaintances when he comes across an old enemy, the Duke of Andover, in the middle of kidnapping a young lady, and he steps in to put an end to it...

Compared to Georgette Heyer's other books, it isn't so insightful and polished, and occasionally tends towards cliche - you can tell it was her first, written when she was still a teenager. But that aside it is a complete joy of gentlemen highwaymen, wicked dukes, naughty flirtatious wives and delicate but direct young ladies. I thoroughly enjoyed it.

The narrator really went for it with this one, with different voices for each of the characters, my particular favourite being the languid drawl of the dissipated duke. It was really great. Good escapist fun.

I realise that this is the earliest book in the author’s career, but I did wonder at why a person would absent himself from his family and country for seven years over a card game. I could understand absenting himself to the country for the season but seven years? John was too noble for his own good and others needed to step up and be less selfish. I did enjoy it, though and it does have a satisfying ending.
What really brought this book to life was the amazing narration. Stuart Clarke had such an easy voice to listen to and he used a variety of tones and accents for the different characters. This was no mean feat as there were a plethora of characters. I can say that this narrator is one of the best I’ve heard.

3.5 stars

I’m still trying to get over the fact that Georgette Heyer was just 17 when she wrote this. 17! It was so polished for the first effort from a teenager, but good as it was, it wasn’t my favourite book by this author.

I was glad I listened to the audiobook for that made this all the more entertaining and possible to keep track of the myriad of characters, for the narrator was great at keeping the various characters sounding distinct. Admittedly, some of his female voices sounded a bit Mrs Doubtfire or Dick Emery at times, but you can’t be good at everything. I was grateful for that for the romance story arc wasn’t even hinted at until we were almost 50% in and I was a bit uncertain what I was reading, thinking I was there for a romance. Did people really get that het up over a game of cards? Really?

That said there was lots of action, dastardly characters getting one up one another and having sword fights and the like which got so mad at times it was like a real melodramatic soap opera. Thankfully, there was also plenty of the gentle humour of the type I like from this author so lots to keep me entertained. At times though, it did feel a bit slow and I did keep wondering where it was all going as the narrative shifted from character to character.

There was lots to enjoy and immerse myself in and I do feel like I’ve just spent a few days in Georgian England, but I’ve preferred later books from this author.

My thanks to the publisher via netgalley for the audiobook arc.

If ever there was a time to read Georgette Heyer, this last horrible 18 months has been it.

Is this book melodramatic? Yes.
Is it pretty damn implausible? Yes.
Are all of the characters OTT and part of a universe of strange moral codes? Uh huh.
Do we care? Hell no!

All you need to know is that Lord John is heroic, Tracy is villainous and everything ends well in a Heyer universe. This is the kind of faux Regency world that Julia Quinn tries but fails to evoke in her Bridgerton novels - read these instead.

I was lucky enough to be given an arc audiobook version of this and enjoyed most of the characterisation. However, I’ve docked one star for the terrible voicing of Lady Lavinia which was honestly awful. I accept that it may have been deliberate as she is an annoying character but it was too irritating to listen to.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher, Penguin Random House UK Audio for my arc of this audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

The story follows Jack, a nobleman who takes the blame for his brother due to a incident of cheating.

I really struggled with the physical book so thought an audio version would be easier. The characters are still one dimensional and the language used dates the book vastly. I find it ridiculous that someone who has taken cheating at cards so seriously then chooses to become a Highway man.

I came at this book looking for a romance. Unfortunatelyfor it me it was not one. The romance aspect seemed to play a minimal part and the love interest Diana is lackluster.

I've got to commend the skills of the author having written it at such a young age. Not to miss that the relationship between Jack and his brother is admirable. The book just wasn't for me.

The narrator was the best aspect and made the story go a lot quicker. His voice was very soothing and calm with diversity between characters.

4 stars (3.5 stars, rounded up)

I adore reading GH novels, but this one hasn’t crossed the era’s as well as some of her others. To be fair this is probably because it was her first novel written in 1921 while she was still a teenager- for that alone I rounded up to 4 stars, because, well … just … wow!

But because this is her first novel, her signature prose is not quite there yet. it’s also difficult nowadays to countenance the kidnapping of women to be quite the jolly jape it’s made out to be in The Black Moth without so much as a mention of a slap on the wrist by way of penance.

Having said that I was lucky enough to be sent an Audiobook of The Black Moth in exchange for an honest review (thank-you Netgalley) and I still enjoyed the all round experience even with the limitations mentioned.

