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Hue and Cry
Accused of being a thief and spy, an English governess becomes a fugitive in this cunningly plotted mystery
In six months, Marion “Mally” Lee will wed the dashing Roger Mooring and become mistress of Curston, his family estate. Determined to enjoy her freedom before she becomes a married woman, Mally impulsively accepts a position as governess to the young daughter of a shipping magnate.
But when she arrives at the Peterson townhouse in London, Mally has the strangest urge to flee. Sir George Peterson, whose wife left him for an itinerant artist, is an enigma. His sister, Lena Craddock, is nice enough, but Mally’s young charge, Barbara, hates Lena’s nephew, Paul, with a passion. When Mally is suddenly branded a thief and spy after valuable papers and a priceless diamond pendant disappear, she does the only thing she run away.
With her fiancé believing the worst of her and private investigators hot on her trail, Mally goes on the lam, feeling like a fugitive from justice. But she’s stumbled upon a dangerous criminal conspiracy led by men desperate to get back the missing documents before a critical encrypted message is decoded.
In six months, Marion “Mally” Lee will wed the dashing Roger Mooring and become mistress of Curston, his family estate. Determined to enjoy her freedom before she becomes a married woman, Mally impulsively accepts a position as governess to the young daughter of a shipping magnate.
But when she arrives at the Peterson townhouse in London, Mally has the strangest urge to flee. Sir George Peterson, whose wife left him for an itinerant artist, is an enigma. His sister, Lena Craddock, is nice enough, but Mally’s young charge, Barbara, hates Lena’s nephew, Paul, with a passion. When Mally is suddenly branded a thief and spy after valuable papers and a priceless diamond pendant disappear, she does the only thing she run away.
With her fiancé believing the worst of her and private investigators hot on her trail, Mally goes on the lam, feeling like a fugitive from justice. But she’s stumbled upon a dangerous criminal conspiracy led by men desperate to get back the missing documents before a critical encrypted message is decoded.
224 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 1927
116 people are currently reading
190 people want to read
About the author
Patricia Wentworth
162 books524 followersPatricia Wentworth--born Dora Amy Elles--was a British crime fiction writer.
She was educated privately and at Blackheath High School in London. After the death of her first husband, George F. Dillon, in 1906, she settled in Camberley, Surrey. She married George Oliver Turnbull in 1920 and they had one daughter.
She wrote a series of 32 classic-style whodunnits featuring Miss Silver, the first of which was published in 1928, and the last in 1961, the year of her death.
Miss Silver, a retired governess-turned private detective, is sometimes compared to Jane Marple, the elderly detective created by Agatha Christie. She works closely with Scotland Yard, especially Inspector Frank Abbott and is fond of quoting the poet Tennyson.
Wentworth also wrote 34 books outside of that series.
She was educated privately and at Blackheath High School in London. After the death of her first husband, George F. Dillon, in 1906, she settled in Camberley, Surrey. She married George Oliver Turnbull in 1920 and they had one daughter.
She wrote a series of 32 classic-style whodunnits featuring Miss Silver, the first of which was published in 1928, and the last in 1961, the year of her death.
Miss Silver, a retired governess-turned private detective, is sometimes compared to Jane Marple, the elderly detective created by Agatha Christie. She works closely with Scotland Yard, especially Inspector Frank Abbott and is fond of quoting the poet Tennyson.
Wentworth also wrote 34 books outside of that series.
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Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews
July 8, 2016
Detective story writer Patricia Wentworth is a new discovery for me, thanks to Dean Street Press who have brought a whole load of her early titles back into print on Kindle. I've only read a couple of her books so far but have really fallen in love with her light and witty style of writing, which isn't quite like anybody else, and her vivid characters. She also includes a strong element of romance, mixed with humour.
Both the books I've read aren't really detective stories, more adventures, although there is some mystery along the way. This story centres on Mally, a penniless young girl who is engaged to the rich and handsome Roger - but every time they speak to each other they end up having a row. Feeling it might be best to delay the marriage for the time being, she accepts a job she doesn't know much about, as a nursery governess for a millionaire's daughter. Unfortunately, though, she soon starts to feel uneasy about some of the people in the house and to wonder exactly what is going on behind closed doors.
