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Mrs Pargeter #1-8
The Complete Mrs Pargeter Crime Mysteries 1–8
In this 8-book box set:
Book 1: A NICE CLASS OF CORPSE
Meet Mrs Pargeter, a vivacious widow whose mystery-solving talents come in handy when a murderer stalks a hotel. The victim is Mrs Selsby, timid occupant of the coveted seafront suite. Everyone says her death was a tragic accident, but Mrs Pargeter’s not so sure . . .
Book 2: MRS, PRESUMED DEAD
Mrs Pargeter moves to a lovely new home in leafy Surrey. But when she tries to get in touch with the former owners, Mr and Mrs Cotton, it turns out they have vanished without trace. Mrs P. soon discovers that the nice Mrs Cotton was mixed up with some very shady characters indeed.
Book 3: MRS PARGETER’S PACKAGE
Mrs Pargeter jets off to the sleepy island of Corfu with her dear friend Joyce. Two weeks of sun, sea and sand should be just what they need. But on their very first morning in Corfu, Joyce turns up dead in her bed. Everyone says she took her own life. But Mrs P. knows there are fishy dealings afoot.
Book 4: MRS PARGETER’S POUND OF FLESH
When her friend suggests a few days away at a health spa, Mrs Pargeter is happy to tag along. After all, no one ever died of a little rest and relaxation. Did they? She spots the body of a fellow guest being wheeled out of the spa. Everyone says it was the woman’s sparrow-like diet that killed her, but Mrs P’s not so sure.
Book 5: MRS PARGETER’S PLOT
Constructions for Mrs P’s dream summer home in Kent come to an abrupt halt when a body is discovered in the basement. The dead man appears to have been shot by a gun belonging to Concrete Jacket, her builder. Concrete is swiftly arrested for murder. But she smells a rat. Concrete may be a scoundrel but he’s no killer. Someone set him up. But who?
Book 6: MRS PARGETER’S POINT OF HONOUR
Well-to-do widow Veronica is in quite the fix. Her shady husband left her a gallery of priceless ‘borrowed’ paintings. She wants to return them — with a little help from her old friend, Mrs Pargeter. But when they arrive to pick up the paintings, they discover that someone has beaten them to it!
Book 7: MRS PARGETER’S PRINCIPLE
Sir Normington Winthrop’s funeral is a surprisingly jolly affair. Mrs P. goes along to pay her respects — and to discover his connection with her dear, departed Mr P. But when she approaches the teary widow, she is blocked by another mysterious mourner. He coolly threatens Mrs P. to stay away or else.
Book 8: MRS PARGETER’S PUBLIC RELATIONS
Mrs P. attends a charity event. But the night’s barely begun when the lights go off, plunging the hall into darkness. When the power comes back on, the grand prize of the auction has disappeared. Days later, a guest is found dead. Why aren’t the organizers concerned?
Book 1: A NICE CLASS OF CORPSE
Meet Mrs Pargeter, a vivacious widow whose mystery-solving talents come in handy when a murderer stalks a hotel. The victim is Mrs Selsby, timid occupant of the coveted seafront suite. Everyone says her death was a tragic accident, but Mrs Pargeter’s not so sure . . .
Book 2: MRS, PRESUMED DEAD
Mrs Pargeter moves to a lovely new home in leafy Surrey. But when she tries to get in touch with the former owners, Mr and Mrs Cotton, it turns out they have vanished without trace. Mrs P. soon discovers that the nice Mrs Cotton was mixed up with some very shady characters indeed.
Book 3: MRS PARGETER’S PACKAGE
Mrs Pargeter jets off to the sleepy island of Corfu with her dear friend Joyce. Two weeks of sun, sea and sand should be just what they need. But on their very first morning in Corfu, Joyce turns up dead in her bed. Everyone says she took her own life. But Mrs P. knows there are fishy dealings afoot.
Book 4: MRS PARGETER’S POUND OF FLESH
When her friend suggests a few days away at a health spa, Mrs Pargeter is happy to tag along. After all, no one ever died of a little rest and relaxation. Did they? She spots the body of a fellow guest being wheeled out of the spa. Everyone says it was the woman’s sparrow-like diet that killed her, but Mrs P’s not so sure.
Book 5: MRS PARGETER’S PLOT
Constructions for Mrs P’s dream summer home in Kent come to an abrupt halt when a body is discovered in the basement. The dead man appears to have been shot by a gun belonging to Concrete Jacket, her builder. Concrete is swiftly arrested for murder. But she smells a rat. Concrete may be a scoundrel but he’s no killer. Someone set him up. But who?
Book 6: MRS PARGETER’S POINT OF HONOUR
Well-to-do widow Veronica is in quite the fix. Her shady husband left her a gallery of priceless ‘borrowed’ paintings. She wants to return them — with a little help from her old friend, Mrs Pargeter. But when they arrive to pick up the paintings, they discover that someone has beaten them to it!
Book 7: MRS PARGETER’S PRINCIPLE
Sir Normington Winthrop’s funeral is a surprisingly jolly affair. Mrs P. goes along to pay her respects — and to discover his connection with her dear, departed Mr P. But when she approaches the teary widow, she is blocked by another mysterious mourner. He coolly threatens Mrs P. to stay away or else.
Book 8: MRS PARGETER’S PUBLIC RELATIONS
Mrs P. attends a charity event. But the night’s barely begun when the lights go off, plunging the hall into darkness. When the power comes back on, the grand prize of the auction has disappeared. Days later, a guest is found dead. Why aren’t the organizers concerned?
1689 pages, Kindle Edition
Published August 16, 2023
1781 people are currently reading
156 people want to read
About the author
Simon Brett
359 books560 followersSimon Brett, OBE, FRSL is a prolific British writer of whodunnits.
He is the son of a Chartered Surveyor and was educated at Dulwich College and Wadham College, Oxford, where he got a first class honours degree in English.
He then joined the BBC as a trainee and worked for BBC Radio and London Weekend Television, where his work included 'Hitch-Hiker's Guide to the Galaxy' and 'Frank Muir Goes Into ...'.
After his spells with the media he began devoting most of his time to writing from the late 1970s and is well known for his various series of crime novels.
He is married with three children and lives in Burpham, near Arundel, West Sussex, England. He is the current president of the Detection Club.
He is the son of a Chartered Surveyor and was educated at Dulwich College and Wadham College, Oxford, where he got a first class honours degree in English.
He then joined the BBC as a trainee and worked for BBC Radio and London Weekend Television, where his work included 'Hitch-Hiker's Guide to the Galaxy' and 'Frank Muir Goes Into ...'.
