Fear by Night

by Patricia Wentworth

The heiress to a vast fortune is targeted in this page-turning novel from the author of the Miss Silver Mysteries

Ann Vernon is lunching at the Luxe when she overhears two people talking about someone who must be gotten out of the way. She has no idea that she's that very someone! Against the advice of her boyfriend, Charles Anstruther, whose marriage proposal she's just rejected, Ann accepts a position as secretary to an elderly woman. She accompanies Mrs. Halliday and her son, Jimmy, on a cruise, where she meets handsome, charming Gale Anderson. After a few days, the Emma puts in anchor at Loch Dhu, a remote Scottish island marked by sharp rocks, heather, and steep cliffs.

Suspecting something is not right about Ann's employers, Charles begins an unofficial investigation. He travels to Loch Dhu, only to discover there's no way to get on the island. As the days count down to a wealthy man's death, steps are taken to eliminate Ann before she can inherit the estate of Elias Paulett, the great-uncle she's never met. And once the final piece of a monstrous scheme is set in motion, not even the man she loves may be able to save her.

Kirkus Reviews hails beloved British crime writer Patricia Wentworth's Fear by Night as "well done and full of creeps."

Genres: Mystery, Fiction, Cozy Mystery, British Literature, Thriller, Historical Fiction, Scotland

Hardcover

First published January 1, 1934

About the author

Patricia Wentworth--born Dora Amy Elles--was a British crime fiction writer.

She was educated privately and at Blackheath High School in London. After the death of her first husband, George F. Dillon, in 1906, she settled in Camberley, Surrey. She married George Oliver Turnbull in 1920 and they had one daughter.

She wrote a series of 32 classic-style whodunnits featuring Miss Silver, the first of which was published in 1928, and the last in 1961, the year of her death.

Miss Silver, a retired governess-turned private detective, is sometimes compared to Jane Marple, the elderly detective created by Agatha Christie. She works closely with Scotland Yard, especially Inspector Frank Abbott and is fond of quoting the poet Tennyson.

Wentworth also wrote 34 books outside of that series.

Reviews

[Carla Remy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This 1934 thriller has great characters, a little magical realism, and heavy doses of gothic novel. Like the heroine is brought to an island on a loch, and has to solve its mysteries. There is mist and fog, and at one point someone refers to the deep loch as "the Black Lake." I particularly liked the scene where Ann falls through the cleft between rocks on the cliff and one of the bad guys is trying to kill her. It was, honestly, slow in parts, but there was enough good stuff to keep me reading to the end.

[Judy · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of the many frothy, light-hearted romantic adventures by Patricia Wentworth reprinted by Dean Street Press. This is not really a mystery at all, but great fun. I do enjoy these books as long as I space them out.

This one has an appealingly independent heroine, Ann, who decides against marrying boyfriend Charles (because he really needs an heiress to help him restore his famly home!) Instead, she takes a job with an obviously fishy household who are soon sweeping her off to a remote area of the Scottish Highlands.

[Caron Allan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Highly entertaining!

There are some familiar themes here for Wentworth fans: the imperiled heroine, the elderly lady, the rather solid hero, but so much better developed than in some of her other works, and the setting of a Scottish isle is an unusual and very effective one. Here there is no mysterious murder to solve, but rather the all-pervading sense of danger as an heiress falls amongst criminals. A fun and pacy mystery.

[Robyn · Rating 3 out of 5]

Early Bird Book Deal | Longer than it needed to be | There were several aspects of this that were identical to a few of Wentworth's other books, obviously setting aside the one thing that was totally different. At the 42% mark I couldn't figure out how there should be more than a few pages left. Just not well paced, and another of her terrifically idiotic heroines, with ridiculous reasons to turn down their One True Love's marriage proposal.

[Freeda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Everything you want a Patricia Wentworth to be. Unique setting, distinctive characters, villains with quirks, and a completely satisfying ending. But what was really the icing on the cake was Wentworth's post-script to the story.

[Lisa · Rating 3 out of 5]

I dislike wishy washy people. Ann is stringing along Charles and she just irritated me the whole book.

Ann has taken a job as a ladies companion. Meanwhile, her great Uncle left her his fortune in his will upon his death. She knows nothing about this. So there is a plot to kill her so the money goes to the other great niece. Somehow there is a Loch Ness monster involved.

I keep reading old thrillers, hoping against hope i will find another one to rival Agatha Christie. Not yet...

[Kathy · Rating 2 out of 5]

The Miss Silver mysteries are much better. There wasn't much mystery; the interactions weren't satisfying; the "reveal' was unsurprising. Deus ex monstra...

