Book Review: False Colours

False Colours is one of Georgette Heyer's later works and deals with the Regency period that made her so famous. The story revolves around the lives of the Fancot twins and their beautiful and devoted, but reckless mother. Christopher Fancot or Kit, the younger of the twins and the more sober one, is the protagonist of the story, though his more volatile older brother Evelyn, the Earl of Denville is an equally important character. The story deals with Kit's efforts to extricate Evelyn out of a difficult situation by masquerading as him.

The book, like Heyer's other works are rich in period details. Everything from the evening dresses of the ladies and gentlemen to their houses and chariots and boudoirs are described in perfect detail, which makes the places and people come alive for us. The people in False Colours from Kit and Evelyn to their mother, the hapless Sir Bonamy Ripple, the hedonist who fancies himself in love with her to Cressida Staverly and her grandmother to the miserly Cosmo and his son, Ambrose are all depicted with so much humour that we find ourselves chuckling as we read.

The plot may sound complex since it involves a masquerade, but Georgette Heyer makes it look simple. The book is one of the best reads and Heyer's mastery of her craft reads the reader spellbound.

The book has its laugh-out-loud moments, and moments that reduce us to helpless giggling. It has few anxious moments, but the undercurrent of humour makes even those light-hearted. And the romance is enough to satisfy even the most demanding of romantics.  The ending is superb and leaves us contented enough to want to read through it again.