After his spells with the media he began devoting most of his time to writing from the late 1970s and is well known for his various series of crime novels.
He is married with three children and lives in Burpham, near Arundel, West Sussex, England. He is the current president of the Detection Club.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 59 reviews
November 12, 2023
Mrs. Pargeter is a treasure, and so are her late husband's business associates, who idolized their mentor and would do anything for his widow. The lady is observant, intelligent, and has a strong streak of curiosity. At the same time, she firmly resists knowing anything about her husband's "business" activities that left her an extremely wealthy widow. It becomes immediately obvious that he was a criminal mastermind who took great care in selecting protégées to train, paying for their schooling as needed, and financing their more legitimate business enterprises. With a few notable exceptions, all of his associates are totally loyal.
When an acquaintance meets a suspicious end, Mrs. Pargeter seeks assistance from some of the experts listed in her late husband's little black book. She may not have planned a life of investigating mysteries, but it seems to suit her well. She also feels a strong sense of obligation to her husband's companions and their families.
I enjoyed the characters and their adventures so much, that I was sad when the last book came to an end. Highly recommended.
When an acquaintance meets a suspicious end, Mrs. Pargeter seeks assistance from some of the experts listed in her late husband's little black book. She may not have planned a life of investigating mysteries, but it seems to suit her well. She also feels a strong sense of obligation to her husband's companions and their families.
I enjoyed the characters and their adventures so much, that I was sad when the last book came to an end. Highly recommended.
October 9, 2023
What A Jewel Of A Mystery Series !!!!
I just finished the 8th and final (?) book of THE COMPLETE MRS. PARGETER CRIME SERIES 1-8 BY SIMON BRETT, and I want more!!
Excellent writer who created a fascinating set of characters (Especially Mrs. PARGETER!) , with an unusual twist of a plot. Funny , heartwarming, absolutely addictive series- thanks to you Mr. Brett, and the wise publishers of this amazing series! Well done - I would recommend it to anyone with a sense of humor with a love of mystery books.
I just finished the 8th and final (?) book of THE COMPLETE MRS. PARGETER CRIME SERIES 1-8 BY SIMON BRETT, and I want more!!
Excellent writer who created a fascinating set of characters (Especially Mrs. PARGETER!) , with an unusual twist of a plot. Funny , heartwarming, absolutely addictive series- thanks to you Mr. Brett, and the wise publishers of this amazing series! Well done - I would recommend it to anyone with a sense of humor with a love of mystery books.
October 28, 2023
There is so much humour in this text that I often laughed aloud. There is much that is preposterous, gently ironic and often downright slapstick that I was often overtaken by mirth. The juxtaposition of the correct Mrs Pargeter her late husband’s henchmen is continuously comic and her innocence about his background activities is humorously just believable.
The best thing is Simon Brett’s understated irony which reminds me of a modern PG Wodehouse . A delicious series.
The best thing is Simon Brett’s understated irony which reminds me of a modern PG Wodehouse . A delicious series.
March 30, 2024
This was one of the best series I've enjoyed in a long time. The story lines were all different, the characters were fun to get to know and Mrs. Pargeter (although a bit quirky about some things) is intelligent, brave, creative and afraid of very little. Simon Brett used wonderful language, sometimes sending the reader rushing for a dictionary! No dumbing down of language for this series; it was great. I would definitely recommend the entire 8 books, over 1600 pages, to anyone who enjoys a good mystery read that has suspense, rich plot and humor.
March 5, 2024
What a hoot! I loved the premise that she "knew nothing" and the interesting characterizations. It was refreshing to read a mystery that had very few illicit sexual subplots or gruesome descriptions.
Casting a "little old lady" as the main character who definitely did not fit that mold at all was very admirable. I enjoyed all eight of the series.
Casting a "little old lady" as the main character who definitely did not fit that mold at all was very admirable. I enjoyed all eight of the series.
March 12, 2024
Excellent Stories
This was my first introduction to Simon Brett. I must say I thoroughly enjoyed the Mrs Pargeter series. There was suspense, humor and drama right up until the end. The names of the characters were extremely humorous as well as there specialized occupations. I loved Mrs Pargeter and her “innocence”. Great work!
This was my first introduction to Simon Brett. I must say I thoroughly enjoyed the Mrs Pargeter series. There was suspense, humor and drama right up until the end. The names of the characters were extremely humorous as well as there specialized occupations. I loved Mrs Pargeter and her “innocence”. Great work!
March 11, 2026
This is an updating of the Golden Age mystery for the late, rather than early, 20th century (and into the 21st). The first book was published in 1986, and the rest intermittently through to almost the present day, but there's considerable time distortion which means that the events proceed, and the characters age, much more slowly than technology advances.
I thought I vaguely remembered a TV version of it, but apparently I was mistaken. Simon Brett, the author, is a BBC radio producer, who has produced several shows I've listened to, and that may have been where I got that idea. Or perhaps I have confused Mrs Pargeter with Mrs Pollifax, who got a couple of movies.
Overall, I enjoyed the books, despite the unlikeliness and the spoiled protagonist. "Spoiled protagonist" is a technical term I use for protagonists who are narrated as too perfect and are constantly handed everything they need, whenever they need it, sometimes at the expense of lesser characters. At least in this book the spoiling has an explanation: Mrs Pargeter is the widow of a criminal mastermind who was highly respected by his extensive network of specialists, many of whom he specifically instructed to look after her after his death. Still, not only is Mrs P. very comfortable with herself, but the narration shares her admiration of her own perfections, and judges the lesser people around her unmercifully while never casting even a fragment of shade on Mrs P. Also, the author has his hand on the scales in her favour more than once, including giving her devices that apparently work by magic.
The following reviews of the individual books were mostly written immediately after reading them and before going on to the next book.
Book 1, A Nice Class of Corpse, is set in a private hotel inhabited by a number of elderly people. Mrs Pargeter, aged 67 and five years widowed, joins them, and then (by the kind of coincidence that cosy mystery abounds with) the murders start. The late and genuinely lamented Mr Pargeter, it's clearly implied but never outright stated, made considerable money in illegal enterprises, and his widow calls on the expert advice of a couple of his old associates to help her in solving the crimes.
Mrs Pargeter is self-assertive to a carefully calculated degree, never pushy or rude, just good at cheerfully getting her own way and ignoring social convention if it happens not to suit her. I enjoyed her encounters with the uptight hotel proprietor immensely.
