Mrs Pargeter's Principle

Mrs Pargeter #7

by Simon Brett

For Mrs Pargeter, it is a matter of principle that she should complete any of her late husband's unfinished business. Amongst his many bequests, perhaps the most valuable is his little black book, in which he listed all the people who ever worked for him, with details of their particular skill sets. This means that whenever Mrs P has a crime to solve, she can readily contact someone with the relevant expertise.

Attending the funeral of the respected Sir Normington Winthrop, because his name is in the book, Mrs Pargeter sets out to discover the connection between Sir Normington and her late husband. Her investigations will draw her into a shady world of gunrunners, shifty politicians - and a kidnapped vicar.

Listening Length: 6 hours and 25 minutes

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

192 pages, Hardcover

First published April 1, 2015

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

[Kathy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Such a healthy dose of fun, this book! I was in need of some comic relief and got just what I wanted. Of course Mrs. Pargeter is center of the action in this tale that is kicked off by her attendance at a funeral. And...what goes with funerals but weddings? She organizes a hen party and wedding for a newly orphaned young woman. These public activities put her in the crosshairs of one or two particularly evil old enemies of Mr. Pargeter, and she will need all the help that can be mustered from the old gang. One wonders if this will be the end due to the action aimed her way.


Loan from a Friend - Thank You!

[Ellen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mrs. Pargeter's Principle by Simon Brett.

Mrs. Pargeter, the widow of the late Mr. Pargeter, is attending the funeral of Sir Normington Winthrop. She found his name amongst many others in her husbands little black book and although their business associations were a complete mystery to her ...her curiosity had been roused.

Then Mrs. Pargeter is confronted by Edmund Grainger with a threat for her to stay away from Lady Winthrop. Who was this strange man and why this threat?

I am so glad the author decided to return to this lovely series. Mrs. Pargeter is surrounded by her late husband's colleagues (in crime) who do all in their power to protect her from any danger. The camaraderie makes this book a fun read and bring more enjoyment to the mystery being solved.

[Ivonne Rovira · Rating 5 out of 5]

Simon Brett produces some wonderful, wonderful cozy mystery series, one featuring dipsomaniacal actor Charles Paris and another featuring the unlikely friends Carole and Jude. However, my favorite has and always will be the series featuring Melita Pargeter, a widow of a beloved man whose business was not exactly legal. Mr Pargeter left his wife well provided, but his greatest gift was a little black book with all of his old associates — all of whom are grateful and eager to assist the generous widow.

How much I’d missed Mrs Pargeter! Brett released his sixth Mrs Pargeter novel in 1998, but years went by without another. What a disappointment! I thought I’d never again have the pleasure of reading any more of her exploits. But, luckily, Brett has had second thoughts and finally released the seventh in this delightful series. In it, Mrs Pargeter attends a funeral and realizes that someone desperately wants to disguise the early history of the deceased, one of Mr Pargeter’s earliest associates. So what is so dangerous about Sir Normington Winthrop’s origins that it must be kept hidden under any circumstances? And who is it that feels so threatened about that information?

How wonderful to be reunited with Mrs Pargeter and her friends, especially the now-legit private detective Truffler Mason. Please, please, Simon Brett, keep writing these fabulous mysteries!

[Julie · Rating 2 out of 5]

Maybe it's me, however, I didn't find it as heart warming and fun as earlier entries in the series.

[Damaskcat · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a book for everyone who enjoyed the original six books in Simon Brett's Mrs Pargeter series. Mrs P is the widow of someone who was clearly a legend in the criminal underworld. But Mrs Pargeter doesn't really think too much about which side of the law he occupied. He left her well provided for financially and she has had a house built to her specifications in Chigwell. Readers of the previous books in this series will be pleased to hear that in spite of all the problems with unexpected corpses and builders who take holidays at Her Majesty's pleasure she is finally living in the house.

But Mrs Pargeter's late husband left her something which is even more valuable than the money and that is his little black book of contacts. Perusing this book starts her on a new trail and the beginning of the story sees her attending the funeral of one of her late husband's contacts - Sir Normington Wintthrop. At the funeral she is warmed that she must not attempt to contact his widow. Not one to bow down to bullies in any shape or form, Mrs Pargeter sets out to investigate just who Sir Normington actually was and this leads her into danger.

