Georgette Heyer rides again!

Much to my delight, Sourcebooks, Inc. is continuing to release beautiful paperback editions of Georgette Heyer novels. Their most recent publication, False Colours, isn’t her best work, but even an average Heyer novel is cause for celebration.

False Colours opens as Kit Fancot, on leave from the diplomatic service, decides to pay a surprise visit to his family in London—and is promptly confronted with a laundry-list of disasters: his flighty twin brother Evelyn has disappeared; his lovely, extravagant mother’s creditors are pressing her for payments she is wholly unable to make; and the family’s security and good name hinge upon Evelyn’s marriage to heiress Cressy Stavely. Unfortunately, the betrothal requires the approval of Cressy’s domineering grandmother, who has demanded Evelyn’s presence at a large, formal party the following evening.

Against his better judgment, Kit’s mother convinces him to pretend to be Evelyn, assuring him that the masquerade will only last for one night. The deception leads to a complicated comedy of errors—and things get even more convoluted when Kit discovers that quiet, poised Cressy is exactly the kind of girl he has always dreamed of marrying....

False Colours doesn’t even make my top-five list of Heyer titles*, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t awesome—it’s just a sign of how great her work can be. This witty, light-hearted novel features an engaging romance and a collection of memorable secondary characters (including the immortal Sir Bonamy Ripple). Longstanding Heyer fans will be thrilled to see that Sourcebooks has made this book available again, and if you’ve never read a Heyer novel, False Colours would be an excellent place to start.

*Cotillion, The Unknown Ajax, The Grand Sophy, Sylvester, and A Civil Contract, in case you’re wondering.