I spotted the first red herring - it seemed far too obvious far too early on - but the second red herring fooled me completely, in a way I enjoyed and applauded. The murderer keeps a diary, and we get extracts from the diary interspersed with the narrative, which ramps up the tension. A very slight cheat: The style of the diary is neutral and generic, so it gives no hints in that way to the identity of the murderer, even though most of the suspects have their own style of speaking to some degree. I can explain it away as the difference between spoken and written language, or the difference between an outward persona and the true thoughts of the person.
At the end of the book, Mrs Pargeter decides this isn't the place she wants to live, and moves on.
Four stars.
In book 2, Mrs, Presumed Dead, we start to get a sense of the formula. As is usually the case in cozy mysteries, another murder happens to occur in Mrs Pargeter's vicinity, this time in the house she buys in a yuppie enclave - before she even moves into it. A key clue happens to have got stuck down behind the radiator, and she happens to find it because a piece of paper she's written something on also falls down into the same place.
We get further instances of Mrs Pargeter calling on her late husband's underworld contacts. His address book is essentially Felix the Cat's bag of tricks: it can produce any expertise she requires at the time. The criminals, most of whom have now gone straight, never fail to say that they'll always be grateful to Mr Pargeter, and that he told them before he died to look after her if she ever needed anything.
Through all of this, she gets a pretty good outline of the motive for the murder, and is reasonably sure that one has been committed. She uses one of her husband's contacts to confirm this (not a spoiler, because the first scene we get in the book is right after the murder has been committed, from the deliberately shadowy POV of the murderer), and reluctantly and anonymously tips off the police. Their investigation somehow fails to turn up the fact that she's already been everywhere they're looking. We don't get names or even much description of the investigating officers, and we certainly don't get their point of view; they're a means to an end, and Mrs Pargeter puppets them remotely.
The small group of six executive houses in commuting distance to London is a hotbed of dirty secrets, meaning everyone has a motive for the murder. This is pretty much in line with the Golden Age detective playbook. The specifics of the small-minded characters and their secrets have changed in 50 or 60 years, but the general feel is similar.
Once again, as in the first book, Mrs Pargeter is herself in danger from the murderer before the book ends, and then decides that this isn't the place she wants to live, and prepares to move on.
I make it sound like I didn't enjoy it, but I did. It is clearly settling into a formula, though, and I'm not sure I'll continue to love the formula through eight books unless it gets changed up a bit.
Still four stars, but the last one is a bit smaller.
Book 3, Mrs Pargeter's Package, is set mostly in Greece, where Mrs P has gone on holiday with a recently widowed friend whose late husband did... something vague and possibly suspicious, not that Mrs P can fault her for that. Of course there's a murder (), and of course Mrs P investigates, and of course she receives abundant help from several people with special talents who recite the now familiar liturgy about what a great man her late husband was, how he helped the person immensely, and how he told them to look after his widow when he was gone, and of course anything she needs will be at no charge.
This time, when Mrs P is in danger at the end, she's saved by an almost literal deus ex machina, which conveniently dispenses justice at the same time, meaning she doesn't need to involve the police at all. (There is a policeman involved, but he's covering up the murder, not trying to solve it.)
There's a red herring which stretched my suspension of disbelief considerably. Don't click on the spoiler unless you really want a spoiler.
The minor characters continue to be caricatures who are looked down upon from the lofty height of the flawless Mrs Pargeter (if you don't count recklessness as a flaw). The narration is all in close third person from her POV, but in a couple of places there's a lot more detail about the doings of these minor characters than a not-particularly-interested observer could plausibly gather from overhearing their conversations.
This one drops to three stars. If the fourth book isn't better, I'm out.
Book 4, Mrs Pargeter's Pound of Flesh: OK, it's improved somewhat. To support another friend whose husband is inside (except when he slips out to visit her, with no apparent difficulty), Mrs P joins the friend in a country manor converted into a slimming spa. There's some pretty fierce satire on the slimming industry and the way it depends on making women feel bad about their bodies; Mrs P is notable for feeling good about her (generously proportioned) body, so it doesn't affect her, but it messes up her friend. Meanwhile, there's something dodgy going on which involves the suspected murder of an innocent Cambridge University student, the definite murder of a staff member at the spa, and apparently unfinished business from Mr Pargeter's past. I saw two of the "twists" coming half a mile off, but there is some suspense (Mrs P gets into danger again, though in a way that's somewhat comedic, and is rescued by someone who shouldn't have known where she was), and by conveniently forgetting about the potential consequences for one of her friends that have prevented justice being done earlier, justice is done.
It's still a bit hinky, but the three stars are edging towards a fourth this time, and I'm happy to carry on.
Book 5, Mrs Pargeter's Plot: The builder Mrs P is employing to build her dream home, who is of course one of her late husband's many associates, is stitched up for a murder he didn't commit, and Mrs P needs to find the real culprit in order to get him back on the job (and back to his wife, who has heavily lacquered copper hair and exquisitely bad taste in interior decorating, but doesn't deserve to have her husband in jail for something he didn't do). Complicating the situation is another ex-con who has had a kind of conversion experience while inside, and is now trying to make restitution to people he had previously wronged - but because he's extremely thick and has an odd angle on life, and is also trying to prove that he's developed a sense of humour (he hasn't), the unlikely ways in which he does this (using who knows what resources) cause more problems for the recipients of his misguided "help". It's a good source of humour; he may not be able to tell a joke competently, but he is himself a good joke, as long as you're not the one he's gifting with something wildly inappropriate and the opposite of helpful.
The humour takes it back up to four stars, and this time it doesn't take shortcuts to get through its plot.
Book 6, Mrs Pargeter's Point of Honour: For the first time in the series, Mrs P is living in the same situation as in the previous book, in a fancy hotel in London owned by another of her husband's many grateful former proteges. Instead of solving a murder, this time she's paying off a debt of honour, a promise her husband made to the widow of another of his crew. She has to return a bunch of stolen paintings to the people and institutions they were stolen from, without bringing the name of the deceased thief into disrepute. By the end of the book, there's also an element of revenge against some people who deserve punishment, not just for things they did but for things they planned to do.
There are clues in this one (from the technology references) that the timeline is slipping around. The first book was published in 1986, and implicitly took place then. At that point, Mr P had been dead about 5 years, if I remember correctly. This one was published in 1998, and Mr P has still been dead about 5 years, so only about a year at most has passed, but the technology referenced as having been used when he was alive is the technology of five years before 1998, not five years before 1986.
