Count the Candles: 104 for Heyer ...

Although best known as the founding mother of the Regency historical, Georgette Heyer--pronounced “hair”-- nonetheless earned a strong following for the dozen mystery novels she wrote, beginning in 1932 with Footsteps in the Dark and ending 21 years later with the deliciously titled Detection Unlimited.

Heyer was born on this date in 1902 at Wimbeldon, London, and wrote her first novel to amuse her brother. That book was The Black Moth, which was published in 1921. More than 50 novels would follow.

An intensely private person, according to her biographer, Jane Aiken Hodge (The Private World of Georgette Heyer, 1984), Heyer was a “best-seller all her life without the aid of publicity, she made no appearances, never gave an interview, and only answered fan letters herself if they made an interesting historical point.”

When interviewers managed to track her down, Heyer was ready, says Aiken Hodge. “Her own invariable answer, when asked about her private life, was to refer the questioner back to her books. You will find me, she said, in my work.”

That work is nearly uniformly characterized by a strong--though not silly--sense of humor and a meticulous eye for detail. Even 33 years after her death, her legions of fans attest to the enduring quality of her writing.