A nice enough, traditional gothic tale to pass the time, however, there won't be any surprises for those who love the isolated heroine who must chose A nice enough, traditional gothic tale to pass the time, however, there won't be any surprises for those who love the isolated heroine who must chose between two men trope.
For me the book falls a bit flat with Iris, the heroine. I never became sympathetic to her because she seemed rather bossy and bold (asking the servant girl at the marketplace in front of others if she is illiterate seemed very callous). The painter was typical hero fare.
Worse, I just couldn't get past the historical inaccuracy of a girl in 1850 LIVING at the home of her fiancé. No way on this little green earth would that have been allowed or approved of by society. Her friendliness with the servants was also very odd. I can't imagine a wealthy family putting a COOK in charge of soon-to-be lady-of-the-house's toilette. Bizarre.
This author has promise for I thought the story was a better than average read, the pacing was good, and it hit all the gothic tropes. It just needs more historical accuracy if you are going to set a story in 1850 England, and emotional depth to the main characters....more
A sweet little romance which is plenty META about romance books so will please fans. It's extremely well-written with beautiful descriptions of dresseA sweet little romance which is plenty META about romance books so will please fans. It's extremely well-written with beautiful descriptions of dresses, and a good level of sexual tension.
It is as historically accurate as romances can be (notations in the back by the author). I really appreciate this because most romance authors don't bother to be accurate at all nowadays.
However, like many romances, there are no real surprises, and the twists are easy to see early on. While the hero and heroine are a sweet couple, there is nothing about them that I felt deeply about and the end problem of our hero is really never resolved.
While most happens off stage, there is some sexual tension between the married couple which is pretty hot for the sweet romance reader....more
A mystery overstuffed with characters with too many plots that fade away to nothing. I had to force myself through this one. The dead woman is far morA mystery overstuffed with characters with too many plots that fade away to nothing. I had to force myself through this one. The dead woman is far more interesting than our two lovers (with their very improbable reunion story).
Once again, Miss Silver is underused, and could have been removed altogether without any great loss to the story.
This book introduces Inspector Lamb and his Sergeant Abbot. They have standalone stories and have an interesting dynamic that is far more entertaining than this mystery....more
A strong contender for a solid country house murder of a woman many others despise. By this time in the series, Wentworth has really improved her writA strong contender for a solid country house murder of a woman many others despise. By this time in the series, Wentworth has really improved her writing style. The story has more action and less recap; Miss Silver is established as well as Inspector Randal March (and the two work together very well in this book); and the mystery itself is much tighter with a lot of suspects for the reader to consider, as well as some good red herrings.
On her twenty-first birthday Laura Fane comes into her inheritance, a manor house which her relative who is renting wants to buy. Despite her better sense she allows herself to be convinced to visit for the weekend with other new friends. It is past and current relationships that complicate her visit to an aunt she's never met, and things grow more tangled when one of the guests is murdered.
Laura is a typical Wentworth heroine: a lovely young girl who blushes at the drop of a hat. She's quickly paired with a RAF lover with a very fast courtship. By the end of the story we are left hanging on some things: (view spoiler)[ Will she sell the house to her aunt? Probably yes. Will boyfriend get his eyesight back? Because of True Love, probably yes. (hide spoiler)]
Personally I would have preferred the boyfriend loudly proclaim at (view spoiler)[ dinner that he and Tanis were never engaged and after she declined his offer of marriage, he sought love elsewhere. (hide spoiler)] A bold move would have scotched all the bro-ha-ha about him and Laura but no one in a Wentworth book does anything logical.
World War 2 has started and the war is addressed in the story with a light touch (it is not the main thrust of the story).
NOTE: Some of the books with this title have the wrong description. Be sure you are looking at this edition with this cover for an accurate description....more
The second volume in the Miss Silver series. The only story that is really worth the read is The Chinese Shawl, although if you are a "must have all bThe second volume in the Miss Silver series. The only story that is really worth the read is The Chinese Shawl, although if you are a "must have all books in a series" buying the volume set on sale is a good deal. Otherwise, just buy the Shawl as a standalone.
IN THE BALANCE (2 stars)
The story begins with an exciting encounter of Miss Silver on the train meeting a married woman in trouble. Lisle has just overheard a horrible piece of gossip: that her husband had murdered his first wife and she is next.