It continues to be highly unlikely and full of colourful characters, which is fun. There's an incompetent police inspector who is brilliantly portrayed. It feels a lot more like a heist (or reverse heist, in some respects), and I enjoy heists, so this one gets an easy four stars.
The timeline really becomes unanchored in Book 7, Mrs Pargeter's Principle. It was published in 2015, and again the technology references clearly tell us that we're in 2015. Several years have passed - Mrs P is now finally living in the house that was being slowly built in Mrs Pargeter's Plot, and has been for a little while, and Mr P has now been dead for "some years". But she's certainly not 29 years older than she was in the book published in 1986, which would make her 95; her age isn't specified, but it doesn't seem to be more than early 70s at the most.
Again, we're not solving a murder, but tidying up some unfinished business of Mr Pargeter's, some of it out of duty (looking after the daughter of a recently deceased former employee who'd deliberately dropped off the radar), some more out of curiosity (why, when Mrs P attends the funeral of someone whose name was in her husband's contact book but who none of his old colleagues seem to remember, is she warned off with threats from talking to the widow?) There are a couple of twists, but the main one is pretty obvious, and only by carrying the idiot ball do Mrs P's crew not tumble to it much earlier. Technology plays a significant role, including a completely implausible invention that causes zips (any zip, no preparation required, and no mechanism of any kind suggested) to drop when a remote control is pointed at them and activated. Also, there are magic numbers which, when entered into alarm systems or computers, bypass the need to know a password. Despite the many highly implausible elements and the obvious twist, it's a fun ride. Four stars, though the fourth one is maybe a bit small.
Book 8, Mrs Pargeter's Public Relations, is completely ridiculous and highly predictable, and receives three stars without the option of a fine. We also get more lazy, villainous Greek people, as in Book 2. There's another magic remote control, this one capable of opening (and subsequently closing) any padlock, regardless of whether it's a combination lock, an electronic lock, or an ordinary key lock, and once again there's no hint of how it works (because it breaks several laws of physics and the basic way that mechanisms work). Likewise with the magic software that Mrs P's hacker friend develops, which can somehow delete offline backups as well as the files on the computers she's actually hacked into. Both of these are well beyond implausible.
And, of course, once she has a magic padlock opener, every lock Mrs P encounters that she needs to get through is suddenly a padlock. The author tilts the playing field thoroughly to her advantage throughout, even when it's unnecessary, such as when by "serendipity" (authorial fiat) someone she was about to call calls her and spares her the slight trouble.
Mrs P is in danger twice.
I saw the "twists" (including the second rescue) all coming a mile off, and correctly predicted well in advance of the revelations not only what crime was being committed but exactly what they were
The series continues with two further books. My library has them, and I might read them at some point, even though so many of the books feature ridiculous plot devices, the "twists" are often patently obvious and the main character is overly perfect and given far too much authorial help. The average is a very low four or quite a high three stars; if the writing mechanics weren't so good or the humour hadn't landed for me, I would be harsher.
I thought I vaguely remembered a TV version of it, but apparently I was mistaken. Simon Brett, the author, is a BBC radio producer, who has produced several shows I've listened to, and that may have been where I got that idea. Or perhaps I have confused Mrs Pargeter with Mrs Pollifax, who got a couple of movies.
Overall, I enjoyed the books, despite the unlikeliness and the spoiled protagonist. "Spoiled protagonist" is a technical term I use for protagonists who are narrated as too perfect and are constantly handed everything they need, whenever they need it, sometimes at the expense of lesser characters. At least in this book the spoiling has an explanation: Mrs Pargeter is the widow of a criminal mastermind who was highly respected by his extensive network of specialists, many of whom he specifically instructed to look after her after his death. Still, not only is Mrs P. very comfortable with herself, but the narration shares her admiration of her own perfections, and judges the lesser people around her unmercifully while never casting even a fragment of shade on Mrs P. Also, the author has his hand on the scales in her favour more than once, including giving her devices that apparently work by magic.
The following reviews of the individual books were mostly written immediately after reading them and before going on to the next book.
Book 1, A Nice Class of Corpse, is set in a private hotel inhabited by a number of elderly people. Mrs Pargeter, aged 67 and five years widowed, joins them, and then (by the kind of coincidence that cosy mystery abounds with) the murders start. The late and genuinely lamented Mr Pargeter, it's clearly implied but never outright stated, made considerable money in illegal enterprises, and his widow calls on the expert advice of a couple of his old associates to help her in solving the crimes.
Mrs Pargeter is self-assertive to a carefully calculated degree, never pushy or rude, just good at cheerfully getting her own way and ignoring social convention if it happens not to suit her. I enjoyed her encounters with the uptight hotel proprietor immensely.
I spotted the first red herring - it seemed far too obvious far too early on - but the second red herring fooled me completely, in a way I enjoyed and applauded. The murderer keeps a diary, and we get extracts from the diary interspersed with the narrative, which ramps up the tension. A very slight cheat: The style of the diary is neutral and generic, so it gives no hints in that way to the identity of the murderer, even though most of the suspects have their own style of speaking to some degree. I can explain it away as the difference between spoken and written language, or the difference between an outward persona and the true thoughts of the person.
At the end of the book, Mrs Pargeter decides this isn't the place she wants to live, and moves on.
Four stars.
In book 2, Mrs, Presumed Dead, we start to get a sense of the formula. As is usually the case in cozy mysteries, another murder happens to occur in Mrs Pargeter's vicinity, this time in the house she buys in a yuppie enclave - before she even moves into it. A key clue happens to have got stuck down behind the radiator, and she happens to find it because a piece of paper she's written something on also falls down into the same place.
We get further instances of Mrs Pargeter calling on her late husband's underworld contacts. His address book is essentially Felix the Cat's bag of tricks: it can produce any expertise she requires at the time. The criminals, most of whom have now gone straight, never fail to say that they'll always be grateful to Mr Pargeter, and that he told them before he died to look after her if she ever needed anything.
Through all of this, she gets a pretty good outline of the motive for the murder, and is reasonably sure that one has been committed. She uses one of her husband's contacts to confirm this (not a spoiler, because the first scene we get in the book is right after the murder has been committed, from the deliberately shadowy POV of the murderer), and reluctantly and anonymously tips off the police. Their investigation somehow fails to turn up the fact that she's already been everywhere they're looking. We don't get names or even much description of the investigating officers, and we certainly don't get their point of view; they're a means to an end, and Mrs Pargeter puppets them remotely.
