Mrs Pargeter's Patio

Mrs Pargeter #9

by Simon Brett (Author/Narrator)

When widow Mrs Pargeter decides to have her morning coffee on the patio of her mansion in Chigwell, her intention is to admire her beautiful garden in peace and quiet. Little does she expect one of the patio's paving slabs to crack in two, depositing her on the ground—and revealing a human skull with a neat hole in the middle of its forehead!

Not wanting to bother the police just yet, Mrs Pargeter decides to save them some trouble and starts investigating the curious find herself. And who better to assist than her late husband's business associates, private investigator Truffler Mason and chauffeur Gary? The trio are soon certain that a murder has been committed and the body disposed of under some convenient building works. But who is the mysterious victim? And more importantly, who put the body under Mrs Pargeter's patio?

Mrs Pargeter and her friends must find out the truth and soon, before the finger of suspicion points in an unthinkable direction: towards the late, great Mr Pargeter, whose business dealings Mrs P remains—naturally!—in blissful ignorance of...

Genres: Mystery, Cozy Mystery, Fiction, British Literature, Audiobook, Mystery Thriller, Cozy

Audible Audio

First published January 1, 2023

About the author

Simon Brett 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.

Reviews

[Barbara · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

The Mrs. Pargeter books are humorous cozy mysteries about a widow of a certain age who likes to help people and solve crimes.



When Mrs. Pargeter needs assistance, she consults her deceased husband's 'little black book', which has contacts with skills like safecracking, forging documents, disguising people, getaway driving, etc.



Mrs. Pargeter professes to believe her husband was a saintly businessman who helped crooks go straight, and the aforementioned crooks are careful not to disabuse Mrs. Pargeter of that notion. This is a running joke through the novels.

In this 9th book in the series, Mrs. Pargeter (and her helpers) investigate a murder and look for a missing person.

*****

Mrs. Pargeter lives in a mansion commissioned by her husband, Mr. Lionel Pargeter, before he passed away. The house, called 'Lionel's Den' was built by Concrete Jacket, who did excellent work between stints in the slammer.



One morning Mrs. Pargeter takes her third cup of coffee out to the patio when one of the paving slabs gives way. Peering into the void revealed by the broken slab, Mrs. Pargeter sees a human skull.



Mrs. Pargeter realizes that a body was buried during patio construction, and she decides to investigate herself before contacting the police. The widow learns that the builder, Concrete Jacket, was unavoidably detained when the terrace was constructed, and he farmed out the job to a Polish contractor named Marek Grabowski.

To find Grabowski - and identify the body and track down the killer - Mrs. Pargeter phones people in the little black book. These include Truffler Mason - a former felon who's now a private detective;



Fixin' Nixon - whose credo is 'there is always a way';



Gary - a professional chauffeur;



Hedgeclipper Clinton - a hotel manager that 'knows people';



Tina the Transformer - who's a whiz with disguises;



Melting Maurice - a plastic surgeon who provides new faces; and more.



Meanwhile, Mrs. Pargeter also embarks on a second mission. The widow's gardener, 20-year-old Kirstie Rollins, mentions that she hasn't seen her father since her 9th birthday.



On that occasion Kirstie's dad, reggae singer Red Rollins, gave Kristie a necklace......and then vanished. Mrs. Pargeter makes it her business to try to locate Red, dead or alive.

As things play out, it appears that the body under Mrs. Pargeter's patio has a connection with Red Rollins.

Meanwhile, gardener Kirstie Rollins applies to be a contestant on a reality TV show called 'Dirt Under the Fingernails', a floriculture competition where contestants spar to grow the best plants.



The show is hosted by comic Brenton Sykes, whose modus operandi is to make crude jokes and insult the gardeners. The studio audience seems to find this hilarious, and the program is very popular. (In today's 'anything goes' reality show culture, this is probably a realistic scenario.)



In the course of the story, Mrs. Pargeter has occasion to dine at the luxurious Greene's Hotel, and to visit an eatery that used to be called 'Hot Honey's', famous for its Caribbean goat curry and beef patties.


Goat Curry


Beef Patties

This is an entertaining cozy mystery, perfect for a fun read between more serious books.

Thanks to Netgalley, Simon Brett, and Severn House for a copy of the book.

