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Miss Silver #1-3
The Miss Silver Mysteries Volume One: Grey Mask, The Case Is Closed, and Lonesome Road
The first three Miss Silver Mysteries introduce the British governess-turned-sleuth and a “timelessly charming” series (Charlotte MacLeod).
From a “first-rate storyteller,” here are three full-length mystery novels in one volume, set in England between the two world wars and featuring Maud Silver, a retired governess and teacher who embarks on a new career in private detection ( The Daily Telegraph ).
Grey Mask
After four years wandering the jungles of India and South America, Charles Moray has come home to England to collect his inheritance. Strangely, he finds his family estate unlocked and sees a light in one of its abandoned rooms. Eavesdropping, he learns of a conspiracy to commit a fearsome crime. His first instinct is to let the police settle it, but then he hears her Margaret, his long lost love, is part of the gang. To unravel their diabolical plot, he contacts Miss Silver.
The Case Is Closed
Marion Grey is growing used to the idea that her husband will never be released from prison, especially after the horrors of the very public trial. But when new evidence suggests her husband may be innocent of murder after all, she hires a professional—the inimitable Miss Silver—to clear his name.
Lonesome Road
A terrified young woman asks Miss Silver for help unmasking someone who has threatened her life. Rachel Traherne has been receiving menacing letters about her deceased father’s fortune. The first two letters were vague; the third said simply, “Get ready to die.”
These charming traditional British mysteries featuring the unstoppable Miss Silver—whose stout figure, fondness for Tennyson, and passion for knitting disguise a keen intellect and a knack for cracking even the toughest cases—are sure to delight readers of Agatha Christie, Ellis Peters, and Dorothy L. Sayers.
From a “first-rate storyteller,” here are three full-length mystery novels in one volume, set in England between the two world wars and featuring Maud Silver, a retired governess and teacher who embarks on a new career in private detection ( The Daily Telegraph ).
Grey Mask
After four years wandering the jungles of India and South America, Charles Moray has come home to England to collect his inheritance. Strangely, he finds his family estate unlocked and sees a light in one of its abandoned rooms. Eavesdropping, he learns of a conspiracy to commit a fearsome crime. His first instinct is to let the police settle it, but then he hears her Margaret, his long lost love, is part of the gang. To unravel their diabolical plot, he contacts Miss Silver.
The Case Is Closed
Marion Grey is growing used to the idea that her husband will never be released from prison, especially after the horrors of the very public trial. But when new evidence suggests her husband may be innocent of murder after all, she hires a professional—the inimitable Miss Silver—to clear his name.
Lonesome Road
A terrified young woman asks Miss Silver for help unmasking someone who has threatened her life. Rachel Traherne has been receiving menacing letters about her deceased father’s fortune. The first two letters were vague; the third said simply, “Get ready to die.”
These charming traditional British mysteries featuring the unstoppable Miss Silver—whose stout figure, fondness for Tennyson, and passion for knitting disguise a keen intellect and a knack for cracking even the toughest cases—are sure to delight readers of Agatha Christie, Ellis Peters, and Dorothy L. Sayers.
876 pages, Kindle Edition
Published June 28, 2016
918 people are currently reading
310 people want to read
About the author
Patricia Wentworth
165 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 - 30 of 58 reviews
November 18, 2017
I enjoyed these thoroughly. Miss Silver is intriguing and admirable. She evokes Miss Marple, but she is most definitely a distinct character.
I liked how in the first book, The Grey Mask, Miss Silver doesn't even figure into the story until the reader is well invested in the characters and the mystery. It signals that what's significant here and in the other Miss Silver stories is the mystery, the puzzle, and the characters most deeply affected by it. I found all three of the novels every bit as satisfying as Agatha Christie's Miss Marple novels, and they are by far my favorite mystery novels.
I liked how in the first book, The Grey Mask, Miss Silver doesn't even figure into the story until the reader is well invested in the characters and the mystery. It signals that what's significant here and in the other Miss Silver stories is the mystery, the puzzle, and the characters most deeply affected by it. I found all three of the novels every bit as satisfying as Agatha Christie's Miss Marple novels, and they are by far my favorite mystery novels.
October 3, 2016
GREY MASK
In this book, we have a classic melodrama, an evil villain, 2 pairs of romantic lovers and a secret society. Both females need saving from the villain by their devotees. The story turns several directions as it unfolds. The strategies used were creative, when the book was first published . I have since seen versions of them in many books. Charles Moray returns from England and enters his home after 4 long years. He hears a mysterious conversation between several men that discuss a plan to take over an heiress fortune, preferably by marriage. If the marriage doesn't happen "to remove her". He is stopped because he sees a woman who broke their engagement a week before the wedding. Charles tries to save both girls from their fate. Even though I knew the outcome I couldn't put the book down.
THE CASE IS CLOSED
In the second book, Gregory Grey has been convicted of murdering his Uncle with overwhelming evidence. His wife Marion is extremely affected by the sentence and lost their unborn child. Hillary has been sent to look after her. Hillary is having a quarrel with her fiance, trying to evade him she takes the wrong train. On it, she finds strangers who might have new information on the murder. Miss Silver is hired to look into the information. She finds treason, greed, regretfully, a master plan set in place to convict to Gregory.
LONESOME ROAD
In the third classic story, Miss Silver is hired to protect Rachel Treherne who is frightened that one of her relatives is trying to kill her. Arriving at Rachel's home, to find that another attempt was made on Rachel's life. All suspects are on the premises. I found it difficult to put the book down u til I finished it.
In all three books, the characters are well developed and you feel their emotions. Each book has romances that have problems, a villain, and damsel in distress. Miss Silver solves the cases by understanding personal concepts of individuals. There is no sex or violence. All are hard to put down. The endings are satisfying. Miss Silver is a retired governess who is now a professional investor. Miss Silver reminds of Miss Maple. The books can be read over again and are suitable for young adults.
Disclosure: I received a free copy from Open Roads Integrated Media through NetGalley for an honest review. I would like to thank them for this opportunity to read and review the book. The opinions expressed are my own.
In this book, we have a classic melodrama, an evil villain, 2 pairs of romantic lovers and a secret society. Both females need saving from the villain by their devotees. The story turns several directions as it unfolds. The strategies used were creative, when the book was first published . I have since seen versions of them in many books. Charles Moray returns from England and enters his home after 4 long years. He hears a mysterious conversation between several men that discuss a plan to take over an heiress fortune, preferably by marriage. If the marriage doesn't happen "to remove her". He is stopped because he sees a woman who broke their engagement a week before the wedding. Charles tries to save both girls from their fate. Even though I knew the outcome I couldn't put the book down.
THE CASE IS CLOSED
In the second book, Gregory Grey has been convicted of murdering his Uncle with overwhelming evidence. His wife Marion is extremely affected by the sentence and lost their unborn child. Hillary has been sent to look after her. Hillary is having a quarrel with her fiance, trying to evade him she takes the wrong train. On it, she finds strangers who might have new information on the murder. Miss Silver is hired to look into the information. She finds treason, greed, regretfully, a master plan set in place to convict to Gregory.
LONESOME ROAD
In the third classic story, Miss Silver is hired to protect Rachel Treherne who is frightened that one of her relatives is trying to kill her. Arriving at Rachel's home, to find that another attempt was made on Rachel's life. All suspects are on the premises. I found it difficult to put the book down u til I finished it.
In all three books, the characters are well developed and you feel their emotions. Each book has romances that have problems, a villain, and damsel in distress. Miss Silver solves the cases by understanding personal concepts of individuals. There is no sex or violence. All are hard to put down. The endings are satisfying. Miss Silver is a retired governess who is now a professional investor. Miss Silver reminds of Miss Maple. The books can be read over again and are suitable for young adults.