The small group of six executive houses in commuting distance to London is a hotbed of dirty secrets, meaning everyone has a motive for the murder. This is pretty much in line with the Golden Age detective playbook. The specifics of the small-minded characters and their secrets have changed in 50 or 60 years, but the general feel is similar.
Once again, as in the first book, Mrs Pargeter is herself in danger from the murderer before the book ends, and then decides that this isn't the place she wants to live, and prepares to move on.
I make it sound like I didn't enjoy it, but I did. It is clearly settling into a formula, though, and I'm not sure I'll continue to love the formula through eight books unless it gets changed up a bit.
Still four stars, but the last one is a bit smaller.
Book 3, Mrs Pargeter's Package, is set mostly in Greece, where Mrs P has gone on holiday with a recently widowed friend whose late husband did... something vague and possibly suspicious, not that Mrs P can fault her for that. Of course there's a murder (), and of course Mrs P investigates, and of course she receives abundant help from several people with special talents who recite the now familiar liturgy about what a great man her late husband was, how he helped the person immensely, and how he told them to look after his widow when he was gone, and of course anything she needs will be at no charge.
This time, when Mrs P is in danger at the end, she's saved by an almost literal deus ex machina, which conveniently dispenses justice at the same time, meaning she doesn't need to involve the police at all. (There is a policeman involved, but he's covering up the murder, not trying to solve it.)
There's a red herring which stretched my suspension of disbelief considerably. Don't click on the spoiler unless you really want a spoiler.
The minor characters continue to be caricatures who are looked down upon from the lofty height of the flawless Mrs Pargeter (if you don't count recklessness as a flaw). The narration is all in close third person from her POV, but in a couple of places there's a lot more detail about the doings of these minor characters than a not-particularly-interested observer could plausibly gather from overhearing their conversations.
This one drops to three stars. If the fourth book isn't better, I'm out.
Book 4, Mrs Pargeter's Pound of Flesh: OK, it's improved somewhat. To support another friend whose husband is inside (except when he slips out to visit her, with no apparent difficulty), Mrs P joins the friend in a country manor converted into a slimming spa. There's some pretty fierce satire on the slimming industry and the way it depends on making women feel bad about their bodies; Mrs P is notable for feeling good about her (generously proportioned) body, so it doesn't affect her, but it messes up her friend. Meanwhile, there's something dodgy going on which involves the suspected murder of an innocent Cambridge University student, the definite murder of a staff member at the spa, and apparently unfinished business from Mr Pargeter's past. I saw two of the "twists" coming half a mile off, but there is some suspense (Mrs P gets into danger again, though in a way that's somewhat comedic, and is rescued by someone who shouldn't have known where she was), and by conveniently forgetting about the potential consequences for one of her friends that have prevented justice being done earlier, justice is done.
It's still a bit hinky, but the three stars are edging towards a fourth this time, and I'm happy to carry on.
Book 5, Mrs Pargeter's Plot: The builder Mrs P is employing to build her dream home, who is of course one of her late husband's many associates, is stitched up for a murder he didn't commit, and Mrs P needs to find the real culprit in order to get him back on the job (and back to his wife, who has heavily lacquered copper hair and exquisitely bad taste in interior decorating, but doesn't deserve to have her husband in jail for something he didn't do). Complicating the situation is another ex-con who has had a kind of conversion experience while inside, and is now trying to make restitution to people he had previously wronged - but because he's extremely thick and has an odd angle on life, and is also trying to prove that he's developed a sense of humour (he hasn't), the unlikely ways in which he does this (using who knows what resources) cause more problems for the recipients of his misguided "help". It's a good source of humour; he may not be able to tell a joke competently, but he is himself a good joke, as long as you're not the one he's gifting with something wildly inappropriate and the opposite of helpful.
The humour takes it back up to four stars, and this time it doesn't take shortcuts to get through its plot.
Book 6, Mrs Pargeter's Point of Honour: For the first time in the series, Mrs P is living in the same situation as in the previous book, in a fancy hotel in London owned by another of her husband's many grateful former proteges. Instead of solving a murder, this time she's paying off a debt of honour, a promise her husband made to the widow of another of his crew. She has to return a bunch of stolen paintings to the people and institutions they were stolen from, without bringing the name of the deceased thief into disrepute. By the end of the book, there's also an element of revenge against some people who deserve punishment, not just for things they did but for things they planned to do.
There are clues in this one (from the technology references) that the timeline is slipping around. The first book was published in 1986, and implicitly took place then. At that point, Mr P had been dead about 5 years, if I remember correctly. This one was published in 1998, and Mr P has still been dead about 5 years, so only about a year at most has passed, but the technology referenced as having been used when he was alive is the technology of five years before 1998, not five years before 1986.
It continues to be highly unlikely and full of colourful characters, which is fun. There's an incompetent police inspector who is brilliantly portrayed. It feels a lot more like a heist (or reverse heist, in some respects), and I enjoy heists, so this one gets an easy four stars.
The timeline really becomes unanchored in Book 7, Mrs Pargeter's Principle. It was published in 2015, and again the technology references clearly tell us that we're in 2015. Several years have passed - Mrs P is now finally living in the house that was being slowly built in Mrs Pargeter's Plot, and has been for a little while, and Mr P has now been dead for "some years". But she's certainly not 29 years older than she was in the book published in 1986, which would make her 95; her age isn't specified, but it doesn't seem to be more than early 70s at the most.
Again, we're not solving a murder, but tidying up some unfinished business of Mr Pargeter's, some of it out of duty (looking after the daughter of a recently deceased former employee who'd deliberately dropped off the radar), some more out of curiosity (why, when Mrs P attends the funeral of someone whose name was in her husband's contact book but who none of his old colleagues seem to remember, is she warned off with threats from talking to the widow?) There are a couple of twists, but the main one is pretty obvious, and only by carrying the idiot ball do Mrs P's crew not tumble to it much earlier. Technology plays a significant role, including a completely implausible invention that causes zips (any zip, no preparation required, and no mechanism of any kind suggested) to drop when a remote control is pointed at them and activated. Also, there are magic numbers which, when entered into alarm systems or computers, bypass the need to know a password. Despite the many highly implausible elements and the obvious twist, it's a fun ride. Four stars, though the fourth one is maybe a bit small.