You can follow my reviews at https://reviewsbybarbsaffer.blogspot.com

[Ivonne Rovira · Rating 5 out of 5]

Even Melita Pargeter, the self-contained widow of the shadowy but generous Mr. Pargeter, gets nonplussed when a dead body turns up under her patio. Mrs. Pargeter’s gardener, Kirstie Rollins, has been on her own since her loving musician father disappeared 11 years ago on her birthday. Mrs. Pargeter tries to solve that mystery, as well. With the help of her friends, she’s able to discover the truth and set the wheels of justice turning. Author Simon Brett has done his usual fabulous job with the ninth entry in the humorous, clever series. Can’t wait until Brett (who has several cozy mystery series going) gifts us with No. 10 for Mrs. Pargeter.

[Alayne Emmett · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a very funny cozy mystery. Light-hearted and quirky. A fairly quick read and very entertaining. It still kept me guessing right up until the end. My thanks to netgalley and the publishers for giving me the opportunity to read this book in return for an honest review.

[Ellen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mrs. Pargeter's Patio (A Mrs Pargeter Mystery, 9) by Simon Brett.

An enjoyable read with fun along the way. The characters had all been entangled with the late Mr. Lionel Pargeter in the most positive ways. S.B. never fails to entertain his followers. Count me among them.
If you're looking for an original cozy mystery with escapism guaranteed this book is for you.

[David Moore · Rating 5 out of 5]

I requested this book because I was intrigued by the title, it was obviously about a body being discovered under Mrs Pargeter’s patio but I am so pleased that I have read it. The book is a classic cosy crime novel and is a real pleasure to read and escape from the real world for a few hours. The book starts with Mrs P discovering a body under her patio before calling in the police she contacts a couple of her late husband’s associates who council caution and start their own investigation into the murder. As the investigation continues many of Mrs P’s husband’s associates are called into play and assist in the investigation progresses whilst the police who have been called in are getting nowhere. The book is well written and has some numerous moments contained in the text. This is the first book I have read of Simon Brett - it will not be the last as I have made a note of his name to read more of his books. I recommend and encourage you to read Mrs Pargeter’s Patio, I think you find, as I did, a thoroughly enjoyable read. Many thanks to Severn Books and NetGalley for allowing me to read this book.

[Grace J Reviewerlady · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a wonderful read!

Mrs Pargeter, widow, decides to take her morning coffee out to her patio where she intends to sit and enjoy the beauty and tranquility of her garden. What she doesn't expect is for a paving slab to crack, revealing a skull with a hole in the forehead! Deciding not to trouble the police at this time, she gets in touch with her husband's former associates and together they set out to discover who the body belonged to and who had the nerve to put it below Mrs Pargeter's patio!

Ah, what fabulous entertainment. I loved everything about this one and have made a note to try and catch up with this series. Terriific characters with a humorous story line and so much fun! I have giggled and laughed my way though this novel and happily recommend to everyone who enjoys cosy mysteries. Truly delightful and easily worth all five flowing stars.

[Laura · Rating 5 out of 5]

I adore the series and have been reading it since the beginning! Escapism, witty and a great mystery ! This would be such a great TV series for BritBox or Acorn 🗡️

[Peter Baran · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm very fond of Simon Brett as I remember teenage nights burning through his Charles Paris books until the wee hours, even with the stereotypical torch under the blankets at one point. He brings a lightness of tone and sense of humour to the mystery genre, and I suppose the description cosy has grown up around him. I've read a couple of the Mrs Pargeter books before, and they all follow a very similar pattern. There is a crime, Mrs Pargeter is involved somehow, and she decides to solve it on her own without bothering the police, and calling in favours from the late and much celebrated Mr Pargeter's little black book. As the book is loathe to say, and is indeed joyfully constantly tiptoes around, Mr Pargeter may have been involved in the occasional sady business and his little black book is full of colourful operatives who may now be plying their trades for the side of light, one mans burglar may well be another locksmith.

To review this therefore is to review the series, the difference just come in the plot, and here a body is found under Mrs Pargeter's patio, and she wants to know who it is and who did it (certain that Mr Pargeter would have had nothing to do with it). This coincides with wanting to help out her gardener, who in the Pargeter way was rescued from a teenage life of crime and is being sponsored through college. The two threads coincide of course, and end up circling a reality TV show which resembles a gardening Bake Off, presented by an unpleasant stand-up comedian. You really feel Brett's years at the BBC in this section, and he gleefully takes potshots at terrible TV formats, how the public are happy to be humiliated on screen and the evil of agents. But it all remains properly cosy, and by the end of it Mrs Pargeter has both solved her crime, but also helped a few more people on to the straight and narrow. Lovely stuff.