Disclosure: I received a free copy from Open Roads Integrated Media through NetGalley for an honest review. I would like to thank them for this opportunity to read and review the book. The opinions expressed are my own.
October 23, 2025
I picked up this book because I'd read another Wentworth,
The Fire Within
, which isn't a mystery novel, although initially it looks like it's going to be one. I was impressed with the author's handling of the character relationships, and thought I might get something with a bit more depth than the average pulpy mystery of the early 20th century.
Well, the first book, Grey Mask, was a disappointment to me. It's one of those books which convey the impression that London is a small village with a population of about two dozen people, based on how frequently the characters cross paths by pure random chance, and there were no fewer than three Convenient Eavesdrops, my least favourite plot device.
There is a fraught relationship between a man and a woman, who used to be engaged but now are not; this seems to be the author's speciality. But the mystery/thriller aspects appear cribbed from books in which they're done better, such as The Black Star by Johnston McCulley (criminal conspiracy, led by a masked figure, ordinary people manipulated into being part of it, known by numbers) or Edgar Wallace's The Man Who Knew (unassuming detective who can find out anything about anyone - though "sleuthess" Miss Silver doesn't have any associates that we see evidence of, so she appears, implausibly, to be doing all her own legwork).
Like the "Man who Knew," unfortunately Miss Silver doesn't actually solve the mystery, either. The villain is self-identified (when the characters get too close to the secret, so that part is not without character agency), and foiled by complete chance. It's not in any way a "fair play" mystery; two separate characters have been moving behind the scenes, and end up just giving us exposition of what we couldn't have guessed and the detective didn't work out.
It also contains one of the most maddeningly silly young women I've ever seen depicted in print, though given that I try to avoid characters like that, I've probably missed a good many. She is supposed to be maddeningly silly, though, so no demerits to the author for that. There's also a highly intelligent woman who takes important action which saves her and her love interest, so that's something. But overall, I felt it was an author writing outside her genre, not doing a great job with the genre elements, and patching the plot together with coincidences and eavesdrops.
The second book in this collection, The Case is Closed, also relies on coincidence to a degree. I give an exemption for inciting incidents being coincidental, but the inciting incident is not the last time the heroine, Hilary (who has busted up with her fiancé, just like the heroine in the first book), has a chance meeting with the servant couple whose testimony clinched the conviction of her cousin's husband for murdering his uncle. It's like there's a gravitational well pulling them together in random places. Hilary is in those places investigating, but coincidence still plays a big role.
Hilary's definitely-no-longer-fiancé, Henry, is the one who engages Miss Silver, and keeps asking her to investigate further even though all his internal arguments are against doing so. The suspicion is that the servant couple was lying in their testimony, and that the imprisoned man's cousin, who inherited under a new will executed on the day of the uncle's death, somehow is involved, although he has an apparently rock-solid alibi four hundred miles from the murder.
It's a promising setup, and soon we have real danger for Hilary, and stronger grounds for suspicion, and Hilary and Henry are clearly back together even if she won't admit it. They have a kind of war-of-the-sexes thing going on, where each one thinks that if they don't stand strong, the other one will walk all over them, because he/she doesn't listen, and if they don't win, they'll lose. Pro tip from someone who's been married going on 27 years: this is a terrible way to run a relationship. Very much how a lot of relationships were conducted at the time, though, with New Women starting to challenge masculine dominance. Unfortunately, it's never truly resolved, though there are hints by the end that they may have both learned something.
The denouement is thrilling and suspenseful, and even though Henry does (as I predicted) burst in and save Hilary at the psychological moment, she does something brave and effective first, so I didn't mind so much. I'd worked out how the crime was done some considerable time before it was laid out by Miss Silver, but the process of getting to the resolution was still enjoyable.
With the third book, Lonesome Road, the author finally seems to have got a sense of Miss Silver. In the first two books, she's a dowdy-looking middle-aged spinster who knits (typically for her stereotype), writes things down carefully in exercise books, and implausibly knows things about people by no clearly articulated mechanism. She's an archetype combined with a plot device. In this book, she suddenly develops a personality, rather a tart-but-kindly one, and we get to see inside her head, not least by seeing what it is she's writing in those books.
A wealthy woman with a large collection of family hangers-on (cousins and the like, mostly), who stand to inherit money from her, is receiving death threats and murder attempts, and asks Miss Silver to come and investigate, so we get to see her on site and active rather than largely in her consulting room. Things quickly become suspenseful, and everyone's a potential suspect, and there's a young woman also (one of the cousins) who seems to be in trouble and foolishly won't confide in Miss Silver.
It's an unusual detective story in that it's not solving a murder, but an attempted murder, and trying to prevent an actual murder (or, as it turns out, two murders), and the police never become involved, because Miss Silver's client won't set them on her relatives, no matter how awful those relatives may be. Also, I didn't spot the would-be murderer at all, though Miss Silver's explanation makes total sense of why she did.
There's a small thread of continuity running through the three books, in that in both books 2 and 3, the person seeking Miss Silver's help has heard about her through the main character in the previous book. I wonder how far into the 32-book series this was sustained? I will probably find out, because after an unpromising start, this turned into a series I definitely want to continue with. It's a fortunate chance that I picked up the three-in-one from my library, because if I'd only read the first one, I might not have continued. The second was much better, and the third really good. Averaging them out, I'm putting this whole collection in the Silver tier of my annual best-of list, though the first would have been Bronze at best, and the third is knocking on the door of Gold.
Well, the first book, Grey Mask, was a disappointment to me. It's one of those books which convey the impression that London is a small village with a population of about two dozen people, based on how frequently the characters cross paths by pure random chance, and there were no fewer than three Convenient Eavesdrops, my least favourite plot device.
There is a fraught relationship between a man and a woman, who used to be engaged but now are not; this seems to be the author's speciality. But the mystery/thriller aspects appear cribbed from books in which they're done better, such as The Black Star by Johnston McCulley (criminal conspiracy, led by a masked figure, ordinary people manipulated into being part of it, known by numbers) or Edgar Wallace's The Man Who Knew (unassuming detective who can find out anything about anyone - though "sleuthess" Miss Silver doesn't have any associates that we see evidence of, so she appears, implausibly, to be doing all her own legwork).
Like the "Man who Knew," unfortunately Miss Silver doesn't actually solve the mystery, either. The villain is self-identified (when the characters get too close to the secret, so that part is not without character agency), and foiled by complete chance. It's not in any way a "fair play" mystery; two separate characters have been moving behind the scenes, and end up just giving us exposition of what we couldn't have guessed and the detective didn't work out.
It also contains one of the most maddeningly silly young women I've ever seen depicted in print, though given that I try to avoid characters like that, I've probably missed a good many. She is supposed to be maddeningly silly, though, so no demerits to the author for that. There's also a highly intelligent woman who takes important action which saves her and her love interest, so that's something. But overall, I felt it was an author writing outside her genre, not doing a great job with the genre elements, and patching the plot together with coincidences and eavesdrops.
The second book in this collection, The Case is Closed, also relies on coincidence to a degree. I give an exemption for inciting incidents being coincidental, but the inciting incident is not the last time the heroine, Hilary (who has busted up with her fiancé, just like the heroine in the first book), has a chance meeting with the servant couple whose testimony clinched the conviction of her cousin's husband for murdering his uncle. It's like there's a gravitational well pulling them together in random places. Hilary is in those places investigating, but coincidence still plays a big role.
Hilary's definitely-no-longer-fiancé, Henry, is the one who engages Miss Silver, and keeps asking her to investigate further even though all his internal arguments are against doing so. The suspicion is that the servant couple was lying in their testimony, and that the imprisoned man's cousin, who inherited under a new will executed on the day of the uncle's death, somehow is involved, although he has an apparently rock-solid alibi four hundred miles from the murder.