From there the story quickly goes tepid. While this is a solidly written story, it just isn't that interesting. Lisle is pathetic. The villain is obvious. The resolution as expected.
For the reader who likes a traditional gothic: did newlywed marry the wrong man? And is he out to kill her for her money? you might find this a satisfying tale if you can get through the chapters that repeat things until your mind is numb.
Miss Silver's character is firmly established even though she isn't much in this book. This is also the first one with Randal March, the police Inspector who is a former student of Miss Silver's. He becomes a regular and a useful excuse for Miss Silver to intrude herself into other mysteries.
THE CHINESE SHAWL (4 stars)
A strong contender for a solid country house murder of a woman many others despise. One of the better Miss Silver stories with a heroine that isn't a total pushover, with the standard two young lovers, and a very good country house mystery in terms of a whodunit.
By this time in the series, Wentworth has really improved her writing style. The story has more action and less recap; Miss Silver is established as well as Inspector Randal March (and the two work together very well in this book); and the mystery itself is much tighter with a lot of suspects for the reader to consider, as well as some good red herrings.
On her twenty-first birthday Laura Fane comes into her inheritance, a manor house which her relative who is renting wants to buy. Despite her better sense she allows herself to be convinced to visit for the weekend with other new friends. It is past and current relationships that complicate her visit to an aunt she's never met, and things grow more tangled when one of the guests is murdered.
MISS SILVER DEALS WITH DEATH (2 stars)
A mystery overstuffed with characters with too many plots that fade away to nothing. I had to force myself through this one. The dead woman is far more interesting than our two lovers (with their very improbable reunion story).
Once again, Miss Silver is underused, and could have been removed altogether. This book introduces Inspector Lamb and his Sergeant Abbot. They have standalone stories and have an interesting dynamic that is far more entertaining than this mystery....more
The story begins with an exciting encounter of Miss Silver on the train meeting a married woman in trouble. Lisle has just overheard a horrible piece The story begins with an exciting encounter of Miss Silver on the train meeting a married woman in trouble. Lisle has just overheard a horrible piece of gossip: that her husband had murdered his first wife and she is next.
From there the story quickly goes tepid. While this is a solidly written story, it just isn't that interesting. Lisle is willing victim who has no self-determination and is about as interesting to read about as a wet dishcloth. The villain is obvious. The murder attempts standard: drowning, car accident, falling off a cliff. There just isn't enough menace. What would have been an interesting twist if you were re-writing it today would be a (view spoiler)[gay love relationship between the husband and Ralf, resulting in an interesting jealousy and love triangle with the heroine. (hide spoiler)]
For the reader who likes a traditional gothic: did newlywed marry the wrong man? And is he out to kill her for her money? you might find this a satisfying tale if you can get through the chapters that repeat things until your mind is numb.
Miss Silver is at the beginning and end, and no where between in this story, although in the brief glimpses we get of her, Wentworth establishes her personal appearance and that of her flat, which will be repeated in future stories. Once again she gives advice that is ignored: destroy the will (see book 3, Lonesome Road).
For those following the series and want the canon, this is the first one that introduces Randal March, the police Inspector who Miss Silver once taught (as well as his two sisters). He becomes a regular and a useful excuse for Miss Silver to intrude herself into other mysteries....more
Overall, the first three stories in the Miss Silver series are poor shows, but if you must have them buying them in the set, when they go on sale (whiOverall, the first three stories in the Miss Silver series are poor shows, but if you must have them buying them in the set, when they go on sale (which they often do) is the best way.
GREY MASK (1-2 stars)
The first in the Miss Silver mysteries, and while the books get better, this one, published in 1928, is an amateur effort. Overall, the book isn't worth reading unless you become a Miss Silver fan and need to read how she was born for this is her debut.
We have her usual pair of young lovers - the Bright Young Things, who are in some sort of relationship, or soon will be. The hero is always courageous and up to any old sport, and gives off a Tommy feel. The girl is varying degrees of helpless, depending on the story.
In this one we have the broken engagement and the lovers reconnecting with the girl holding back the secret on why she spurned her love at the altar four years prior.
In Grey Mask we have the "secret society" trope that Christie often used in her earlier work and nowadays reads very much as pulp fiction.