[Les Wilson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another well written book by Simon Brett and well worth a read.

[Ciclochick · Rating 5 out of 5]

Not having read a book by Brett before, it only took a few pages for me to realise I was really going to enjoy this book. I was a smidge concerned, this not being my first Mrs Pargeter mystery, that I might be a bit at sea, not knowing what's gone before, but this is perfectly stand-alone.

This is a cozy mystery, Mrs P being a present-day Miss Marple (a rather startling discovery under her patio requires her enlisting the assistance of her late husband's 'business associates'.) It's very well written, wonderfully tongue in cheek and a joy from start to finish. (I will forgive the erroneous use of 'less' for 'few' and the 'head nodding' tautology.)

Having subsequently discovered Brett's written dozens of books, I wanted to shelve all the books on my TBR and just zip through all of his, but I shall honour my reading list and settle for punctuating with the occasional Brett penmanship!

Wonderful characters with wonderful names and some wry humour in sparkling dialogue: just a lovely, entertaining read. I can't wait to read more.

[Annarella · Rating 5 out of 5]

Simon Brett at his best, one of my favourite characters, Mrs Pargeter, and a solid mystery
There's humour, there's an intriguing and fascinating woman like Mrs Pargeter, and there's a lot to love.
I had fun and read it in one sitting.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mine

[Ruth · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is an enjoyable cosy crime story that grew on me as I read. It's part of a series, but fortunately I didn't feel like I had missed out in not reading the previous stories first.
I felt it was a little slow to get going, and although I liked Mrs P there were just a couple of moments when I wasn't sure the character stayed true.
But I enjoyed the plot and the many and various side characters, making this a good holiday read.
With thanks to Netgalley for my copy.

[Callum Anderson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you to Net Galley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Mrs. Pargeter’s Patio, by Simon Brett is a cozy mystery about an affluent woman and amateur sleuth who finds a body under her patio stones. She calls upon a multitude of characters from her now deceased husband’s past to assist her in solving the mystery.

While cozy mysteries are typically not my choice of genre, I do enjoy Agatha Christie type novels. As I read, I tried to keep in mind the point of a cozy mystery, and also the history of how they came to be. In the past, cozy mysteries were created during the 1930’s as a way to provide intriguing murder mysteries, while avoiding the messiness, and uncomfortableness of things that were seen as too graphic for the time period. They typically involved some sort of eccentric, non- threatening, wealthy character who went about solving crimes (think Nancy Drew, or Agatha Christie characters). The crimes themselves were described in details that avoided anything graphic, or gruesome in detail. The idea was to encourage the reader to scour the book for clues, and to solve a puzzle while never feeling uncomfortable with the murder details. Cozies are a relic from a bygone era of the Golden Age of murder mysteries.

I know that Simon Brett has many fans out there and that he is a prolific writer, however his work did not resonate with me, and I am sure that this will be an unpopular review so I will tread lightly…..a cozy review?


What worked: Brett hits all of the key notes of a Cozy, including the eccentric, harmless, older lady who is the sleuth along with a pack of even more eccentric supporting characters. Some of the names made me laugh, and I wasn’t sure if they were to be taken seriously! (Concrete Jacket, the builder for example ). The book provides twists and turns, while avoiding any unnecessary messy, gory details. The author also made good use of dialect to induce a feeling of old time, hard boiled, noir, detective novels of the past.


What didn’t work:

If this book had not been set in modern times, I think that it would have translated better into what the author was aiming for, an Agatha Christie-esque mystery. If felt a little unbelievable to me, that this rich, philanthropist lived in a giant house, and was surrounded by all of these odd characters that felt like they were from the 1930’s mob movies.