It's a promising setup, and soon we have real danger for Hilary, and stronger grounds for suspicion, and Hilary and Henry are clearly back together even if she won't admit it. They have a kind of war-of-the-sexes thing going on, where each one thinks that if they don't stand strong, the other one will walk all over them, because he/she doesn't listen, and if they don't win, they'll lose. Pro tip from someone who's been married going on 27 years: this is a terrible way to run a relationship. Very much how a lot of relationships were conducted at the time, though, with New Women starting to challenge masculine dominance. Unfortunately, it's never truly resolved, though there are hints by the end that they may have both learned something.
The denouement is thrilling and suspenseful, and even though Henry does (as I predicted) burst in and save Hilary at the psychological moment, she does something brave and effective first, so I didn't mind so much. I'd worked out how the crime was done some considerable time before it was laid out by Miss Silver, but the process of getting to the resolution was still enjoyable.
With the third book, Lonesome Road, the author finally seems to have got a sense of Miss Silver. In the first two books, she's a dowdy-looking middle-aged spinster who knits (typically for her stereotype), writes things down carefully in exercise books, and implausibly knows things about people by no clearly articulated mechanism. She's an archetype combined with a plot device. In this book, she suddenly develops a personality, rather a tart-but-kindly one, and we get to see inside her head, not least by seeing what it is she's writing in those books.
A wealthy woman with a large collection of family hangers-on (cousins and the like, mostly), who stand to inherit money from her, is receiving death threats and murder attempts, and asks Miss Silver to come and investigate, so we get to see her on site and active rather than largely in her consulting room. Things quickly become suspenseful, and everyone's a potential suspect, and there's a young woman also (one of the cousins) who seems to be in trouble and foolishly won't confide in Miss Silver.
It's an unusual detective story in that it's not solving a murder, but an attempted murder, and trying to prevent an actual murder (or, as it turns out, two murders), and the police never become involved, because Miss Silver's client won't set them on her relatives, no matter how awful those relatives may be. Also, I didn't spot the would-be murderer at all, though Miss Silver's explanation makes total sense of why she did.
There's a small thread of continuity running through the three books, in that in both books 2 and 3, the person seeking Miss Silver's help has heard about her through the main character in the previous book. I wonder how far into the 32-book series this was sustained? I will probably find out, because after an unpromising start, this turned into a series I definitely want to continue with. It's a fortunate chance that I picked up the three-in-one from my library, because if I'd only read the first one, I might not have continued. The second was much better, and the third really good. Averaging them out, I'm putting this whole collection in the Silver tier of my annual best-of list, though the first would have been Bronze at best, and the third is knocking on the door of Gold.
May 1, 2020
This review only covers The Lonesome Road, the third book in this omnibus. The other two have been reviewed separately. The theme of misunderstanding between lovers has matured a bit by this, the third Miss Silver book. Misunderstandings are less petulant and more nuanced. It is obviously something that the author seeks to understand within the context of the gender relationships of her time. I like this element. Our current understandings are built on the experience and emerging understanding of women of Wentworth’s generation.
In this volume Wentworth gives a convincing portrait of a women with programmed obligations. It is frustrating for a 21st century reader, but, I think, convincing, and sympathy-inducing rather than the annoyance induced by Margot in Book 1.
Miss Silver continues as the deus ex machina, a far more consciously constructed outside figure than Miss Marple with whom she shares some characteristics.
In this volume Wentworth gives a convincing portrait of a women with programmed obligations. It is frustrating for a 21st century reader, but, I think, convincing, and sympathy-inducing rather than the annoyance induced by Margot in Book 1.
Miss Silver continues as the deus ex machina, a far more consciously constructed outside figure than Miss Marple with whom she shares some characteristics.
December 8, 2021
Fun and quick. Miss Silver solves this puzzle, but how she does it is not apparent, she somehow is everywhere at once. Miss Marple is much more believable and real. But good mystery; I had no idea who the loathsome villain was until he declared himself. Two more in this volume, will read them sometime.
December 6, 2016
In this newly re-published collection of three of her earliest novels, Patricia Wentworth transports us to the very stylish British Art Deco world of the 1920s and 1930s, where the women are elegant and worried, and the men are monsters, or exceedingly dreary, or handsome heroes. One of the leading writers of the Golden Age of detective fiction, Wentworth draws a clear line between evil and good, and she makes sure that we know that her "private enquiry agent," retired governess Miss Maud Silver, is no innocent, sweet old lady. Miss Silver has looked evil in the eye, and prevailed, and she has been changed by it.
In her first novel, "The Grey Mask," published in 1928, Charles Moray returns from a self-imposed four-year exile upon learning of his father's death. His first night back, he stumbles upon a strange meeting of conspirators taking place in his vacant family home. He doesn't summon the police because his former fiancee, Margaret Langton, is at the meeting, the same woman whose rejection of him caused his long absence. Alarmed at the dangerous, rough company she appeared to be involved with, Moray seeks out the elderly Maude Silver, a female sleuth famous for her terrifying ability to gather information and ferret out falsehoods.
In "The Case is Closed," first published in 1937, Wentworth takes on an unjust murder conviction. Gregory Grey has been convicted of murdering his uncle and sent to prison for 50 years. His wife Marion has lost the baby she was carrying and is living a frozen, colorless, soulless life, working as a "mannequin" modeling chic dresses, while she grieves for her lost marriage, husband and baby. Her younger cousin Helen is determined to seek justice for Gregory and Marion. Helen's ex-fiancee, Captain Henry Cunningham, is worried about Helen's activities and, on the recommendation of his distant cousin, Charles Moray (of "The Grey Mask" mystery), he hires Maude Silver to investigate. As Helen and Miss Silver close in on the truth, they must travel in a London, an Edinburgh and on rural country lanes that no longer exist in reality but will forever exist in Wentworth's mysteries.
In the third mystery, "Lonesome Road," first published in 1939, unmarried heiress Rachel Treherne seeks out Miss Silver because someone is trying to kill her. The likely suspects are her family members who spend much time at her lonely mansion on a cliff overlooking the sea. A wealthy woman who inherited much from her father, Treherne is also tasked with finding the heirs of his former business partner, and rectifying an old wrong by giving them a portion of her wealth. This beautifully written mystery climaxes in a breath-taking, terror-filled scene where Miss Silver unmasks the would-be murderer.
(In return for an honest review, I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.)
In her first novel, "The Grey Mask," published in 1928, Charles Moray returns from a self-imposed four-year exile upon learning of his father's death. His first night back, he stumbles upon a strange meeting of conspirators taking place in his vacant family home. He doesn't summon the police because his former fiancee, Margaret Langton, is at the meeting, the same woman whose rejection of him caused his long absence. Alarmed at the dangerous, rough company she appeared to be involved with, Moray seeks out the elderly Maude Silver, a female sleuth famous for her terrifying ability to gather information and ferret out falsehoods.
In "The Case is Closed," first published in 1937, Wentworth takes on an unjust murder conviction. Gregory Grey has been convicted of murdering his uncle and sent to prison for 50 years. His wife Marion has lost the baby she was carrying and is living a frozen, colorless, soulless life, working as a "mannequin" modeling chic dresses, while she grieves for her lost marriage, husband and baby. Her younger cousin Helen is determined to seek justice for Gregory and Marion. Helen's ex-fiancee, Captain Henry Cunningham, is worried about Helen's activities and, on the recommendation of his distant cousin, Charles Moray (of "The Grey Mask" mystery), he hires Maude Silver to investigate. As Helen and Miss Silver close in on the truth, they must travel in a London, an Edinburgh and on rural country lanes that no longer exist in reality but will forever exist in Wentworth's mysteries.