Georgette Heyer is an author I often hear referenced and it was high time I caught up with her works so I was delighted to see an updated audio version for her debut novel. I found the narration and the story to both be entertaining with intrigue and twists along the way. Such a great work considering Georgette's age at the time of writing this. Even though it is supposed to centre around Diana, it was Lavinia I enjoyed most in this performance!

Firstly, my sister is a HUGE fan of Georgette Heyer, and she was intrigued to see how I would like her work. She did tell me she wasn't sure I would like it, seeing as they 'are written in the style of the time' and I find it a challenge to read this style sometimes. I have to really concentrate (which irks me as I want to relax when reading) and it does take me time to adjust to the prose. So, I went into this book tentatively.
The writing is wonderful, made even more special by the fact it was a DEBUT, written when Heyer was just 17.
The plot is smooth and interesting, although I wouldn't use the word gripping. The characters are also interesting to a degree, and not necessarily likeable for the entire book.
A mixed bag for me, but I am intrigued and want to try Heyer's other books. I also have an audiobook of Venetia, due to be published on the same day as The Black Moth, so I look forward to this one!

Audio ARC provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review





Audio review: I've never heard Heyer narrated by a male voice before but since you can certain;y argue that the male characters were the focal point, this narrator was a good choice. He had a pleasant, engaging voice and brought drama and nuance to the characters.





Book review: This is Heyer's first novel and compared to her subsequent books, it's perhaps not quite as accomplished. However if you compare it to the slew of regency romance currently being produced, it's most definitely a better book. For one thing, Heyer was always very precise in her historical research and the dialogue always reflects the time period with subtle adjustments to make it palatable for a modern audience. It's a testament to her skill that her books still stand the test of time decades later.



The Black Moth reminded me of a lighter take on The Scarlett Pimpernel. It was far more a swash buckling adventure than her other Regency set pieces, but I found myself just as engaged by her male leads as I have been with her female led casts. I would also point out that this book is more concerned with being an adventure story. There is romance but that is not the whole point of the plot. Despite early reservations at it not being quite what I expected, I was drawn in and ended up thoroughly enjoying the story. I imagine if you enjoy this type of historical fiction, you'll find yourself spotting the main beats well before they happen having been exposed to the basic premise in other books by later authors. Worth remembering that many of those authors are aping Heyer (as she was aping Austen) and that few of them ever write a Regency piece anywhere near as well.



This was a lot of fun. Recommended for anyone interested in light historical adventure.

This was my first experience of Georgette Heyer and this is also her first novel.
Set in Georgian England in 1751, when the upper classes wore elaborate and extravagant clothes. The men almost more than the women. Their manners were even more florid and affected.
The hero, Jack (a disgraced Earl) is dashing, amusing and kind despite his current occupation as a highwayman.
The story is about Jack rescuing Diana from Devil Belmanoir and falling in love with her.
The machinations of the Duke of Andover and his Belmanoir family provide the background to the book.
This was quite fun, though the characters are rather shallow. Some of the language is quite archaic, so I required a few trips to Wikipedia!
The narrator was enjoyable, although his female voices tend towards shrillness.

I received a free copy of this book via NetGalley and am voluntarily leaving a review. All views expressed are my own.

I've heard lots about this book, Heyer's first written when she was just 17. It's certainly impressive from a teenage pen and has lots of indications of the wonderful novelist Heyer will become - but it does feel uneven, if better-than-average juvenilia.

This audiobook, unusually, has a male narrator and sometimes the performance gets slightly melodramatic: a bit too much hissing from the villain, a bit too much caricature in the women. Overall, though, I liked it.

All that said, it's an interesting listen for any Heyer fans, and is wonderfully escapist - Jack, the highwayman hero, is one of Heyer's adorable leads - definitely a listen that will put a smile on your face!

I love a good regency drama and this definitely was a good regency drama! I’ve rapidly grown in interest with Georgette Heyers works and I love the way she writes her books. She does them so well!

The outline of this plot really drew me in and it was catching once the story got going. It did take me a few chapters to get my head into the book and for it to get its hooks in but then it slowly and surely started to drag me in! It certainly has an enchanting quality to it and the storytelling ! Wow I loved the storytelling in this. It was so vivid and so well written.

The narration executed it brilliantly and it made for a great audiobook. So easy and effortless to listen to; I really enjoyed it.

It’s one of those books where you’re not sure which twists and turns are coming or how things are going to unravel. You have to keep listening just to see how the plot will develop.

I got really invested in the characters as we went along and I loved the story development between Jack and Diana. I don’t think you can go wrong with a Georgette Heyer book and this audiobook was a really great listen.