THE CASE IS CLOSED (3 stars)
In this 2nd Miss Silver mystery, we start to see some glimmers of Wentworth's talent as she starts to experiment more with her characters and plotting.
Like Agatha Christie, we have the couple of Bright Young Things who are trying to get along - Henry with his inherited antiques shop, and Hilary with trying to keep her cousin from sinking into despair because her husband is in prison for a crime he didn't commit.
The primary reason why this one is a cut above the first edition, is our heroine Hilary Carew who is Plucky (with a capitol P) and who's commentary is engaging and often funny. There is a very intense scene when Hilary is in danger during a bike ride in the country that is truly rather scary.
Unfortunately, the book has too much space given to a recounting of the crime which is repeated several times. And the basic plot seems to have been lifted from Lady Molly of Scotland Yard (Sir Jeremiah’s Will and The End, 1910).
LONESOME ROAD (2.5 stars)
A country house would-be murder where a wealth woman is surrounded by hanger-ons who want their share of an inheritance. Miss Silver is brought in sooner than she was in the first two books, and is far more actively engaged with the other characters.
Of course Rachel could have solved all of this by simply ripping up her will (something Miss Silver recommends) but she stubbornly (or stupidly) resists. You wish she'd grow a spine and at the end of the book, someone tells her to just gift them the money and wash her hands of it. Sound advice!
***
Overall, none of these first three books have the brilliance that Wentworth shows in later volumes. I enjoyed The Case is Closed the best because of the charming Hilary. Unless you can find it on sale or free through Gutenberg, I'd pass on this volume....more
Wentworth starts to hit her stride in this third outing of her spinster detective, Miss Maud Silver (a character conceived 2 years before Christie's MWentworth starts to hit her stride in this third outing of her spinster detective, Miss Maud Silver (a character conceived 2 years before Christie's Miss Jane Marple).
Here we have the rich woman surrounded by family with one of them with murder in their heart. This is a country house would-be murder that revolves around the vast wealth Rachel has inherited. Miss Silver is brought in sooner than she was in the first two books, and is far more actively engaged with the other characters.
Of course Rachel could have solved all of this by simply ripping up her will (something Miss Silver recommends) but she stubbornly (or stupidly) resists. Surrounded by greedy relatives you kinda wish that she'd grow a spine and at the end of the book, someone tells her to just gift them the money and wash her hands of it. Sound advice!
While this book doesn't have the same plot or resolution as Agatha Christies' Hercule Poirot's Christmas or Crooked House, it gives off some of the same family dynamics and vibe - though isn't as clever by a long shot.
Why the book merits the 3 stars. The fall off the cliff? Ugh. So trite. And the ending (which I won't reveal) is straight out of a pulp magazine it is so Perils of Pauline. Wentworth can do better and does better in later Miss Silver books.
Having said that, I really don't understand why the BBC hasn't done the Miss Silver books up as a mini-series as they are out of copyright, and the mysteries are better than the ones they sourced from another Golden Mystery writer, the Miss Bradley series written by Gladys Mitchell....more
In this 2nd Miss Silver mystery, we start to see some glimmers of Wentworth's talent as she starts to experiment more with her characters and plottingIn this 2nd Miss Silver mystery, we start to see some glimmers of Wentworth's talent as she starts to experiment more with her characters and plotting.
Hilary's cousin, Marion, has a serious problem. Her husband has been sentenced to prison for a murder.
Like Agatha Christie, we have the couple of Bright Young Things who are trying to get along - Henry with his inherited antiques shop, and Hillary with trying to keep her cousin from sinking into despair (and never said, but possible madness/suicide). You have to take this with a tongue-in-cheek reader attitude today because it is so over-the-top that it could be read as silly.
The primary reason why this one is a cut above the first edition, is our heroine Hilary Carew who is Plucky (with a capitol P) and her relationship with her fiancée, Henry, who's stoicism and pompousness has caused a brief interruption in their engagement.
What the book doesn't do well: there is a HUGE amount of space given to recounting the murder and the evidence through clippings and people re-telling which is mind-blowingly boring. Henry is a bit dense sometimes and could do well with a good slap of common sense.