In the third mystery, "Lonesome Road," first published in 1939, unmarried heiress Rachel Treherne seeks out Miss Silver because someone is trying to kill her. The likely suspects are her family members who spend much time at her lonely mansion on a cliff overlooking the sea. A wealthy woman who inherited much from her father, Treherne is also tasked with finding the heirs of his former business partner, and rectifying an old wrong by giving them a portion of her wealth. This beautifully written mystery climaxes in a breath-taking, terror-filled scene where Miss Silver unmasks the would-be murderer.
(In return for an honest review, I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.)
November 9, 2016
This is a set of the first three novels in the Miss Silver series, a classic series starting in the 1920s.
I think that the three novel vary in quality, each getting stronger and stronger. If you are a fan of more modern mystery stories, this might be hard to adjust to. One not uncommon trait of books from this era is the fact that the "main character" (ie, Miss Silver), isn't really in it much. She's more just the common thread linking the stories, but they aren't so much about her. She is in far more of "Lonesome Road" then any others, so it's possible that as the series continues, she plays more of a role. But she's barely in "Grey Mask". I think this might turn off some people, but it didn't bother me.
As for the stories themselves, the weakest by far is "Grey Mask". The characters were downright silly and the story didn't make a whole lot of sense. I think it's very beneficial that this is in a set, because if I had read "Grey Mask" on it's own, I'm not sure I would have continued on with the series. It wasn't *bad*, but it wasn't good either. Thankfully, "The Case is Closed" and "Lonesome Road" were much better, with stronger characters and plot-lines.
I think that if you are a fan of classic cozy crime mysteries, such as Agatha Christie, then you should give this series a try. I specifically recommend this set of three novels. Having the set will give you an excuse to get through the first novel and continue to move onto the good ones. (^_^)
**I received this copy via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review**
I think that the three novel vary in quality, each getting stronger and stronger. If you are a fan of more modern mystery stories, this might be hard to adjust to. One not uncommon trait of books from this era is the fact that the "main character" (ie, Miss Silver), isn't really in it much. She's more just the common thread linking the stories, but they aren't so much about her. She is in far more of "Lonesome Road" then any others, so it's possible that as the series continues, she plays more of a role. But she's barely in "Grey Mask". I think this might turn off some people, but it didn't bother me.
As for the stories themselves, the weakest by far is "Grey Mask". The characters were downright silly and the story didn't make a whole lot of sense. I think it's very beneficial that this is in a set, because if I had read "Grey Mask" on it's own, I'm not sure I would have continued on with the series. It wasn't *bad*, but it wasn't good either. Thankfully, "The Case is Closed" and "Lonesome Road" were much better, with stronger characters and plot-lines.
I think that if you are a fan of classic cozy crime mysteries, such as Agatha Christie, then you should give this series a try. I specifically recommend this set of three novels. Having the set will give you an excuse to get through the first novel and continue to move onto the good ones. (^_^)
**I received this copy via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review**
dnf-set-aside-for-later
August 17, 2020I have wanted to try the Miss Silver Mysteries for quite some time since I enjoy reading authors from mystery's Golden Age. So, when this boxed set came up as Prime reading borrow, I jumped at the opportunity.
I started with Grey Mask and was hooked in quickly as the story introduces Charles Moray who has explored the world for many years and been on many adventures. He has just returned home to find his house being used by a gang of criminals as a meeting place. He not only overhears part of their plan to steal an heiress' fortune by any means from marriage to murder, but one of their people is the woman who tossed their engagement aside and is the reason he took off for parts unknown.
If the story had stayed with Charles' POV and mostly his interests in saving his former fiance', I would not be setting aside this book, but it had to include the most annoying young woman's perspective and she drove me nuts from the first sentence of her chapter. She is whiny and spoiled and has no sense even for a girl her age.
I wanted to meet Miss Silver and I was curious about Charles' fiance's situation with those criminals because I suspect there is more to the story of their past and more than meets the eye in her present. Maybe I'll try to pick this up later or start with another book, but for now, I'm laying it aside.
I started with Grey Mask and was hooked in quickly as the story introduces Charles Moray who has explored the world for many years and been on many adventures. He has just returned home to find his house being used by a gang of criminals as a meeting place. He not only overhears part of their plan to steal an heiress' fortune by any means from marriage to murder, but one of their people is the woman who tossed their engagement aside and is the reason he took off for parts unknown.
If the story had stayed with Charles' POV and mostly his interests in saving his former fiance', I would not be setting aside this book, but it had to include the most annoying young woman's perspective and she drove me nuts from the first sentence of her chapter. She is whiny and spoiled and has no sense even for a girl her age.
I wanted to meet Miss Silver and I was curious about Charles' fiance's situation with those criminals because I suspect there is more to the story of their past and more than meets the eye in her present. Maybe I'll try to pick this up later or start with another book, but for now, I'm laying it aside.
October 2, 2016
An ARC honest review for Open Road Integrated Media via NetGalley.
The first three novels in the classic Miss Silver Mysteries introduce Patricia Wentworth’s beloved British governess-turned-sleuth.
I love the Patricia Wentworth's Miss Silver mysteries, they were my start to the classic 'Golden Age' mysteries when I was 14 (so, so very long ago!), and are always worth returning to, time and time again.
They contain well written and constructed plots, a romance and a detective that you will adore.
Pure Classics!
The first three novels in the classic Miss Silver Mysteries introduce Patricia Wentworth’s beloved British governess-turned-sleuth.
I love the Patricia Wentworth's Miss Silver mysteries, they were my start to the classic 'Golden Age' mysteries when I was 14 (so, so very long ago!), and are always worth returning to, time and time again.
They contain well written and constructed plots, a romance and a detective that you will adore.
Pure Classics!
August 1, 2020
Grey Mask
Well, far-fetched doesn’t even begin to describe the setup, plot and conspiracy this novel creates.
Silly doesn’t even begin the kind of predicament the main character gets herself into.
And still you find yourself hooked. You root for the characters and find they are really well crafted and their personalities as complex as the convention of cosy mystery allows.
Patricia Wentworth has a good hand in describing these people – the adorably and frustratingly silly heiress who finds herself a penniless orphan with no one to turn to – and it’s not a bit as romantic as in all the novels. A young woman working in a hat shop on a salary that gets her half a loaf of bread and a stump of cheese to last her through the weekend. A young arrogant explorer, just back from some jungle or other. A well-off young man who just spends his time, because what else is there to do with it. I say Patricia Wentworth is just as good at it as Agatha Christie at portraying people. Sometimes – dare I say it? – even better, especially where female characters are concerned. Chicken soup for my feminist self. She has more compassion for these people and more wit at the same time at describing them. And lucky she does, because that’s the main factor that keeps you reading and pulls you into the story.
Well, the story. It relies heavily on the devices often used in the Golden Era of Cosy Crime. You have a conspiracy group pulling all the strings in criminal activities. The way they perform their secret meetings is so theatrical and SUPER SECRETIVE that it makes you roll your eyes in disbelief. The right people fall into each other in the streets just at the right time. Randomly met people turn out to be cousins and there are desks swapped with secret letters and all this kind of stuff. Friends of your parents from many years past happen to bump into you in the store you work in and then they remember in full detail something that happened 18 years ago and they only heard of second hand. You need to be able to give your vicious inner critic a pass and decide just to enjoy the vintage flavour. And I have to say the conclusion and big reveal is very well done, so it erased at least part of the irony I had in the beginning.