This is an amusing story peopled with interesting and likeable characters. I have a particular liking for Mrs Pargeter herself - a lady who lets nothing stand in her way but who is always dignified and ladylike. She inspires huge loyalty in her husband's associates who will do anything to help her achieve her aims as long as it is roughly within the spirit, if not the letter of the law. I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley for review.

[Eden · Rating 3 out of 5]

2022 bk 105. This book startled me. I am used to thinking of the Mrs. Pargeter books as being set in the 1980's and suddenly the technology of 2015 starts appearing in the book. Part of me is glad that Brett brought Mrs. Pargeter's forward in time, but part of me misses the nostalgia of looking backward as I read these mysteries. This book, more than the other's, involves the events of life, a funeral, a wedding, recognizing differences in thinking between generations. When Mrs. Pargeter is threatened at an after-funeral gathering she becomes curious about exactly how her husband knew the deceased. In this same book, she comes to the aid of a former colleague, and the children of two former colleagues. Brett in his continued fine-tuned sense of plotting, brings all of these together to solve a mystery and satisfy the readers of these mysteries.

[Eyehavenofilter · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mrs. Pargeter sails through life like a six masted schooner, gliding along a mirrored sea unknowingly guided by a well trained crew all having varied and somewhat unethical talents. All skilled in various methods of forgery, breaking and entering, and other illegal fun and games.
These people were at sometime in their lives employed by her late husband, and all their names kept neatly written down in a little black book , that she now has in her possession. Two of his former cohorts are now her body guards as so goes about solving crimes in her own upper crust way.
Attending the funeral of one of the rich and famous, who just happens to be named in that LBB, she has a difficult time connecting said deceased to her late hubby, and cannot imagine why anyone would want to deny their connection, or why a certain Mr. Grainger continues to threaten her to stay away from the daughter of the man who just died.
However Mrs. Pargeter, soon becomes involved in the dark world of gun runners, shifty politicians, and a kidnapped vicar cleverly named Shifty Smike, which only makes her more determined to find out what is really going on.
There are so many clever word plays and references, that are charmingly funny, in a very British way, that this is such a refreshing look into a blend of written theatre and an observation on social mores that rub some egos against the grain, a jolly good time really!

[Bells Thompson · Rating 3 out of 5]

For some reason a little slower/not quite so funny for me than the rest of the series - I’ll still read more of the series. I think only one more in print and another due out. Mrs Pargeter finds a name in her deceased
husband’s little black book and when she sees a death notice attends the funeral only to discover that no one seems to know the connection between her husband and the deceased. Written in 2015 the book oddly is very related/prophetic to current politics in the US - maybe why I didn’t find it quite so funny and a harder read.

[Alonzo Church · Rating 3 out of 5]

Mrs. Pargeter is the beloved widow of a good natured crime lord who earned the devotion of his crew. She lives in luxury and does good natured good works for all the people who worked with her husband. Giving back and helping out — it’s a principle with her. That’s why she always has a devoted set of helpers with interesting names (like bone saw) who have aged gently and moved into legitimate businesses. That’s also why trouble seems to find her in retirement.

In this case, Mrs P is invited to a funeral to a worthy industrialist who nonetheless has a past with Mrs P’s husband. The wife of the industrialist wants to know about that past. A group of right wingers want to make sure she doesn’t find it. Mrs P is going to have to call on her friends to work it all out. Unfortunately, they take longer about it than the humble reader, who had it figured out many chapters before Mrs P has to use her own ingenuity to wiggle out of a tight squeeze.

I have listened to a number of these as audiobooks. I wish I liked them better. Mrs P is a fun character, but these feel very padded out. I could fall asleep during whole chapters and not miss anything. The mystery tends to be obvious and the comedy is both sparse and a bit silly.

[Elizabeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another great Mrs.Pargeter book. I love one and getting to see another layer of the character's personality.

[Leslie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is my second Mrs. Pargeter book, and though it is the 7th, I didn't mind reading out of order. Her character is smart and generous and able to call upon her late husband's associates for all sorts of help. I enjoyed this book and intend to read others by Simon Brett.

[Kimberly Ann · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had mistakenly thought that Mrs. Pargeter was a thing of the past, as the last book written about her was in 1998. I was very happy to stumble upon this offering and found it to be delightful and suspenseful (but not in the scary way), and I figured a bit of it out.....

Mr Pargeter was a "business man" of dubious distinction, who kept a "Black Book" of contacts. He was the most respected man of his profession, he was honest, fair, and took care of all of his employees & their families.