As the title suggests, the book contains a long and exciting chase sequence, where Mally has to live on her wits and doesn't know quite who to trust. However, it's all so entertaining that I never found myself feeling very worried. All in all, a lot of fun - I can't wait to read more by Patricia Wentworth.
Both the books I've read aren't really detective stories, more adventures, although there is some mystery along the way. This story centres on Mally, a penniless young girl who is engaged to the rich and handsome Roger - but every time they speak to each other they end up having a row. Feeling it might be best to delay the marriage for the time being, she accepts a job she doesn't know much about, as a nursery governess for a millionaire's daughter. Unfortunately, though, she soon starts to feel uneasy about some of the people in the house and to wonder exactly what is going on behind closed doors.
As the title suggests, the book contains a long and exciting chase sequence, where Mally has to live on her wits and doesn't know quite who to trust. However, it's all so entertaining that I never found myself feeling very worried. All in all, a lot of fun - I can't wait to read more by Patricia Wentworth.
September 19, 2024
Wentworth is inarguably at her best when writing her Miss Silver mysteries. This adventure / romance is perfectly readable, if a little too full of co-incidence for my taste, but it's not nearly as compelling as her classic mysteries.
I do appreciate Wentworth's characters. She has an ability not often found to populate her pages with a wide variety of *different* people with distinct personalities. Our heroine in this story, for instance, apparently suffers from an inborn need to "tweak" people, to create drama, and be generally difficult. I don't think I would like her in real life. It was clear that she and the fellow she was engaged to at the beginning of the book would make each other miserable. She would not be a comfortable person to be around, and I doubt that I would much like her in real life. But she was very, very different from the run of the mill sweet-as-sugar-and-just-as-demure heroine typically starring in these sorts of romances, and for that reason alone this was a refreshing read.
I do appreciate Wentworth's characters. She has an ability not often found to populate her pages with a wide variety of *different* people with distinct personalities. Our heroine in this story, for instance, apparently suffers from an inborn need to "tweak" people, to create drama, and be generally difficult. I don't think I would like her in real life. It was clear that she and the fellow she was engaged to at the beginning of the book would make each other miserable. She would not be a comfortable person to be around, and I doubt that I would much like her in real life. But she was very, very different from the run of the mill sweet-as-sugar-and-just-as-demure heroine typically starring in these sorts of romances, and for that reason alone this was a refreshing read.
August 20, 2020
Unrealistic events & coincidences while Melly is on the run. Meanwhile, second stand alone book I've read in a row by this author where the female lead frequently pinches the male lead for no apparent reason. Is this something that was common in the 1920's?
Pretty hum-drum story, not as good as the Miss Silver mysteries.
Pretty hum-drum story, not as good as the Miss Silver mysteries.
September 12, 2021
Meandering and stupid fluff
Why did I read this to the end? A sillier book does not exist. The paper thin plot puts the foolish Mally Lee up against some evil folks who try to frame her to save their own skins. Lots of repetitive nonsense that meanders at a very petty pace. One of Wentworth’s worst.
Why did I read this to the end? A sillier book does not exist. The paper thin plot puts the foolish Mally Lee up against some evil folks who try to frame her to save their own skins. Lots of repetitive nonsense that meanders at a very petty pace. One of Wentworth’s worst.
July 8, 2016
An engaging mystery
This was a pacy, enjoyable mystery from the 1920s, of the Golden Age genre, with a sweet gutsy heroine and a hero of the manly staunch type, and plenty of chases and villains. Highly recommended.
This was a pacy, enjoyable mystery from the 1920s, of the Golden Age genre, with a sweet gutsy heroine and a hero of the manly staunch type, and plenty of chases and villains. Highly recommended.
May 15, 2018
Early Bird Book Deal | Mixed feelings. | I really didn't care for Mally at the beginning of this book, and felt that her fiance would be well rid of her. I never warmed to her constant pinching men. That said, the challenges she faced in her flight were more realistic than Wentworth generally wrote, and if you consider that she mostly stayed in an area where she already knew people, the coincidences that saved her weren't too outlandish. Definitely more interesting than some of the author's work.