This is the first in the series and it’s clear for me that the author is just finding her footing in the genre. The detective – a retired governess turned sleuthess (yes, this is the word used in the book) is her own character (for all the Jane Marple comparisons abounding in reviews) and deserves attention, but she appears nearly halfway through the book and actually does all detecting in the background without the reader being aware. Hopefully she will become more center of the story in the next books because I found myself surprisingly invested in this and really am happy that this is a collected edition. This way I can move on to the next story immediately.
The Case is closed
This is an attempt at thriller. I appreciate how the author sets herself a challenge and experiments structurally. The whole introduction of the riddle is very different from the first book. We learn the suspects and the whole setup reading court documents from the eponymous Closed Case trial. Unfortunately the plot - apart from far-fetchedness - suffers from Painful Obviousness Syndrome (I mean there is only one suspect worth considering and the whole unveiling of the case doesn't grant enough tension to carry it, plus the way it's pulled off makes you rip your hair in despair. It is rather annoying in a way that you start questioning the sanity and competence of the police officers performing the original investigation, which certainly wasn't intentional on the writer's part). That said it is still immensely readable. The characters are interesting and instanty likeable,even if you could play bingo on the elements of their personalities and behaviours. I stand by my previous claim - the female characters are more consistent and deeper than Agatha Christie's. Plus there is a palpable tension where domestic violence and bullying is portrayed. For such a cosy crime it is immensely surprising how the author doesn't shed from the difficult subjects in an extent that is unusual in the genre. However Miss Silver still features mainly in the background, doing most of her detecting and research backstage which is a bit annoying.
The Lonesome Road
The third instalment where we finally get Miss Silver perform some detecting in a classic "murder in the mansion on the moor" setup. As first attempts go this one is fairly good. We have a classic set of suspects and the sleuthess can unfold her wings. Unfortunately this one suffers from melodrama and soap opera elements which is unbearable at times especially combined with total soppiness of one of the characters. I mean the rich heiress in the first volume managed to pull of this mixture of sympathy and annoyance in the reader. While she irritated the daylights out of me, it was clear the fault is not entirely hers and sometimes there was only compassion left, no one deserved this kind of fate, however stupid their actions. This time one of the characters was just so unforgiveably stupid that eyes hurt from rolling. Yet again the ending is more of a thriller but holds tension quite well and while the riddle was simplistic it's still interesting.
And now I run out and none other is available in my library ebook/audiobook collection. I am hurt, I am very much hurt.
Well, far-fetched doesn’t even begin to describe the setup, plot and conspiracy this novel creates.
Silly doesn’t even begin the kind of predicament the main character gets herself into.
And still you find yourself hooked. You root for the characters and find they are really well crafted and their personalities as complex as the convention of cosy mystery allows.
Patricia Wentworth has a good hand in describing these people – the adorably and frustratingly silly heiress who finds herself a penniless orphan with no one to turn to – and it’s not a bit as romantic as in all the novels. A young woman working in a hat shop on a salary that gets her half a loaf of bread and a stump of cheese to last her through the weekend. A young arrogant explorer, just back from some jungle or other. A well-off young man who just spends his time, because what else is there to do with it. I say Patricia Wentworth is just as good at it as Agatha Christie at portraying people. Sometimes – dare I say it? – even better, especially where female characters are concerned. Chicken soup for my feminist self. She has more compassion for these people and more wit at the same time at describing them. And lucky she does, because that’s the main factor that keeps you reading and pulls you into the story.
Well, the story. It relies heavily on the devices often used in the Golden Era of Cosy Crime. You have a conspiracy group pulling all the strings in criminal activities. The way they perform their secret meetings is so theatrical and SUPER SECRETIVE that it makes you roll your eyes in disbelief. The right people fall into each other in the streets just at the right time. Randomly met people turn out to be cousins and there are desks swapped with secret letters and all this kind of stuff. Friends of your parents from many years past happen to bump into you in the store you work in and then they remember in full detail something that happened 18 years ago and they only heard of second hand. You need to be able to give your vicious inner critic a pass and decide just to enjoy the vintage flavour. And I have to say the conclusion and big reveal is very well done, so it erased at least part of the irony I had in the beginning.
This is the first in the series and it’s clear for me that the author is just finding her footing in the genre. The detective – a retired governess turned sleuthess (yes, this is the word used in the book) is her own character (for all the Jane Marple comparisons abounding in reviews) and deserves attention, but she appears nearly halfway through the book and actually does all detecting in the background without the reader being aware. Hopefully she will become more center of the story in the next books because I found myself surprisingly invested in this and really am happy that this is a collected edition. This way I can move on to the next story immediately.
The Case is closed
This is an attempt at thriller. I appreciate how the author sets herself a challenge and experiments structurally. The whole introduction of the riddle is very different from the first book. We learn the suspects and the whole setup reading court documents from the eponymous Closed Case trial. Unfortunately the plot - apart from far-fetchedness - suffers from Painful Obviousness Syndrome (I mean there is only one suspect worth considering and the whole unveiling of the case doesn't grant enough tension to carry it, plus the way it's pulled off makes you rip your hair in despair. It is rather annoying in a way that you start questioning the sanity and competence of the police officers performing the original investigation, which certainly wasn't intentional on the writer's part). That said it is still immensely readable. The characters are interesting and instanty likeable,even if you could play bingo on the elements of their personalities and behaviours. I stand by my previous claim - the female characters are more consistent and deeper than Agatha Christie's. Plus there is a palpable tension where domestic violence and bullying is portrayed. For such a cosy crime it is immensely surprising how the author doesn't shed from the difficult subjects in an extent that is unusual in the genre. However Miss Silver still features mainly in the background, doing most of her detecting and research backstage which is a bit annoying.
The Lonesome Road
The third instalment where we finally get Miss Silver perform some detecting in a classic "murder in the mansion on the moor" setup. As first attempts go this one is fairly good. We have a classic set of suspects and the sleuthess can unfold her wings. Unfortunately this one suffers from melodrama and soap opera elements which is unbearable at times especially combined with total soppiness of one of the characters. I mean the rich heiress in the first volume managed to pull of this mixture of sympathy and annoyance in the reader. While she irritated the daylights out of me, it was clear the fault is not entirely hers and sometimes there was only compassion left, no one deserved this kind of fate, however stupid their actions. This time one of the characters was just so unforgiveably stupid that eyes hurt from rolling. Yet again the ending is more of a thriller but holds tension quite well and while the riddle was simplistic it's still interesting.
And now I run out and none other is available in my library ebook/audiobook collection. I am hurt, I am very much hurt.
January 28, 2020
This is the first three books of the Miss Silver Mysteries by Patricia Wentworth. The very first book, Grey Mask, was first published back in 1910. I did not realize this until I had already read all three stories in this volume. I knew the stories were set early in the 20th century but I was still surprised to realize that they were written that long ago. Miss Silver is a great cozy mystery along the lines of Agatha Christine's Miss Marple. She does not feature prominently in every story but she is involved in gathering the solution to each mystery.
Miss Silver runs a detective agency. She has never been married and did work for a while as a governess which she abhorred. She is plain looking but exceedingly intelligent in the way she understands how people think and behave. She has a very developed way of gathering financial information and even personal information. She knows when she is not being t9ld the truth either by omission or down right lies. She also has the type of personality that males you do as she says--must be from her experience as a governess. She also seems to acquire most of her business from word-of-mouth.
In Grey Mask, a young man has been abroad for a few years after being jilted by his fiance. He arrives home to discover a criminal gang working out of his house and it seems his ex-love is somehow involved. He must stop this nonsense before she comes into serious trouble. Just his good fortune, he is encouraged to seek out the services Miss Silver and with her help he might just get this criminal gang and stay alive.