Book 8, Mrs Pargeter's Public Relations, is completely ridiculous and highly predictable, and receives three stars without the option of a fine. We also get more lazy, villainous Greek people, as in Book 2. There's another magic remote control, this one capable of opening (and subsequently closing) any padlock, regardless of whether it's a combination lock, an electronic lock, or an ordinary key lock, and once again there's no hint of how it works (because it breaks several laws of physics and the basic way that mechanisms work). Likewise with the magic software that Mrs P's hacker friend develops, which can somehow delete offline backups as well as the files on the computers she's actually hacked into. Both of these are well beyond implausible.
And, of course, once she has a magic padlock opener, every lock Mrs P encounters that she needs to get through is suddenly a padlock. The author tilts the playing field thoroughly to her advantage throughout, even when it's unnecessary, such as when by "serendipity" (authorial fiat) someone she was about to call calls her and spares her the slight trouble.
Mrs P is in danger twice.
I saw the "twists" (including the second rescue) all coming a mile off, and correctly predicted well in advance of the revelations not only what crime was being committed but exactly what they were
The series continues with two further books. My library has them, and I might read them at some point, even though so many of the books feature ridiculous plot devices, the "twists" are often patently obvious and the main character is overly perfect and given far too much authorial help. The average is a very low four or quite a high three stars; if the writing mechanics weren't so good or the humour hadn't landed for me, I would be harsher.
November 25, 2023
Great series of books
Mrs. Pargeter was the widow of a philanthropist who helped young criminals to get educated and get jobs. Her late husband was much admired by the recipients of his help and who, after his death, made themselves available to his widow for various jobs. She was devoted to her deceased husband, who had bequeathed her with a little black book of contacts he had helped over the years. I loved the way all those in the black book who she contacted jumped to repay her late husband's generosity by helping and protecting his Mrs. with whatever she needed, whether it was finding information to help a friend or busting a crime family. She was brave and generous with the wealth her late husband had left her. I also loved that she refused to let anyone call her late husband a criminal.
Mrs. Pargeter was the widow of a philanthropist who helped young criminals to get educated and get jobs. Her late husband was much admired by the recipients of his help and who, after his death, made themselves available to his widow for various jobs. She was devoted to her deceased husband, who had bequeathed her with a little black book of contacts he had helped over the years. I loved the way all those in the black book who she contacted jumped to repay her late husband's generosity by helping and protecting his Mrs. with whatever she needed, whether it was finding information to help a friend or busting a crime family. She was brave and generous with the wealth her late husband had left her. I also loved that she refused to let anyone call her late husband a criminal.
November 21, 2024
Absolutely no knowledge of that.
Words to live by for Mrs Pargeter, whose husband made sure she had no knowledge of his working activities.
After his death she inherits his little black book, which includes the name, address and occupation of those included.
While being unaware of her husband's activities, she certainly finds that the people who had worked for her husband held him in high regard and therefore were more than pleased to help her with her little projects.
I couldn't stop 😃 smiling as I read these stories. I have, personally, met and conversed with such people, who only see what they want to see and can totally ignore anything or anyone who tries to tell them different.
Well written, wonderful characters, great stories.
Words to live by for Mrs Pargeter, whose husband made sure she had no knowledge of his working activities.
After his death she inherits his little black book, which includes the name, address and occupation of those included.
While being unaware of her husband's activities, she certainly finds that the people who had worked for her husband held him in high regard and therefore were more than pleased to help her with her little projects.
I couldn't stop 😃 smiling as I read these stories. I have, personally, met and conversed with such people, who only see what they want to see and can totally ignore anything or anyone who tries to tell them different.
Well written, wonderful characters, great stories.
August 13, 2024
The Complete Mrs. Pargeter Crime Mysteries. I have now read book II.
Mrs. Pargeter starts to investigate and delves behind the veneers of the beautifully designed estate’s net curtains into the fascinating lives of the inhabitants of Smith Loam and discovers some people's behaviors leave behind a lot to be desired. With fine attention to the peculiarity of suburban life, Simon Brett has once more woven a marvelously intriguing and deceptive tale of suspense.
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What I liked about the main character; Mrs. Pargeter is that she knows her since of place as in this occasion she is there for some six month and then she will move on out of Smithy’s Loam. She is a nosy body who does wrap things up when it comes to solving the crime.
I loved the names of the characters: Rewind Wilson, Mr. Runcorn, the late Mr. & Mrs. Cotton; both having died tragically (murdered) and yet no one in their social ranks noticed since it was presumed that they’d moved on and out of Smithy’s Loam. I also enjoyed the secretary/receptionist who worked at the Mason De Vere Detective Agency with the ‘righteous Welsh’ voice as described by Mrs. Pargeter. The ‘righteous Welsh’ voice had an answer for everything when it came to male and their cheating habits as they ended up divorced. I liked this character the best as she is the shining example of one with a presumptions nature and probably has more reason to be that way than not.
I must not forget to mention the Church of Utter Simplicity; I did think that perhaps someone from their establishment committed the crime (murdering Mr. & Mrs. Cotton) but no they did not. Their crime is that they want others to give up all their wealth, possessions and they must have large bank balances to donate to the Church of Utter Simplicity emphasizing that people could not take anything with them to the great beyond.
One favored character named Sue Curle; whose ideology on men and marriage rings true in today’s standard; well somewhat true or I don’t understand the times. Mrs. Pargeter went to visit Ms. Curle to try and find out more as to who may have committed the murder of Mrs. Cotton and so they were having this discussion about relationship and the sexes in that they are completely equal as that had been Mrs. Pargeter’s experience within her own marriage. But Sue Curle poured scorn on this idea. Huh. I’m sorry, Mrs. Pargeter, but it’s a generation thing. You only say that because your generation was brainwashed into thinking that a girl’s main aim in life was to get a husband, and once she’d got one she would spend the rest of her days kowtowing the selfish bastard! Sue went on to assert that had she been given time over again; certainly, I’d never get married. Never give any man power over me, oh no. Maybe I’d try exercising a bit of power over them. And when Mrs. Pargeter reminds her of how men always got the advantage since the power came with the tassel as it were…Sue hailed on saying oh, they think they have, but that’s just a product of another form of brainwashing.
---Keep in mind the times 2024, as a career-minded woman is now running for president of the United States; never having carried or born a child; one must wonder can she really understand the pressure and the times—a career minded woman who gave her all to her career to climb the ladder and seeing the highest power to be achieve and thought it best to marry a man with a family as she is now a married woman with family running for the presidency and she chose a male running mate; a former teacher, coach and governor for VP.
I wonder what Ms. Sue Curle would say of these two; what sort of brainwashing is going on and on whose part?
I found this second book in this Brett set to be fantastically delicious and I highly recommend reading this one as well. I hope when I have read them all that they are as enjoyable as these two.