I did not find the characters to be very likable, particularly Mrs. Pargeter. If anything, I found her to be snooty, slightly racist, condescending, and totally detached from reality where her primary focus was living the rich life, and helping others out of pity to boost her own ego. Most, if not all of the characters, were built out of stereotypes. One example, the Jamaican, female gardener who was “rescued” by Mrs. Pargeter after she tried to break into her house and steal from her. The gardener, of course comes from a broken background, and of course must be rescued (eye roll ).Mrs. Pargeter described her as “skinny and wretched looking, with coffee-colored skin, and matted dark curls”. Without spoiling anything, it only get more stereotyped later on in the book! This did not endear the main protagonist to me, and felt a bit …well…icky, as did the rest of the stereotypes going on in the book, and was a turn off to reading future books in the series.


In summary, did the author write a formulaic, cozy murder mystery? Yes, he checked all of the boxes. Was it on the level of the greats of cozy Mystery authors? No. Eliminate the stereotypes, and change the setting to be more realistic and it could have been a much more enjoyable read!

I am giving this book three stars out of five.

[Larry Fontenot · Rating 2 out of 5]

Mrs. Pargeter has a problem. She's discovered a dead body buried under her patio. Naturally, she prefers to call upon some old employees/friends of her late husband rather than immediately calling the police. She and the friends embark upon an adventure to discover whose body it is, why it is buried under her patio and who might have done the dirty deed. At the same time, she is helping her new gardener locate her missing father. As with all these books, there is a slew (pun intended) of characters and lots of bad guys, some of which are assisting Mrs. Pargeter. The book moves at a good pace and the plot thickens with each introduction of a new character.

[Janette · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love Simon Brett’s crime novels but hadn’t read any of his Mrs Pargeter novels before. From the first page, I was sure we would get on. Any woman who would much rather go out to eat than cook herself is a woman after my own heart.
This is a lovely cosy mystery with all of Simon Brett’s usual care with the characters and plotting. The mystery unfolds beautifully as Mrs Pargeter, with the help of her deceased husband’s associates, works out how the body got under her patio. It’s a light-hearted mystery and definitely requires some suspension of belief as there is always someone with the precise skills required who is only too happy to help after just a phone call.
However, what worked less well for me was the character of Mrs Pargeter herself. She felt very dated and I felt that she would have been much happier in a novel written 50 years ago. In fact, the whole set up of her husband’s connections and book of useful contacts didn’t really seem to belong in a book set in the 21st century.
This was an easy, entertaining read but not one of my favourites by this author.
Thank you to Net Galley and Severn House for my ARC in exchange for my honest review.

[erika · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm too used to christie level writing to be truly suprised by this book on the most part but it was still genuinely enjoyable!

[Elizabeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

I adore all the Mrs. Pargeter books. Shes a delightful character and her stories are full of suspense, ingenuity, shady characters and pure wonderful reading.

[cassie · Rating 4 out of 5]

my fav genre atm is old british people solving murders?
such a good cozy mystery

[Arnold Kanarek · Rating 5 out of 5]

A classy and humorous mystery. This book is filled may colorful characters who want to help Mrs. Pargeter find the father of a young lady who she has taken under her wing. This search leads them to an unraveling of a murder mystery and other criminal activities.

[Karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

So much fun! I didn't figure it it out. Fun and interesting

[The Cookster · Rating 3 out of 5]

Rating: 3.0/5

If you have read any of Simon Brett's work previously then you will have a pretty good idea what you are going to get. There is nothing pretentious about his cosy mysteries. They are easy to read, entertaining and don't take themselves too seriously - but there is always a sound mystery structure at the heart of things.

This latest offering from the Mrs Pargeter series is no exception. It is a predominantly character driven story set comically in the criminal underworld. There is plenty of light-hearted humour as the mystery is investigated by the eponymous Mrs Pargeter and there are some nice social observations and commentaries along the way too. The parodying of a reality television gameshow is particularly well portrayed.

This is unlikely to win - or even be nominated for - any literary prizes, but it is an entertaining comedic cosy mystery that does exactly what it says on the tin.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for supplying an ARC in return for an honest review.

[E W · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was delighted to see this new installment in the prolific Simon Brett’s Mrs. Pargeter series, which I feared had come to an end. And I was not disappointed by Mrs. Pargeter’s Patio. Another amusing, quickly paced, clever caper involving the widow of an organized crime boss and his former associates. The late Mr. Pargeter is viewed by his wife and reformed past colleagues as a saint, and Mrs. Pargeter affects to have no idea about the nature of his business, though she liberally calls on his colleagues for crime-solving skills including safecracking and other B&E, knowledge of other criminals, etc. Brett constructs fairly elaborate plots in which seeming unrelated topics and occurrences come together as the crime is solved: in this case, a body that Mrs. Pargeter finds under her patio and an attempt to find a long-missing person. As the narrator observes, serendipity and synchronicity seem to follow Mrs. P. The stories certainly require suspension of disbelief, so if you are looking for realism, look elsewhere, but if you are looking to be entertained by oddly endearing characters, this is a great read. It is probably not necessary to have read the previous installments, but doing so would help orient the reader to the characters and assorted running gags.