August 19, 2021
Excellent!
I'm a fan of Patricia Wentworth and her Miss Silvers mysteries. This mystery is stand alone and there's no Miss Silvers but she's not needed here. This is an excellent mystery with no detective at all. Instead we have a young woman just starting out in life who has a very forward thinking kind of personality and is perfectly capable of looking after herself. Thank you very much she would say to my compliment there. It's a fun book to read and I highly recommend it.
I'm a fan of Patricia Wentworth and her Miss Silvers mysteries. This mystery is stand alone and there's no Miss Silvers but she's not needed here. This is an excellent mystery with no detective at all. Instead we have a young woman just starting out in life who has a very forward thinking kind of personality and is perfectly capable of looking after herself. Thank you very much she would say to my compliment there. It's a fun book to read and I highly recommend it.
August 9, 2025
I started off not particularly liking the main character but as the story progressed (along with nearly everyone else in the story) I found her enchanting!
A good and fun adventure/chase with lovely allusions to fairy tales - Cinderella, Snow White, Red Riding Hood, Goldilocks and The Three Bears. I also enjoyed the description of how Miss Craddock dressed, an inkling to how Miss Silver was going to be dressed in her books (plus she knitted).
Lovely, lovely descriptions of houses and countryside.
A good and fun adventure/chase with lovely allusions to fairy tales - Cinderella, Snow White, Red Riding Hood, Goldilocks and The Three Bears. I also enjoyed the description of how Miss Craddock dressed, an inkling to how Miss Silver was going to be dressed in her books (plus she knitted).
Lovely, lovely descriptions of houses and countryside.
March 16, 2019
Frightfully dull!
I suppose I found this book dull because it was written in an age of romance and hidden secrets, which, in today's society, is an impossibility! It was reminiscent of the short stories in 'Woman's Weekly' and 'People's Friend' back in the 50's. (I would sneak a quick read of them before my Mum binned 'em)
I suppose I found this book dull because it was written in an age of romance and hidden secrets, which, in today's society, is an impossibility! It was reminiscent of the short stories in 'Woman's Weekly' and 'People's Friend' back in the 50's. (I would sneak a quick read of them before my Mum binned 'em)
October 13, 2021
This seems to be only the second Patricia Wentworth book I’ve read, and it was a lot of fun. Very fast-paced, pretty unbelievable, but I had to get to the end to find out what would happen to the engaging heroine and the nasty villain.
October 25, 2021
Least Favorite Wentworth
I don’t regret reading it. It’s still a wonderful Wentworth. But, oh, that weird, bratty, unlikable heroine PINCHED people through the entire book! It was fun, but Mally Lee really did act more like a typical villain. 2 stars.
I don’t regret reading it. It’s still a wonderful Wentworth. But, oh, that weird, bratty, unlikable heroine PINCHED people through the entire book! It was fun, but Mally Lee really did act more like a typical villain. 2 stars.
May 14, 2018
More an adventure tale than a mystery. The heroine is maddening at times, but the plot is sweet, if unsurprising.
dnf
January 30, 2022Boring. Gave up after 15%. No likable characters
May 23, 2023
Plus minus--fast paced read, lots of crazy character intersections, well woven together. I just really couldn't stand the main character, lol.
October 31, 2016
Utterly delightful mystery/romance. Very sweet. The villains are rotten. The heroine fabulous and frustrating. The hero perfect and patient. The adventures she lands herself in are quite ridiculous, but that adds to the charm. Possibly my favourite Patricia Wentworth book of all.
June 9, 2016
Another lovely read from these early books by Wentworth.
June 10, 2016
Love this book
I read this year ago been looking for it ever since. So happy to have found it. Hate it when they change the titles. A really good read
I read this year ago been looking for it ever since. So happy to have found it. Hate it when they change the titles. A really good read
August 29, 2020
I really enjoyed this Patricia Wentworth thriller. I'm finding I like these books more than the Miss Silver ones.
Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews