Review of The Black Moth–Of Highwaymen and Dandies

“A black moth amongst the gaily-hued butterflies…” A dashingly gothic villain steals the show in Georgette Heyer’s classic 1921 novel The Black Moth. Around this time last year, Sam Hirst and the rest of the good folks at Romancing the Gothic introduced me to Georgette Heyer, a woman widely celebrated as the mother of the modern Regency romance genre, yet whom I had somehow never heard of before. After getting a first taste of her writing with The Quiet Gentleman, I knew I would want to dive back into Heyer’s prodigious oeuvre. I decided to start with her debut novel The Black Moth. 

Richard Carstares had not seen his brother John since the fateful night seven years ago when John took the blame for cheating after marked cards were discovered at a card party the two attended. John’s sacrifice saved Richard’s reputation, allowing him to marry the beautiful but capricious Lavinia Belmanoir. No one knew what became of John after Society turned its back on him for such dishonorable behavior. That is, until Richard recognized his brother as the brigand holding him at gunpoint on the side of the highway! Now that their father has died, John has inherited the title of Earl of Wyncham, but he refuses to give up highway robbery and clear his name at his brother’s expense. Meanwhile, Richard is plagued by guilt but torn between continuing to live a lie or dragging his wife down with him were he to confess the truth. It is Lavinia’s devilish brother, the Duke of Andover, who ultimately brings the two Carstares back together. When the duke abducts the young lady John has fallen for, John must reveal himself and put everything on the line to fight for the woman he loves. 

Lord Tracy “Devil” Belmanoir, Duke of Andover, is a particularly captivating villain. Both his fashion sense and ominous presence contribute to his image as the “black moth” of the title. His outfits are described throughout the book in exquisite detail. Though he goes against the dominant fashions of the era, Tracy always looks resplendent in all black, often accented with white or silver, and with an abundance of lace and frills. His dark attire and unpowdered black hair set off his deathly pale skin, bringing to mind the Gothic archetype of the aristocratic vampire. Though Tracy is no supernatural creature, his friends and enemies alike call him by the nickname “Devil” for his unscrupulous morals, particularly when it comes to women. Like such monsters, Tracy is both dangerous and tempting, but he ultimately plays the role of the classic Gothic villain: the violent threat to an innocent young woman’s virtue. Though his actions in the book are inexcusable, I couldn’t help but be delighted by this gorgeous goth dandy.

But the villain of this story can’t get all the credit! Our hero John Carstares, Earl of Wyncham, is an incredibly fun character, as well. He plays into the eighteenth- and nineteenth-century romanticization of the highwayman figure. Commonly featured in the popular literature of the time—including numerous penny dreadfuls focused on the particularly notorious Dick Turpin—highwaymen were viewed in a far more flattering light than common thieves. Often referring to them as the “knights” or “gentlemen of the road,” fictional accounts of highwaymen played up their genteel manners and chivalry and even depicted them as Robin Hood-esque heroes. With such a romantic image, it is no wonder that the life of a highwayman would appeal to a young noble whose reputation has already been compromised. John leans into the chivalry element, refusing to rob women or the elderly and thus only accosting fellow young or middle-aged men. And while other men look down upon him, the women of the story tend to swoon over the romantic highwayman image, even before learning of John’s true identity. When not playing the part of brigand, John takes on the role of fastidious dandy under an assumed name in order to avoid capture after his roadside exploits. His outfits are as colorfully flamboyant as Tracy’s are monochrome, making these two characters into perfect visual foils.

If you haven’t read any Heyer before, The Black Moth is a great place to start. You can find it on shelves at your favorite local retailer or buy it online and support The Gothic Library in the process using this Bookshop.org affiliate link. Let me know what you think in the comments below—are you team goth villain or heroic highwayman?