Penhallow

Penhallow is Heyer's most unusual mystery, a psychological thriller about a family tyrant whose murder has shocking and far-reaching unintended consequences. Hated for his cruel and vicious nature, yet ruling his family with an iron hand from his sickbed, tyrannical patriarch Adam Penhallow is found murdered days before his birthday. His entire family had assembled for his birthday celebration, and every one of them had access and the ways and means to commit the crime. As accusation and suspicion turn in one direction, then another, the claws and backstabbing come out and no one is exempt from the coming implosion. What readers say: "The characters are...among the most complex and believable characters she has created. It is a remarkable portrayal of the sort of manipulation and oppression that can go on in families." "The psychology of the suspects was fascinating."