A man is convicted of murder and sent to prison in The Case is Closed. The heartache is his wife must carry on in a life she never imagines she would be forced to live. Her cousin cannot accept that this man killed his uncle or that he killed anyone for this matter. She really gets determined to prove his innocence when she runs across the housekeeper of the uncle who gave evidence in the trial against the wrongfully convicted man. Through the request of another person, Miss Silver is requested to find some answers. Who killed the uncle and why blame the nephew whom the uncle adored.
Finally in Lonsome Road, a wealthy woman has come to fear she is the target of someone who wishes her dead so they can have some of her money. Obviously she realizes this can only mean one thing, someone in her family wants her dead. She quickly realizes she needs to find out the truth or it will destroy all she loves from the doubt and mistrust caused by fear and the very real threat that someone she loves is not who she believes them to be. She hires Miss Silver to help her get to the bottom of this matter. She does not want to die, she does not want to suspect her family members of wanting to get rid of her and she does not want to go to the police so all this becomes a public scandal. Miss Silver digs into how the victim really feels about each family members and how each family member feels about her. To stop a killer, hard truths and hidden feelings must come to the surface.
I found the first two stories a little strange because Miss Silver did not fill a larger role in the story. She dug around and got financial information on suspects and got personal information in ways that did not alert the suspects. Each time as I got further into the story, I realized it did not matter that Miss Silver did not play a bigger role in the mystery. She was still instrumental in helping solve the case and other characters did their part in solving the mystery too. I found this refreshing in a series where the main character did not always have the lead role. I will read more of these in the near future because it is a series that I like the main character and I love a good cozy mystery.
Miss Silver runs a detective agency. She has never been married and did work for a while as a governess which she abhorred. She is plain looking but exceedingly intelligent in the way she understands how people think and behave. She has a very developed way of gathering financial information and even personal information. She knows when she is not being t9ld the truth either by omission or down right lies. She also has the type of personality that males you do as she says--must be from her experience as a governess. She also seems to acquire most of her business from word-of-mouth.
In Grey Mask, a young man has been abroad for a few years after being jilted by his fiance. He arrives home to discover a criminal gang working out of his house and it seems his ex-love is somehow involved. He must stop this nonsense before she comes into serious trouble. Just his good fortune, he is encouraged to seek out the services Miss Silver and with her help he might just get this criminal gang and stay alive.
A man is convicted of murder and sent to prison in The Case is Closed. The heartache is his wife must carry on in a life she never imagines she would be forced to live. Her cousin cannot accept that this man killed his uncle or that he killed anyone for this matter. She really gets determined to prove his innocence when she runs across the housekeeper of the uncle who gave evidence in the trial against the wrongfully convicted man. Through the request of another person, Miss Silver is requested to find some answers. Who killed the uncle and why blame the nephew whom the uncle adored.
Finally in Lonsome Road, a wealthy woman has come to fear she is the target of someone who wishes her dead so they can have some of her money. Obviously she realizes this can only mean one thing, someone in her family wants her dead. She quickly realizes she needs to find out the truth or it will destroy all she loves from the doubt and mistrust caused by fear and the very real threat that someone she loves is not who she believes them to be. She hires Miss Silver to help her get to the bottom of this matter. She does not want to die, she does not want to suspect her family members of wanting to get rid of her and she does not want to go to the police so all this becomes a public scandal. Miss Silver digs into how the victim really feels about each family members and how each family member feels about her. To stop a killer, hard truths and hidden feelings must come to the surface.
I found the first two stories a little strange because Miss Silver did not fill a larger role in the story. She dug around and got financial information on suspects and got personal information in ways that did not alert the suspects. Each time as I got further into the story, I realized it did not matter that Miss Silver did not play a bigger role in the mystery. She was still instrumental in helping solve the case and other characters did their part in solving the mystery too. I found this refreshing in a series where the main character did not always have the lead role. I will read more of these in the near future because it is a series that I like the main character and I love a good cozy mystery.
December 4, 2016
Grey Mask
Charles has been exploring the world after a rather nasty breakup and has just now returned home. Only his caretakers aren't there. But someone else is. It's a man in a grey mask. Charles is able to watch the man unobtrusively and sees and hears what sounds like a plot for murder. And one of the people he sees is his ex-fiancee, Margaret Langton. He follows her and is soon involved in a plot involving an heiress, who may or may not be legitimate (if she's not, her horrible cousin Egbert will inherit), secret societies, and blackmail. He applies to Miss Maude Silver for help.
You might assume that Miss Silver would be similar to Miss Marple. And she is; an older woman, quiet, unassuming, unobtrusive. But she starts the series as a detective. And she is not in most of the book. Instead, the main character is Charles and he's the one our omniscient third person narrator follows around as he tries to figure out what is going on.
It was a nice book; fast, fun, and fluffy with just a touch of the overdramatic. The women in it were rather silly but a lot of that was because they were only being told parts of the story which was incredibly frustrating.
The Case is Closed
An interesting story in which a large part is given through transcripts of a court case.
The book opens with Hilary sitting on the wrong train, fuming because the sight of her ex-fiance put her there. Seeing Henry again threw her off so much that she entered the wrong carriage. Then the woman across the way starts talking and it turns out she was the housekeeper whose evidence went a long way toward putting Hilary's cousin's (Margaret) husband, Geoffrey Grey, in jail for the murder of his uncle. Hilary isn't quite sure why the woman is talking to her but it does send her to the house she lives in with her cousin to read the inquest and try to decipher what Mrs. Mercer was trying to say.
While she start this deciphering, she begins to have hope that Geoff might still be proved innocent. And when Geoffrey's cousin and Mrs. Mercer's husband start trying to make the woman seem mad, it lends credence to this hope.
Ugh. Henry is definitely a symbol of his times, overbearing and rather paternalistic toward Hilary. I was glad that she seemed to stand up to him in the beginning but was wondering how their marriage would actually turn out in the end.
Lonesome Road
Acceding to a promise made on her father's deathbed, Rachel Treherne has changed her will every year. Only this year is a little different. This year, it appears that someone is trying to kill her so Rachel has come to Maud Silver for help. Maud tells Rachel to do two things: go to the police and change her will. Rachel doesn't want to do either since it might hurt her family. Yes, even though it is someone in the family who is probably trying to kill her.
There are several suspects, her sister and brother-in-law and their children, three cousins, and her long-time companion. It will be up to Maud to untangle this tangled web.
Like the other books in this series, the prevailing attitudes about women are frustrating and the ending is overwrought but it is a nice example of the books of the time.
Three stars
This book came out in June
Charles has been exploring the world after a rather nasty breakup and has just now returned home. Only his caretakers aren't there. But someone else is. It's a man in a grey mask. Charles is able to watch the man unobtrusively and sees and hears what sounds like a plot for murder. And one of the people he sees is his ex-fiancee, Margaret Langton. He follows her and is soon involved in a plot involving an heiress, who may or may not be legitimate (if she's not, her horrible cousin Egbert will inherit), secret societies, and blackmail. He applies to Miss Maude Silver for help.
You might assume that Miss Silver would be similar to Miss Marple. And she is; an older woman, quiet, unassuming, unobtrusive. But she starts the series as a detective. And she is not in most of the book. Instead, the main character is Charles and he's the one our omniscient third person narrator follows around as he tries to figure out what is going on.
It was a nice book; fast, fun, and fluffy with just a touch of the overdramatic. The women in it were rather silly but a lot of that was because they were only being told parts of the story which was incredibly frustrating.
The Case is Closed
An interesting story in which a large part is given through transcripts of a court case.
The book opens with Hilary sitting on the wrong train, fuming because the sight of her ex-fiance put her there. Seeing Henry again threw her off so much that she entered the wrong carriage. Then the woman across the way starts talking and it turns out she was the housekeeper whose evidence went a long way toward putting Hilary's cousin's (Margaret) husband, Geoffrey Grey, in jail for the murder of his uncle. Hilary isn't quite sure why the woman is talking to her but it does send her to the house she lives in with her cousin to read the inquest and try to decipher what Mrs. Mercer was trying to say.