While the book has flaws and leans heavily on Sherlock Holmes (the long dry recap), we start to see the better side of Wentworth. The murder is clever though the plot is weighed down by far too many coincidences to the point of utter ridiculousness. There is also some amusing dialogue and scenes between Hilary and Henry that also shows Wentworth at her best.
There is a very intense scene when Hilary is in danger during a bike ride in the country that is truly rather scary.
BTW this story really gave me deja vu, because it is VERY similar to the Lady Molly of Scotland Yard stories: Sir Jeremiah’s Will and The End (1910). The crime is the same and some of the clues are super similar....more
The first in the Miss Silver mysteries, and while the books get better, this one, published in 1928, is an amateur effort. Overall, the book isn't worThe first in the Miss Silver mysteries, and while the books get better, this one, published in 1928, is an amateur effort. Overall, the book isn't worth reading unless you become a Miss Silver fan and need to read how she was born for this is her debut.
I had to doublecheck but Miss Maud Silver, the spinster who knits and solves mysteries, was conceived two years before Agatha Christie Miss Jane Marple (The Murder at the Vicarage, 1930). As they are both Golden Age mystery writers there are some clear copy cat themes going on between Christie's early work and Wentworth's Miss Silver series. If you've read the Tommy and Tuppence (1922+) stories by Christie you'll quickly see the comparisons.
First, Wentworth always has a pair of young lovers - the Bright Young Things, who are in some sort of relationship, or soon will be. The hero is always courageous and up to any old sport, and gives off a Tommy feel. The girl is varying degrees of helpless, depending on the story.
In this one we have the broken engagement and the lovers reconnecting with the girl holding back the secret on why she spurned her love at the altar four years prior.
In Grey Mask we have the "secret society" trope that Christie often used in her earlier work (see Parker Pyne which made fun of that, but also The Seven Dials Mystery, and some of her short stories - not her best work). There is always a son who is a Bolshevik (Bolshie) or a Socialist - both we can pretty safely assume that someone of Christie's class would have disliked (and most of these male characters are worthless lay abouts sponging off their families).
Probably why this theme was so popular was that after WW1 and the world about to enter WW2 the fear of political secret societies was growing. Indeed, the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria, in Sarajevo, was murdered by two such groups: Young Bosnia, and the Serbian Black Hand....more
A decent murder mystery heavily influenced by Agatha Christie and the Golden Age, with a very small dash of P.S. Wodehouse. Probably not a series I wiA decent murder mystery heavily influenced by Agatha Christie and the Golden Age, with a very small dash of P.S. Wodehouse. Probably not a series I will follow as I just didn't connect with the main detective, but a decent read and well-written....more
A gritty gothic about a strange house and its inhabitant in rural Kentucky. In this publishing era where most books are bubblegum, this one is thoughtA gritty gothic about a strange house and its inhabitant in rural Kentucky. In this publishing era where most books are bubblegum, this one is thoughtful and well worth a read.
Orphaned Opal and her brother Jasper are barely clinging on since their mother's tragic death years ago. But Opal needs money so she takes a risk and approaches the house she's had dreams about ever since her mother's death. Opal is a heroine to root for, even if her and her brother could have solved most of the problems in the book if they had talked to each other.
In order to tell the past, there are parts where someone tells a story or some other contrivance but luckily for the reader these are well done and don't intrude.
The biggest problem with the story is the villain. Baine (get it? Bane?) is a cardboard antagonist you might find in The Witches by Roald Dahl, or worse someone from a Spy Kids movie. She simply is not believable because we really don't know her motivation other than the stock one of: evil corporate genius with unlimited power wants to gobble up town resources. The big battle at the end is rather laughable. It is the reason I knocked a star off the review.
On the negative side the book goes on too long in the middle without much happening. The metaphors are a bit to many and the ending is rather simplistic for such a complicated book.
However, over all it is well worth a read. Because of the simplicity of the villain and the ending, I feel it is fine for a Young Adult read although there are some sex scenes....more
The writing style elevates this to a fun read, otherwise it is a predictable Regency romance. The spy plot is weak tea, and the heroine's interest in The writing style elevates this to a fun read, otherwise it is a predictable Regency romance. The spy plot is weak tea, and the heroine's interest in lady beetles is tepid. ...more
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