After his death, Mrs Pargeter (who knows nothing of his business, as the less you know the less you are held responsible for) inherited quite a bit of money, investments, and her husband's Black Book, which she used on a regular basis employing those in it to help build her house, advise her on major decisions, drive her about, and solve problems that presented danger.

Mrs. Pargeter, Gary (her driver) & Truffle (the detective) attend the funeral of Normington-Winthrop, whose name appears in the Black Book under Armorers. There is something odd about the entry, it was written over an erased entry, thus being corrected.

Once at the funeral, a business partner of N. W. comes up to Mrs Pargeter and warns her to stay away from Lady Winthrop, or else. This happens again, right after Lady Winthrop hires Truffle to look into her husband's past.....

From there there is a waywardly engaged couple, a young tech savvy woman taking over for her deceased father (who compiled all of Mr Pargeter's files & records onto thumb-drives), Gizmo (an inventor), Holy Smirk (a reverend), and others, all related in one way or another to Mr. Pargeter's business.

I liked this book, it was fun, suspenseful, and entertaining..... Nothing like the dreadful Fethering series....

[Maine Colonial · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mrs. Pargeter is the widow of a former London crime boss, but of the lovable rogue variety. He always kept his activities away from their happy marital home, and after his death she learns of his former colleagues through his little black book. Many of these former colleagues were able to go straight and establish legitimate businesses thanks to Mr. Pargeter.

The old boys are always happy to help Mrs. P at any time, out of gratitude to Mr. P and because Mrs. P is a charmer. Well, it might help a little that Mr. P left her a wealthy woman, but the esteem seems genuine.

In this seventh entry in the Mrs. Pargeter series, she attends the funeral of Sir Normington Winthrop, a man she never knew, but she makes it a practice to follow up with anyone in the news who appears in that little black book. At the reception, she is menaced by another guest and told to leave at once if she knows what's good for her.

The naturally curious Mrs. P isn't deterred and puts her whole network of Mr. P's former colleagues on the case to find out about Winthrop. Along the way, she plays both match-mender and benefactor to a young couple, going out on a wild hen night with the girl and encountering the boy in her team's investigations.

If you need a light, caper-type cozy, this is a good choice. It doesn't matter at all if you haven't read any of the other entries in the series.

I listened to the audiobook, read by the author. I'm usually wary of author-read books, but Simon Brett is excellent, and that's impressive when you consider the many different characters he has to voice.

[Gaynor Thomas · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was the very definition of "cosy crime" - and I loved it! It was very gentle, although it was definitely a crime book, and peopled by characters I felt I wanted to know. Mrs Pargeter is a star! The writing was excellent and it was easy to read, while not being too "simple". I will definitely read more of this series and I have already recommended it to my friends.
I received a copy of this book from the publishers via NetGalley in return for an honest review.

[Nancy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nice bit of fluff! The author is the narrator of this one and he does a spectacular job. My husband and I enjoyed it. The characters are a little cartoony. And the food descriptions don't really make me hungry in the way that Donna Leon's and Rex Stout's writing does. But it was a fun romp without too much depth. An quick and easy read.

[Puzzle Doctor · Rating 5 out of 5]

A cracking return for Mrs P. More of an adventure than a mystery but great, great fun. Full review at classicmystery.wordpress.com

[Nolan · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love this series because you don’t have to read any of this in order and you can treat it as a group of standalone books rather than slavishly follow the trajectory of a series if you wish. Alas for me, I’ve slavishly followed the trajectory of the series, but you don’t have to.

Melita Pargeter is a widow who has a talent for solving mysteries. Her late husband left her a black book inside of which are lists of names of people he dealt with when he was a thief and led a gang of sorts—people with specific skill sets on whom he called for various projects. Wow! I’m getting as euphemistic as his widow here.

She saw a name in the book one day and connected it with a recent obituary. It is one of her iron-clad principles that she will attend the funeral of any of the people with whom her late lamented husband associated. So, off to the funeral she goes.

That funeral is the springboard for more ways for her to help former associates of her husband who had fallen on hard times. It’s also the springboard for the introduction and solution of a mystery about some of the men her husband worked with. It’s a largely forgettable mystery, and Mrs. Pargeter’s life is in danger twice nearly on the same page—a bit of a stretch.