While she start this deciphering, she begins to have hope that Geoff might still be proved innocent. And when Geoffrey's cousin and Mrs. Mercer's husband start trying to make the woman seem mad, it lends credence to this hope.
Ugh. Henry is definitely a symbol of his times, overbearing and rather paternalistic toward Hilary. I was glad that she seemed to stand up to him in the beginning but was wondering how their marriage would actually turn out in the end.
Lonesome Road
Acceding to a promise made on her father's deathbed, Rachel Treherne has changed her will every year. Only this year is a little different. This year, it appears that someone is trying to kill her so Rachel has come to Maud Silver for help. Maud tells Rachel to do two things: go to the police and change her will. Rachel doesn't want to do either since it might hurt her family. Yes, even though it is someone in the family who is probably trying to kill her.
There are several suspects, her sister and brother-in-law and their children, three cousins, and her long-time companion. It will be up to Maud to untangle this tangled web.
Like the other books in this series, the prevailing attitudes about women are frustrating and the ending is overwrought but it is a nice example of the books of the time.
Three stars
This book came out in June
August 31, 2024
Overall, the first three stories in the Miss Silver series are poor shows, but if you must have them buying them in the set, when they go on sale (which they often do) is the best way.
GREY MASK (1-2 stars)
The first in the Miss Silver mysteries, and while the books get better, this one, published in 1928, is an amateur effort. Overall, the book isn't worth reading unless you become a Miss Silver fan and need to read how she was born for this is her debut.
We have her usual pair of young lovers - the Bright Young Things, who are in some sort of relationship, or soon will be. The hero is always courageous and up to any old sport, and gives off a Tommy feel. The girl is varying degrees of helpless, depending on the story.
In this one we have the broken engagement and the lovers reconnecting with the girl holding back the secret on why she spurned her love at the altar four years prior.
In Grey Mask we have the "secret society" trope that Christie often used in her earlier work and nowadays reads very much as pulp fiction.
THE CASE IS CLOSED (3 stars)
In this 2nd Miss Silver mystery, we start to see some glimmers of Wentworth's talent as she starts to experiment more with her characters and plotting.
Like Agatha Christie, we have the couple of Bright Young Things who are trying to get along - Henry with his inherited antiques shop, and Hilary with trying to keep her cousin from sinking into despair because her husband is in prison for a crime he didn't commit.
The primary reason why this one is a cut above the first edition, is our heroine Hilary Carew who is Plucky (with a capitol P) and who's commentary is engaging and often funny. There is a very intense scene when Hilary is in danger during a bike ride in the country that is truly rather scary.
Unfortunately, the book has too much space given to a recounting of the crime which is repeated several times. And the basic plot seems to have been lifted from Lady Molly of Scotland Yard (Sir Jeremiah’s Will and The End, 1910).
LONESOME ROAD (2.5 stars)
A country house would-be murder where a wealth woman is surrounded by hanger-ons who want their share of an inheritance. Miss Silver is brought in sooner than she was in the first two books, and is far more actively engaged with the other characters.
Of course Rachel could have solved all of this by simply ripping up her will (something Miss Silver recommends) but she stubbornly (or stupidly) resists. You wish she'd grow a spine and at the end of the book, someone tells her to just gift them the money and wash her hands of it. Sound advice!
***
Overall, none of these first three books have the brilliance that Wentworth shows in later volumes. I enjoyed The Case is Closed the best because of the charming Hilary. Unless you can find it on sale or free through Gutenberg, I'd pass on this volume.
GREY MASK (1-2 stars)
The first in the Miss Silver mysteries, and while the books get better, this one, published in 1928, is an amateur effort. Overall, the book isn't worth reading unless you become a Miss Silver fan and need to read how she was born for this is her debut.
We have her usual pair of young lovers - the Bright Young Things, who are in some sort of relationship, or soon will be. The hero is always courageous and up to any old sport, and gives off a Tommy feel. The girl is varying degrees of helpless, depending on the story.
In this one we have the broken engagement and the lovers reconnecting with the girl holding back the secret on why she spurned her love at the altar four years prior.
In Grey Mask we have the "secret society" trope that Christie often used in her earlier work and nowadays reads very much as pulp fiction.
THE CASE IS CLOSED (3 stars)
In this 2nd Miss Silver mystery, we start to see some glimmers of Wentworth's talent as she starts to experiment more with her characters and plotting.
Like Agatha Christie, we have the couple of Bright Young Things who are trying to get along - Henry with his inherited antiques shop, and Hilary with trying to keep her cousin from sinking into despair because her husband is in prison for a crime he didn't commit.
The primary reason why this one is a cut above the first edition, is our heroine Hilary Carew who is Plucky (with a capitol P) and who's commentary is engaging and often funny. There is a very intense scene when Hilary is in danger during a bike ride in the country that is truly rather scary.
Unfortunately, the book has too much space given to a recounting of the crime which is repeated several times. And the basic plot seems to have been lifted from Lady Molly of Scotland Yard (Sir Jeremiah’s Will and The End, 1910).
LONESOME ROAD (2.5 stars)
A country house would-be murder where a wealth woman is surrounded by hanger-ons who want their share of an inheritance. Miss Silver is brought in sooner than she was in the first two books, and is far more actively engaged with the other characters.
Of course Rachel could have solved all of this by simply ripping up her will (something Miss Silver recommends) but she stubbornly (or stupidly) resists. You wish she'd grow a spine and at the end of the book, someone tells her to just gift them the money and wash her hands of it. Sound advice!
***
Overall, none of these first three books have the brilliance that Wentworth shows in later volumes. I enjoyed The Case is Closed the best because of the charming Hilary. Unless you can find it on sale or free through Gutenberg, I'd pass on this volume.
July 3, 2020
Quite enjoyable series of three detective novels featuring Miss Silver as a witty private detective.
While in my opinion Agatha Christie's Miss Marple is far superior sleuth (and Ms Christie herself is much better writer), there is certain similarity between Christie's older works and these, so I have sailed in old known seas. Murders are quite clean (especially when compared to the Scandi brutality) and the thrill is all hidden and featured in the unknown (mysterious men in masks, locked cellars or hidden wells). The heroines are quite silly (if brave and charming) and men are here to save them (yes, I know! But from time to time I do not mind being saved by a strong man!); villains are wicked and the rural mansions are cold. But all this give a good old charm to the stories - and they do read well! First one is a bit clichey for my taste, but the second and the third one are pretty good! The motives are interesting (especially in the third novel). I was unfortunately able to guess the villains very soon, but then I a educated by the years of loving Agatha Christie (as some motives and stereotypes are similar) - but I was well entertained when reading and I was enjoying practically every page. I had fun!
While in my opinion Agatha Christie's Miss Marple is far superior sleuth (and Ms Christie herself is much better writer), there is certain similarity between Christie's older works and these, so I have sailed in old known seas. Murders are quite clean (especially when compared to the Scandi brutality) and the thrill is all hidden and featured in the unknown (mysterious men in masks, locked cellars or hidden wells). The heroines are quite silly (if brave and charming) and men are here to save them (yes, I know! But from time to time I do not mind being saved by a strong man!); villains are wicked and the rural mansions are cold. But all this give a good old charm to the stories - and they do read well! First one is a bit clichey for my taste, but the second and the third one are pretty good! The motives are interesting (especially in the third novel). I was unfortunately able to guess the villains very soon, but then I a educated by the years of loving Agatha Christie (as some motives and stereotypes are similar) - but I was well entertained when reading and I was enjoying practically every page. I had fun!