[Sylvaine Yvenou · Rating 3 out of 5]

La maison du Loch de Patricia Wentworth est paru en 1932.
Ce roman, bien ancré dans son époque, ne m'a pas vraiment convaincue. Pourtant le début est parfait. Tout y est. Une écriture bien rythmée, des personnages attachants pour certains, prêts à toutes les extrémités pour les autres. Quand l'argent rend fou..
Ann Vernon est une jeune fille sans le sou qui a pu bénéficier d'une excellente éducation mais qui se retrouve dans l'obligation de gagner sa vie même si le beau Charles lui fait une cour assidue. Elle tient à son indépendance.
Elle va donc accepter un poste de dame de compagnie chez Mrs Halliday. Quand vous saurez que Halliday, le fils , est le proche ami de Gale Anderson, un coureur de dot. Que Gale est le secrétaire d'Elias Paulett, richissime homme d'affaires, dont il a épousé secrètement la petite nièce sensée hériter de son oncle. Qu'en fait c'est Ann Vernon qui sera l'héritière ... Que le piège va se refermer. Que nous sommes sur une île en Ecosse et que rode dans le Loch une ombre menaçante.
Un début prometteur, mais une fin sans queue ni tête quoique...
lu dans le cadre d'une L.C du multi-défis 2022

[FLaure · Rating 3 out of 5]

#1934 _ http://vie-quotidienne-de-flaure.blog...
Ce livre a été édité la première fois en 1934 (bien avant les rumeurs sur les lochs, vous verrez pourquoi je dis cela).
Un huit clos oppressant pour Ann, mais aussi pour les lecteurs. Ann est sur une île et les occupations sont restreintes. Cela se ressent dans la lecture. L'intrigue n'est pas prenante malgré que progressivement on se laisse entrainer. Le dénouement est surprenant et déroutant.
L'auteur met aussi l'accent sur la vie des héritières qui étaient courtisées surtout pour leur fortune dans les années 30.

[Spitz]

It's long and drawn out by the hero's many attempts to rescue the damsel in distress. Adding to the length is a voluble old lady's family stories, which are amusing--at first. The suicidally gallant behavior of the heroine is exasperating but if she had been a person with common sense there would have been no story.

[Valerie]

This is another of Wentworth's books that starts with an unusual premise, and it works better here than it has in some of her other books. As usual, the characters are well drawn, and the descriptions are very detailed.

[Deathburst · Rating 2 out of 5]

Un polar classique, qui n'a pas super bien vieilli. Pas mauvais, mais sans grand intérêt.

[Kate Joekel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fun mystery

I enjoyed this old fashioned mystery, set mostly in Scotland, and featuring a possible sea monster, a spunky heroine and enough romance to make it interesting

[Jenn Estepp · Rating 2 out of 5]

Such frustrating characters. Incredibly indecisive and stupid. Felt very watching a horror movie and wanted to scream "don't go in there! get away!" But points for the unexpected ending, eh.

[Joann · Rating 5 out of 5]

Classic thriller

I loved the characters Ann and Charles. The plot was interesting and suspenseful. The ending was unbelievable but I loved it.

[Karen · Rating 2 out of 5]

Meh. Fun gothic elements but rather slow at times.

[Augusta Richards · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fascinating

Loved it. Couldn’t put it down. PatricIa Wentworth weaves a fascinating story. Attempted murder and love all blended into an enchanting mystery.

[Gail · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoy Wentworth’s fiction enormously. Good mystery, charming love story, and satisfaction all around.

[Cate · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting. Somewhat ridiculous plot, but the afterward where the author explains that Loch Ness Monster wasn't even a thing when she wrote the book makes it more interesting.

[Lori · Rating 1 out of 5]

Stupid heroine and sea serpents. Otherwise totally cliche.

[Donna · Rating 2 out of 5]

This one really dragged on. I was at about 40% and couldn't figure out how it wouldn't wrap up in another chapter or so. It felt very repetitive.

[Jane Watson · Rating 3 out of 5]

A bit slow to begin with this one with a bit too much description of what the characters were feeling but improved towards the end. Of its time certainly but the female characters are quite feisty which I like.

[Evelyn Brooks · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great suspense that's PG-rated

Heroine stalked by villains on a lonely island in Scotland--I won't share any spoilers but here is a postscript from the author that I found interesting: "This book was written in the autumn of 1932, before I had heard so much as a whisper about the Loch Ness Monster."

[Kim · Rating 4 out of 5]

fun read, especially the Loch Dhu aspects. the author's postscript at the end is interesting

[Karen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very readable, with a rather unusual ending for one of her books.

[Tessa · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was not as good as previous titles quite weak i thought.

[Amanda · Rating 3 out of 5]

Without spoilers, I will just say that there is a very unexpected deus ex machina at the end....