It’s her ability to help that makes things fun. She is, by lending a hand, creating a sphere of influence of her own. Samantha’s dad was a thief who worked for Mr. Pargeter. No one calls him that in the widow’s presence, of course. She prefers to use euphemisms and tune out whenever someone mentions a job he and Mr. Pargeter did together. But Samantha has fallen on hard times since her dad died, and she’s planning a wedding to Calvin, a jobless thief. Mrs. Pargeter offers to pay for the wedding. This is a fun book because it has several examples of her largess that will uplift you. It’s short at six hours, and it’s worth the time you put into reading it.

[Susan Johnston · Rating 5 out of 5]

Princess Fuzzypants here:

Mrs. Pargeter is blissfully naive. Her late husband had a coterie of associates for whom the sun rose and shone. Their gratitude is overwhelming and they would do anything within their power for her as they would have done for him. All she needs to do is access a little black book that he bequeathed her as well as almost endless wealth.

The folks have unique skills to say the least and whenever she is in need, they are there to protect her and her interests. When she is wrangled into attending a charity event, she meets her husband's hereto unknown sister and her son. There is something disquieting about her. In fact her innuendos about her husband's business affairs would be downright disturbing had Mrs. P not refused to acknowledge anything tawdry about him.

As events transpire, it becomes clear the sister is an evil person who will besmirch Mr. P's reputation. Mrs. P will not permit it and enlists those who would protect his image as well. In the process, she uncovers a charitable front for a nefarious smuggling ring.

Mrs. Pargeter is a delightful character whose intentional oblivion gets tested at every turn but she manages to ignore the realities of her husband's past. The cast of characters who surround her are a fascinating bunch and the light humour of the story is enchanting. The villains are sufficiently nasty as they threaten Mrs; P's calm and orderly world. It is most satisfying when they get their comeuppance.

It is a lovely book and I give it five purrs and two paws up.

[Stephen Brayton · Rating 4 out of 5]

Plot

For Mrs Pargeter, it is a matter of principle that she should complete any of her late husband’s unfinished business. Amongst his many bequests, perhaps the most valuable is his little black book, in which he listed all the people who ever worked for him, with details of their particular skill sets. This means that whenever Mrs P has a crime to solve, she can readily contact someone with the relevant expertise.

Attending the funeral of the respected Sir Normington Winthrop, because his name is in the book, Mrs Pargeter sets out to discover the connection between Sir Normington and her late husband. Her investigations will draw her into a shady world of gunrunners, shifty politicians – and a kidnapped vicar.

My Analysis

I’ve read a lot of Brett, but this is a series I haven’t delved into. This is a delightful little mystery where a widow seeks to continue helping people who were friends with her late husband. Unfortunately, most of those people are criminals or ex-criminals.

One wonders throughout whether the MC is truly ignorant of her husband’s former life or is willfully blind to it.

The cast is varied, from the downhearted PI, Truffler, to Kelvin, who wants to emulate his late father’s profession of burglary.

There are some amusing moments in the story, and Brett is wonderful with humor. the dialogue is concise and on point. The mystery takes on a nice twist, even though you know who the bad guy is early on.

A little bit of action, but this is a nice cozy with some satisfying moments.

My Rank:

Purple Belt

[Arnold Kanarek · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you are not familiar with this series than let me introduce you. Mrs. Pargeter is a proper English widow whose dear departed husband had many ardent followers. Pargeter was a crime boss who put many of his former "employees" in the position of being able to go into more legal types of work. In each book Mrs. Pargeter gets involved in a mystery and she is helped by a comedic cast of characters who owe thier lives to Mr. Pargeter. The genre of these books is comedy/mystery, if such a thing exists. Simon Brett is an excellent writer who uses wit and a nice measure of sarcasm to tell his stories. This is the fourth one that I have read, and although the writing is still up to par, I found the stories in the others to flow better. I recommend "Mrs. Pargeter's Patio", or Mrs. Pargeter's pound of Flesh."

[Alison · Rating 3 out of 5]

* This might give the wrong impression of the book, but I listened to this book to help me to sleep - a few chapters at a time, so my review of it is going to be affected by this.
* For me, this is the perfect ‘cosy’ book, with enough action and mystery to keep me interested, but soothing enough to make sure that it helped me to get back to sleep when insomnia struck.
* I enjoyed learning about the characters and the plot developed at a good pace for easy listening.
* My rating is possibly a bit mean, especially as I am going to listen to the next in the series, but I would only recommend it to others who were looking for this specific type of book. In the meantime it hits the spot for me perfectly to help with insomnia.