Mrs. Pargeter starts to investigate and delves behind the veneers of the beautifully designed estate’s net curtains into the fascinating lives of the inhabitants of Smith Loam and discovers some people's behaviors leave behind a lot to be desired. With fine attention to the peculiarity of suburban life, Simon Brett has once more woven a marvelously intriguing and deceptive tale of suspense.
-----------------
What I liked about the main character; Mrs. Pargeter is that she knows her since of place as in this occasion she is there for some six month and then she will move on out of Smithy’s Loam. She is a nosy body who does wrap things up when it comes to solving the crime.
I loved the names of the characters: Rewind Wilson, Mr. Runcorn, the late Mr. & Mrs. Cotton; both having died tragically (murdered) and yet no one in their social ranks noticed since it was presumed that they’d moved on and out of Smithy’s Loam. I also enjoyed the secretary/receptionist who worked at the Mason De Vere Detective Agency with the ‘righteous Welsh’ voice as described by Mrs. Pargeter. The ‘righteous Welsh’ voice had an answer for everything when it came to male and their cheating habits as they ended up divorced. I liked this character the best as she is the shining example of one with a presumptions nature and probably has more reason to be that way than not.
I must not forget to mention the Church of Utter Simplicity; I did think that perhaps someone from their establishment committed the crime (murdering Mr. & Mrs. Cotton) but no they did not. Their crime is that they want others to give up all their wealth, possessions and they must have large bank balances to donate to the Church of Utter Simplicity emphasizing that people could not take anything with them to the great beyond.
One favored character named Sue Curle; whose ideology on men and marriage rings true in today’s standard; well somewhat true or I don’t understand the times. Mrs. Pargeter went to visit Ms. Curle to try and find out more as to who may have committed the murder of Mrs. Cotton and so they were having this discussion about relationship and the sexes in that they are completely equal as that had been Mrs. Pargeter’s experience within her own marriage. But Sue Curle poured scorn on this idea. Huh. I’m sorry, Mrs. Pargeter, but it’s a generation thing. You only say that because your generation was brainwashed into thinking that a girl’s main aim in life was to get a husband, and once she’d got one she would spend the rest of her days kowtowing the selfish bastard! Sue went on to assert that had she been given time over again; certainly, I’d never get married. Never give any man power over me, oh no. Maybe I’d try exercising a bit of power over them. And when Mrs. Pargeter reminds her of how men always got the advantage since the power came with the tassel as it were…Sue hailed on saying oh, they think they have, but that’s just a product of another form of brainwashing.
---Keep in mind the times 2024, as a career-minded woman is now running for president of the United States; never having carried or born a child; one must wonder can she really understand the pressure and the times—a career minded woman who gave her all to her career to climb the ladder and seeing the highest power to be achieve and thought it best to marry a man with a family as she is now a married woman with family running for the presidency and she chose a male running mate; a former teacher, coach and governor for VP.
I wonder what Ms. Sue Curle would say of these two; what sort of brainwashing is going on and on whose part?
I found this second book in this Brett set to be fantastically delicious and I highly recommend reading this one as well. I hope when I have read them all that they are as enjoyable as these two.
January 6, 2025
I loved this series of books. I love that every character introduced had a story, and the books further developed their character as well as the lead character. The stories were interesting with lots of twists and turns.
You were never sure what the ending was going to be. I highly recommend these books, and the wonderful stories and characters that are within them.
You will love Mrs. Pargeter, a widow who ends up involved in mysteries and how they are solved and/or resolved is basically the story lines in all the books. They are wonderfully written and the pages fly by. I only sorry that there are no more books in this series.
Please take a moment to get to know Mrs. Pargeter and her friends - you won’t be disappointed!
You were never sure what the ending was going to be. I highly recommend these books, and the wonderful stories and characters that are within them.
You will love Mrs. Pargeter, a widow who ends up involved in mysteries and how they are solved and/or resolved is basically the story lines in all the books. They are wonderfully written and the pages fly by. I only sorry that there are no more books in this series.
Please take a moment to get to know Mrs. Pargeter and her friends - you won’t be disappointed!
July 1, 2025
great fun start to finish
Understated tongue in cheek irony abounds in this absolutely delightful series of whodunnit mysteries with Mrs Pargeter, a fulsome figured widow to the “great man who helped me get my start in life” fame. She’s got a lot going for her. Along with a generous inheritance that left her wanting for nothing, Mr Pargeter is still looking out for his beloved wife from the grave through his little black book of business contacts listed by talents and abilities
Cheerful by nature, curious of mind, and helpful by heart, Mrs Pargeter’s adventures in solving crimes and mysteries—with the help of the contacts in Mr Pargeter’s little black book—are great fun to read by the pool, by the fire, on planes, trains, or automobiles.
Understated tongue in cheek irony abounds in this absolutely delightful series of whodunnit mysteries with Mrs Pargeter, a fulsome figured widow to the “great man who helped me get my start in life” fame. She’s got a lot going for her. Along with a generous inheritance that left her wanting for nothing, Mr Pargeter is still looking out for his beloved wife from the grave through his little black book of business contacts listed by talents and abilities
Cheerful by nature, curious of mind, and helpful by heart, Mrs Pargeter’s adventures in solving crimes and mysteries—with the help of the contacts in Mr Pargeter’s little black book—are great fun to read by the pool, by the fire, on planes, trains, or automobiles.
July 13, 2024
I enjoyed the first three books but after that it just got a bit silly. The author is very pleased with the names he has created for his characters and makes sure we know how clever he is. I also got very tired of hearing about how good Mr Pargeter was to everyone. By book 6, I felt I was wasting my life and gave up so didn't bother reading the rest of the series. Perhaps he should have made this a trilogy and quit while he was ahead.
March 16, 2025
Easy Read, compelling characters, great writing
I just love Mrs Pargeter - what a woman! From the start you are fully engaged with the characters, the dialogue is well written, the stories engaging & the escapism is perfect.
When I read a book I want to be able to immerse myself in the story, to feel a part of it and these books do this. They are thoroughly engaging whilst still being light and easy to read. Thoroughly enjoyed the series and could read more!
I just love Mrs Pargeter - what a woman! From the start you are fully engaged with the characters, the dialogue is well written, the stories engaging & the escapism is perfect.
When I read a book I want to be able to immerse myself in the story, to feel a part of it and these books do this. They are thoroughly engaging whilst still being light and easy to read. Thoroughly enjoyed the series and could read more!