[Not Quite A Bookshop · Rating 3 out of 5]

The titular figure, Mrs Pargeter, is an easy going Essex born and bred widow who seems phased by nothing even on finding a dead body under her patio! But before reporting it to the police she wants to do a bit of her own detective work.
Like her deceased husband, Mrs Pargeter positively encourages the underdog - read not completely legitimate individuals. For example a getaway driver set up in his own chauffeur business. It is these individuals she calls upon to assist her enquiries.
Whilst this is book nine in the series was easy to follow. It’s a fun story with colourful characters reminiscent of ‘Only Fools and Horses’ in its essence.
Only real negative was the narrator, who either sniffed, gasped or inhaled very heavily at the end of most sentences. This got worse as the tension rose and it drove me nuts. Thank goodness it was a short book! In fact this three star review would have been higher had there been an alternate narrator.

[Melissa Thomson]

cute for what it is but i don’t think i’ll read more in the series

[Callum Anderson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you to Net Galley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Mrs. Pargeter’s Patio, by Simon Brett is a cozy mystery about an affluent woman and amateur sleuth who finds a body under her patio stones. She calls upon a multitude of characters from her now deceased husband’s past to assist her in solving the mystery.

While cozy mysteries are typically not my choice of genre, I do enjoy Agatha Christie type novels. As I read, I tried to keep in mind the point of a cozy mystery, and also the history of how they came to be. In the past, cozy mysteries were created during the 1930’s as a way to provide intriguing murder mysteries, while avoiding the messiness, and uncomfortableness of things that were seen as too graphic for the time period. They typically involved some sort of eccentric, non- threatening, wealthy character who went about solving crimes (think Nancy Drew, or Agatha Christie characters). The crimes themselves were described in details that avoided anything graphic, or gruesome in detail. The idea was to encourage the reader to scour the book for clues, and to solve a puzzle while never feeling uncomfortable with the murder details. Cozies are a relic from a bygone era of the Golden Age of murder mysteries.

I know that Simon Brett has many fans out there and that he is a prolific writer, however his work did not resonate with me, and I am sure that this will be an unpopular review so I will tread lightly…..a cozy review?


What worked: Brett hits all of the key notes of a Cozy, including the eccentric, harmless, older lady who is the sleuth along with a pack of even more eccentric supporting characters. Some of the names made me laugh, and I wasn’t sure if they were to be taken seriously! (Concrete Jacket, the builder for example ). The book provides twists and turns, while avoiding any unnecessary messy, gory details. The author also made good use of dialect to induce a feeling of old time, hard boiled, noir, detective novels of the past.


What didn’t work:

If this book had not been set in modern times, I think that it would have translated better into what the author was aiming for, an Agatha Christie-esque mystery. If felt a little unbelievable to me, that this rich, philanthropist lived in a giant house, and was surrounded by all of these odd characters that felt like they were from the 1930’s mob movies.

I did not find the characters to be very likable, particularly Mrs. Pargeter. If anything, I found her to be snooty, slightly racist, condescending, and totally detached from reality where her primary focus was living the rich life, and helping others out of pity to boost her own ego. Most, if not all of the characters, were built out of stereotypes. One example, the Jamaican, female gardener who was “rescued” by Mrs. Pargeter after she tried to break into her house and steal from her. The gardener, of course comes from a broken background, and of course must be rescued (eye roll ).Mrs. Pargeter described her as “skinny and wretched looking, with coffee-colored skin, and matted dark curls”. Without spoiling anything, it only get more stereotyped later on in the book! This did not endear the main protagonist to me, and felt a bit …well…icky, as did the rest of the stereotypes going on in the book, and was a turn off to reading future books in the series.


In summary, did the author write a formulaic, cozy murder mystery? Yes, he checked all of the boxes. Was it on the level of the greats of cozy Mystery authors? No. Eliminate the stereotypes, change the setting to be more realistic, and it could have been a much more enjoyable read!