[Heidi · Rating 2 out of 5]

If a book could be compared to doing chores, that is how I would describe it. After the first few chapters, I was shocked to learn the setting of the book is supposed to be in present day as the discussions seemed very old-fashioned (tracking things in books versus modern tech) but, no. There is endless dialogue, where people with nicknames are discussed. Someone with a nickname is kidnapped. (I was hopeful for a few chapters there would be some forward momentum instead of tedious back and forth. So far that hasn’t happened.) Don’t think I can take it anymore.

Though, if you are a fan of Alexander McCall Smith, you may think your dreams have come true. I thought the way he wrote was unique to him, but it appears to be a cultural (Scottish) thing.

[Ann Miller · Rating 4 out of 5]

As a matter of principle, Mrs. Pargeter feels she should complete any of her late husband's unfinished business. He bequeathed her his little black book listing his business associates and their particular skill sets. So Mrs. P. has plenty of assistance when needed. One of the names in the book is Normington Winthrop. And when she sees an obituary listing the recent death of Sir. Mornington Winthrop, she decides to attend the funeral. She is surprised to see none of the other business associates of her late husband in attendance. Then when a man approaches her and says she is not to speak with Lady Winthrop, she is puzzled. Thus begins another fun mystery featuring the indefatigable Mrs. Pargeter.

[AngryGreyCat · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoy the violet eyed,widowed character of Mrs Pargeter. In this installment, she is still trying to continue her husband’s “philanthropy” and it involves her in quite a tangled web of stolen identities, gun running, kidnapping, a wedding and a funeral. For people not familiar with Mrs. Pargeter, I’d suggest reading the series in order to get a sense of the recurring characters and the relationships among them all. There are some very strong pokes here at certain anti-immigrant right-wing British political groups and the usual fun with class distinctions and Mrs. Pargeter’s views on her husband’s legacy. Fun mystery read with a great character at the helm.

[Liz V. · Rating 2 out of 5]

Brett has written the Fethering series, which I enjoyed, so I thought I'd try this series. Unfortunately, with the library closed, reading the series in order was not an option and jumping into the series with the seventh book was a mistake.

The protagonist is Mrs. Pargeter, a widow intent on finishing her husband's work, by tending to his associates, all reformed criminals. The widow attends the funeral of a man whose name appears in the book of associates. Mrs. Pargeter is curious about the connection, and made more so by being warned away from the deceased's wife. With the help of several of the associates, Mrs. Pargeter unravels a deadly mystery.

[Margie Hunter · Rating 5 out of 5]

It was a nice surprise to hear at the end of this book that it was read by the author, Simon Brett. I'm such an admirer of his writing, and he did a wonderful job reading this. The book is so entertaining, and so well plotted and constructed. It didn't matter at all that I was on the seventh book in the series, although I intend to go back to hear the first. Mrs. Pargeter is a unique character, and the book is full of other imaginative characters. Mrs. Pargeter refuses determinedly to see the true nature of her late husband's many enterprises and associates, and the reader must, too. This story has helped me through a tough couple of days, too.

[Tita · Rating 1 out of 5]

I wish the author had kept to the original time period. The continuity is not consistent. Mrs. Pargeter was in her 50s or older in the last book, and seems not to have aged, while more than 15 years have passed. Additionally, there was a thread of what really happened to Mr. Pargeter in the early series. I'm wondering if that will get settled. Well, I'm truly disappointed and miss the feel of the old series.

[Jan · Rating 4 out of 5]

An enjoyable crime caper - with very little crime of course!

Very much in the standard Mrs Pargeter format - few surprises but an entertaining light hearted read and eloquently written. Plenty of intrigue and deception to hold your attention but there is never any real doubt that everything will turn out right in the end.

[Mr Kenneth L Mullen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another Excellent Story

Another excellent story in the Mrs Pargeter crime series and every bit as good as those that preceded it. As with all the stories the element of humour shines through and makes them books that are difficult to put down.Looking forward to reading more in the series.

[Diane · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars. Almost stopped reading this cozy series but decided to give it one more try. While it still fell short from the promise of the first one, this one has an interesting story line and good character development. The heroine is more likable and her interaction with the secondary cast meshes well. I look forward to the next one.