May 30, 2025
Absolutely brilliant.
Absolutely brilliant dosn't really seem enough to describe these books. I have been gripped right from the start of each book.
There have been so many twists and turns to keep me guessing just how things were going to work out.
A fantastic bunch of fictitious characters who, by working together, could find solutions to the most elaborate problems (legally or not so legally) but always to beat the bad guys.
Well done Simon Brett, thank you.
Absolutely brilliant dosn't really seem enough to describe these books. I have been gripped right from the start of each book.
There have been so many twists and turns to keep me guessing just how things were going to work out.
A fantastic bunch of fictitious characters who, by working together, could find solutions to the most elaborate problems (legally or not so legally) but always to beat the bad guys.
Well done Simon Brett, thank you.
November 28, 2025
Total Brilliance
I am so sad I have now finished this set of amazing books, I loved every word and every story with twists and turns to make me dizzy. Mrs Pargeter is a wonderful character I fell in love with from the first page. All the characters in these stories are truly intriguing and every story had me hooked. I am now going to find more books by Simon Brett and the five stars are so well deserved.
I am so sad I have now finished this set of amazing books, I loved every word and every story with twists and turns to make me dizzy. Mrs Pargeter is a wonderful character I fell in love with from the first page. All the characters in these stories are truly intriguing and every story had me hooked. I am now going to find more books by Simon Brett and the five stars are so well deserved.
December 19, 2025
Lots of wry, somewhat sarcastic commentary on the world in this cozy murder series, which gives it a nice edge. I like the older lady being the star of these books, because I tire of always reading about students and 30 year olds. The characters are all benign (now) criminals, and their nefarious talents are used for good even though they are not exactly always law abiding. That makes the plots interesting. This is a really fun, light, humorous series.
October 13, 2023
This set of books was very entertsining. They keep me guessing shat was going to happen next. I knew, at least I hoped that nothing would happen to Mrs. P. She was very adventurous, kind of a denialis. She could seem to be kind of thick/dense. But she was smart. She had a great body positivity thanks to her husband and male friends, who are true friends.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 8, 2024
So much fun!
I absolutely loved Mrs Pargeter and hope to be just like her when I grow up😊 . The stories are filled with intriguing situations and solutions. Each embodies the similar background, but continues with novel detective work by our gran dame. Try it. I bet you will like it!
I absolutely loved Mrs Pargeter and hope to be just like her when I grow up😊 . The stories are filled with intriguing situations and solutions. Each embodies the similar background, but continues with novel detective work by our gran dame. Try it. I bet you will like it!
June 26, 2024
loved them
The complete Mrs Pargeter crime mystery series is fantastic. I read all 8 books with relish. The characters are wonderful and all have delightfully original handles. Each story had plots and twists to keep you turning the pages with no need for foul language or sexual exploits. Loved them all!
The complete Mrs Pargeter crime mystery series is fantastic. I read all 8 books with relish. The characters are wonderful and all have delightfully original handles. Each story had plots and twists to keep you turning the pages with no need for foul language or sexual exploits. Loved them all!
December 10, 2023
MRS PARGETER CRIME MYSTERIES
Great reading, fun and entertaining. I enjoyed all the stories and so found myself taking lots of short breaks to continue where I had left off. Highly recommended for some light reading.
Great reading, fun and entertaining. I enjoyed all the stories and so found myself taking lots of short breaks to continue where I had left off. Highly recommended for some light reading.
December 14, 2023
Thoroughly enjoyed this series! I read them back to back and found myself falling more and more in love with the characters. Some of the books I found a bit slow to get into but by the second or third chapter I was unable to put them down.
February 10, 2024
unusual sleuth
Love Mrs. Pargeter and her gang of side-kicks. Lots of adventure and laughs. Mrs. Pargeter has a great time romping through the upmarket hotels and restaurants of London.
Love Mrs. Pargeter and her gang of side-kicks. Lots of adventure and laughs. Mrs. Pargeter has a great time romping through the upmarket hotels and restaurants of London.
May 28, 2024
Subtle British humor, cozy mystery - enjoy!
Delightful box set from best-selling author Simon Brett. Filled with colorful characters who skirt the edge of legality to reach worthy goals. Recommended for all who enjoy British mysteries. Mrs. Pargeter is definitely memorable!
Delightful box set from best-selling author Simon Brett. Filled with colorful characters who skirt the edge of legality to reach worthy goals. Recommended for all who enjoy British mysteries. Mrs. Pargeter is definitely memorable!
August 13, 2024
Delightful Mystery Series
For the reader who enjoys a mystery series with engaging characters and plenty of plot twists, "The Complete Mrs Pargeter Crime Mysteries'" is just the ticket! I truly enjoyed each story and highly recommend it.
For the reader who enjoys a mystery series with engaging characters and plenty of plot twists, "The Complete Mrs Pargeter Crime Mysteries'" is just the ticket! I truly enjoyed each story and highly recommend it.
November 30, 2024
Innocence is bliss
Being married to a criminal mastermind can lead to a fantastic life especially when he leaves his little black book. Great job enjoyed the characters and the primary attraction.
Being married to a criminal mastermind can lead to a fantastic life especially when he leaves his little black book. Great job enjoyed the characters and the primary attraction.
December 3, 2024
Very enjoyable
I loved this series of books, the characters made me laugh and I enjoyed the fact that not every story was a murder mystery, there were quite a variation of plots but the good guys always won.
I loved this series of books, the characters made me laugh and I enjoyed the fact that not every story was a murder mystery, there were quite a variation of plots but the good guys always won.
April 18, 2025
Absolutely fun and intriguing!
Love this book set. The plots are intriguing with wonderful humour included all the way. Loved it! Refreshingly good read. The characters were fun and the storyline wonderfully put together.
Love this book set. The plots are intriguing with wonderful humour included all the way. Loved it! Refreshingly good read. The characters were fun and the storyline wonderfully put together.
July 17, 2025
Absolutely brilliant writing.
I have just read all eight books, back to back. So readable, excellently written and I read them with a smile on my face. I now want book nine and more. Simon Brett, you are an amazing writer. Thank you.
I have just read all eight books, back to back. So readable, excellently written and I read them with a smile on my face. I now want book nine and more. Simon Brett, you are an amazing writer. Thank you.
August 27, 2025
The first and second book were the best. After that some of the tropes and themes that kept repeating became less fun and less believable (Mrs. Pargeters "blank innocence" whenever anything crimnal was mentioned, dispite her doing and encouraging obviously criminal things herself).
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