I am giving this book three stars out of five.

[S.J. Higbee · Rating 4 out of 5]

Having crashed midway into this series and only read the two – I don’t think it’s a dealbreaker if you haven’t read the previous instalments. Like many murder mysteries, each whodunit is wrapped up within the story and while I’m sure you’d gain further enjoyment and learn more about the characters if you’d read the previous eight books – you won’t flounder unduly if you don’t.

This series, compared to Brett’s Fethering and Decluttering Mysteries, is gentler and more escapist. Mrs Pargeter might be a widow, who adored her husband and has no intention of marrying anyone else – but there isn’t a sense that she’s burdened with unbearable bereavement. Neither is she afflicted with money worries, or real knowledge of her dead spouse’s criminal affairs. She isn’t the only one who regards her former husband with misty affection – it seems he spent quite a bit of his ill-gotten gains giving those around him a new start. And while these characters may or may not have gone straight, they are all falling over themselves to assist Mrs Pargeter in any way they can.

It goes without saying that Brett is a skilled writer – you don’t get to write and produce successful shows for the Beeb and Radio 4 if you don’t know your craft. But I was impressed that Mrs Pargeter doesn’t come across as an idiot, or unduly gullible, despite being blithely unaware of the late Mr Pargeter’s shady doings. As ever, I was sure I knew who’d dunnit – until it became clear that I didn’t. I always enjoy reading murder mysteries that can pull that rabbit out of the hat and frequently, they’re penned by Brett.

While this book is generally less acerbic in tone, compared to the Fethering Mysteries, for instance – I was amused to read Brett’s account of the popular gardening competition Dirt Under Your Fingernails. The author clearly loathes the type of shows that ritually humiliate and demean the competitors in front of a live audience encouraged join in the laughter against them. I read these scenes with relish, as I also hate this television sub-genre. As for Mrs Pargeter – while I’m not as fond of her as I am of Ellen from the Decluttering Mysteries, who I’d happily adopt as a member of the family – I enjoyed watching her determined to unravel the gordian knot around the discovery of the body buried in her garden.

All in all, another successful, twisty plot that had me reading far later than I should to discover what happened next. Recommended for those who like a bit of escapism with their murder mysteries, without resorting to treacly sentimentality. While I obtained an arc of Mrs Pargeter’s Patio from the publisher via Netgalley, the opinions I have expressed are unbiased and my own.
8/10

[Elaine Tomasso · Rating 4 out of 5]

I would like to thank Netgalley and Severn House Publishers for an advance copy of Mrs Pargeter, the ninth novel to feature the eponymous Melita Pargeter, widow of “businessman” Lionel, set in and around London.

Mrs Pargeter is astonished to stumble on a broken paving stone on her patio and discover a human skull with a hole in its forehead. Bearing in mind Mr Pargeter’s axiom that the police are seriously overworked it’s best not to bother them unnecessarily she calls upon two of his “business associates”, PI Truffler Mason and chauffeur, Gary, to find out the body’s identity and who put it under her patio, before the late Mr Pargeter’s reputation is sullied.

I thoroughly enjoyed Mrs Pargeter’s Patio, which is another fun read with a complicated web of characters and relationships. I was glued to the pages, and while I maybe didn’t laugh out loud I certainly chuckled, frequently.

The novel starts, for those who haven’t read the previous novels, with the unlikely premise that Mr Pargeter kept a strict division between work and home, giving Mrs Pargeter plausible ignorance of the full range of his activities. An ignorance she maintains constantly, ably abetted by his associates who honour her innocence, even when she is making full use of his little black book of contacts. I imagine that the author has loads of fun inventing names and backstories for these contacts, like Concrete Jacket, the builder whose jobs don’t always finish on time due to him being unavoidably detained.

Thus the chuckles come from Mrs Pargeter’s perceived innocence and the cast of associates who help her. The actual plot is more serious, apart from the odd situational scene, with a murder investigation and a missing person to find. The two investigations gradually morph into one with a most unexpected outcome that I didn’t see coming, some of it I had an idea of, but the final twist was a master stroke.

Mrs Pargeter’s Patio is a fun read that I have no hesitation in recommending.

[Denis Wheller · Rating 5 out of 5]

The police are always very busy so it is a kindness, when you find a body under your patio, to not burden them with it, until absolutely necessary. When Mrs Pargeter finds herself in just such a situation she reaches for her late husband’s “Little Black Book” and summons Truffler Mason, former criminal but now working as a Private Detective (courtesy of Mr Pargeter’s policy of settling such people into legitimate occupations which make use of their former ‘skills’). As the investigation progresses all sorts of other former colleagues of her husband, now employed in personal businesses thanks to the same enlightened policy, and all of whom delight in Nicknames reflecting their specialism are roped in (except Gary the car supplier and driver who is only ever Gary). Simultaneous with this investigation Mrs Pargeter is also trying to find Red Rollins, the father of her gardener, Kirstie, who disappeared eleven years ago. Following the family tradition, Mrs Pargeter first met Kirstie when the latter was doing a bit of burglary at the former’s house, and had steered her into a career that she had always dreamed of but could never have achieved alone. Of course the two investigations merge into one and the whole makes a very satisfactory murder mystery.
This is the latest in the Mrs Pargeter cozy crime series, but it works perfectly well as a standalone. As ever, it is written in a droll, often hilarious, style. All of the associates of the late Mr Pargeter have their idiosyncrasies, adding to the general levity, and all conspire to keep Mrs Pargeter from realising that her beloved husband was engaged in nefarious activities. Individual scenes verge on the preposterous, but somehow they slot the clues in and the plot flows to a logical conclusion. A fast easy read and a thoroughly entertaining story.

[CPE · Rating 5 out of 5]

What can I say about Mrs Pargeter’s Patio? Reader, I wept. This book is so funny, it should have a health warning.

Why mention the patio at all? Because Mrs P, the relict of Mr Pargeter (the benevolent benefactor of much of the area), unfortunately, stepped on a poorly built paving slab; and exposed a hole containing a human skull. Oh, waly, waly, waly!

The relict of the eponymous Mr Pargeter insists that Mr P never ever brought his work home with him. That is the only paper-thin excuse for the reader not pointing out that Mr P’s line of business probably saw many people trying on concrete wellingtons and slipping into oblivion (or under a patio) un-mourned. I know, I know: Mr Pargeter’s bright-eyed faith in humanity’s inherent good outshines the book’s mistaken depiction of such villains as disappointing fallible humans. However, it is the latter that resonates, rightly or wrongly.

That’s the whole point of the series: the hilarious counterpoint between Mrs Pargeter’s biased view of Mr P as a saint; and the narrative’s obvious thwack in our faces as it shows the reality. I love – that is not an exaggeration – the blatantly superficial depiction of Mr Pargeter’s concern for misguided miscreants; their propensity to slip into misdeeds; versus their earthy desire to grab a few quid unnoticed. I confess: I laughed so much, I had to mop the chair I sat on. This is a hysterically funny book – buy it while you can, because – I promise you – you will be sad when it’s gone and you don’t have your copy.

I read this book and then grabbed the rest of the series. I hope they’re as much huge fun as Mrs Pargeter’s Patio, the latest in the series that post-dates the boxed set…

#MrsPargetersPatio #NetGalley

[Karin H. · Rating 5 out of 5]

I find Mrs. Pargeter to be an intriguing character – a confident widow who knowingly overlooks her late husband's mysterious criminal activities. Although he left her financially secure, his true bequest was a little black book containing contacts for his network of resourceful accomplices. This eclectic group is skilled in cracking safes, forging fake IDs, "acquiring" stolen goods, and even gathering intelligence on police investigations.

One day, Mrs. Pargeter's protégé and gardener makes an astonishing discovery – a skeleton buried beneath the patio of Mrs. P's new home, the place she moved into after her husband's passing. While the police conduct their investigation, the real sleuthing unfolds among her husband's associates, who still admire him greatly.

As the plot thickens, it leads them down a path of long-forgotten connections and intertwines with the gardener's quest to find her missing reggae musician father, who disappeared when she was just a girl.

The story is highly entertaining and a delightful quick read. I had the privilege of receiving an advance review copy without charge, and I willingly offer this review as a testament to the enjoyment I experienced while reading it. Mrs. Pargeter's world is filled with mystery, intrigue, and unexpected connections, making it an engaging and satisfying read for all mystery enthusiasts.#MrsPargetersPatio #NetGalley