December 15, 2016
*** I received an eARC copy of The Miss Silver Mysteries from Open Road Integrated Media via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. *** This review first posted on my blog, luvtoread: https://luvtoread.com/2016/12/14/miss...
I was so excited to see The Miss Silver Mysteries, which contains the first three books in the Miss Silver series on NetGalley! I’ve had a few of the later books in my stacks to read for some time, and I’ve been on the hunt for the first books to read, as I really dislike reading books out of order.
Miss Silver is a classic sleuth, and the books remind me of classic who-dun-it’s, along the line of Agatha Christie: smart sleuthing, clever mysteries, and nasty criminals, with a touch of humor. These mysteries are set in London in the 1930s.
My thoughts on Grey Mask:
The first of the Miss Silver books, Grey Mask was a delight. Miss Silver is actually not in this book all that much, and the narrative really belongs to Charles Moray who returns to London after 4 years of being away after being dumped by his fiancé, Margaret Langton. Charles returns home (literally – he is inside his house with the criminals) to overhear criminal dealings being made, and sees his beloved Margaret involved with the head criminal, who is called “Grey Mask”. I found this label absolutely hilarious. I don’t know what I was expecting “Grey Mask” to refer to, but I assure you that it was definitely not a criminal mastermind who wears a grey mask to hide their identity.
Charles meets up with Margaret to discover what is going on, and hires Miss Silver to help investigate. Besides Charles’ attempts to unveil Grey Mask, there is also a plot involving Margot Standing, whose father has just died, and there is a question of a will, and Margot’s legitimacy, and Margot’s cousin Egbert trying to receive the inheritance. Margot was sweet and naïve, but also extremely vacant and silly. So she was sometimes really annoying to read!
Margot and Margaret’s paths cross, and their plots become intertwined, and since their names are so similar, sometimes this got a bit confusing. But, the mystery was, on a whole, easy to follow, and I was surprised in places, but also saw things coming in other spots.
Since Miss Silver is only in this book briefly, I didn’t get a true sense of her character other than that she was sensible, she liked to knit, and she was smart. And she was always one step ahead of everyone else in the book. Since Grey Mask was first published in 1928, there are a few comments that are a sign of the times, mainly about women. I couldn’t tell if these references were tongue-in-cheek, or if they were serious. I’d like to think tongue-in-cheek, but possibly not.
Bottom Line for Grey Mask: Fun and smart. Good start to the Miss Silver mystery series!
My Thoughts on The Case Is Closed:
Book Two in the Miss Silver books is The Case Is Closed, which focuses on a murder case involving a nephew murdering his uncle and getting convicted of the crime. Geoff is the nephew, who is married to Marion. Marion’s cousin is Hilary, who is determined to prove Geoff’s innocence. Hilary takes her suspicions to her on-again-off-again beau, Captain Henry Cunningham, and he sets Maud Silver on the case.
This was a great little mystery and it was fun to pick apart a court case and to see if I could discover who-dun-it (and why). Miss Silver was in this book a bit more, but not as much as I would’ve liked, and I still was not quite sure of her character and personality.
There seemed to be more action in this book, as Hilary is frequently in the path of danger, and even though she has a temper and sometimes does silly things, her bravery and impulsiveness were fun to read. I liked her very much.
The mystery here was smart, and I enjoyed the different take on figuring out a crime that happened by looking at the court case and re-interviewing witnesses, etc.
Bottom Line for The Case Is Closed: Another fun, smart entry in the Miss Silver Mysteries!
My Thoughts on Lonesome Road:
Book Three of the Miss Silver books is called Lonesome Road and this entry is more of a “closed circle of suspects” mystery. This one focuses on Rachel Treherne, a single woman in her late 30s who is very rich and has stipulations on how to use her money. She becomes aware that someone in her family is trying to kill her, and hires Miss Silver to solve the case.
Miss Silver is more involved in this mystery, and I really enjoyed her in this one. She is more a part of the action and you can see her actively working on the mystery, rather than just coming up with solutions and ideas off the page, like in the other two books.
Lonesome Road seemed to have more characters in it than the other two books, and I had trouble keeping some of the suspects straight. There was also a bit more predictability in this mystery, but I was still surprised in certain spots.
Bottom Line for Lonesome Road: Clever mystery and Miss Silver comes to the rescue again!
My Overall Thoughts:
All in all, I’ve really enjoyed these first three entries in the Miss Silver series. I think the series is definitely a product of its time, especially in the way the women and their romantic relationships are portrayed.
I will say however that I am very glad that I decided to read this series in order, and the reason why is that some of the characters “link” together. For example, the first book is mostly told from the POV of Charles Moray. When you get to the second book, Charles Moray refers one of the characters, Captain Cunningham, to Miss Silver. In book three, Rachel learns about Miss Silver from Hilary who is in the second book. Since this happens in the first three books, I can guess that this might happen in all the rest of the Miss Silver mysteries. Now, none of the actual mysteries are spoiled, so you probably could read these out of order and not have anything ruined, but it was kind of fun to hear mentions of previous characters and “touch base” with them in a way.
I would definitely recommend Miss Silver to those who love classic who-dun-its and for those who enjoy Agatha Christie novels.
I was so excited to see The Miss Silver Mysteries, which contains the first three books in the Miss Silver series on NetGalley! I’ve had a few of the later books in my stacks to read for some time, and I’ve been on the hunt for the first books to read, as I really dislike reading books out of order.
Miss Silver is a classic sleuth, and the books remind me of classic who-dun-it’s, along the line of Agatha Christie: smart sleuthing, clever mysteries, and nasty criminals, with a touch of humor. These mysteries are set in London in the 1930s.
My thoughts on Grey Mask:
The first of the Miss Silver books, Grey Mask was a delight. Miss Silver is actually not in this book all that much, and the narrative really belongs to Charles Moray who returns to London after 4 years of being away after being dumped by his fiancé, Margaret Langton. Charles returns home (literally – he is inside his house with the criminals) to overhear criminal dealings being made, and sees his beloved Margaret involved with the head criminal, who is called “Grey Mask”. I found this label absolutely hilarious. I don’t know what I was expecting “Grey Mask” to refer to, but I assure you that it was definitely not a criminal mastermind who wears a grey mask to hide their identity.
Charles meets up with Margaret to discover what is going on, and hires Miss Silver to help investigate. Besides Charles’ attempts to unveil Grey Mask, there is also a plot involving Margot Standing, whose father has just died, and there is a question of a will, and Margot’s legitimacy, and Margot’s cousin Egbert trying to receive the inheritance. Margot was sweet and naïve, but also extremely vacant and silly. So she was sometimes really annoying to read!
Margot and Margaret’s paths cross, and their plots become intertwined, and since their names are so similar, sometimes this got a bit confusing. But, the mystery was, on a whole, easy to follow, and I was surprised in places, but also saw things coming in other spots.
Since Miss Silver is only in this book briefly, I didn’t get a true sense of her character other than that she was sensible, she liked to knit, and she was smart. And she was always one step ahead of everyone else in the book. Since Grey Mask was first published in 1928, there are a few comments that are a sign of the times, mainly about women. I couldn’t tell if these references were tongue-in-cheek, or if they were serious. I’d like to think tongue-in-cheek, but possibly not.
Bottom Line for Grey Mask: Fun and smart. Good start to the Miss Silver mystery series!
My Thoughts on The Case Is Closed:
Book Two in the Miss Silver books is The Case Is Closed, which focuses on a murder case involving a nephew murdering his uncle and getting convicted of the crime. Geoff is the nephew, who is married to Marion. Marion’s cousin is Hilary, who is determined to prove Geoff’s innocence. Hilary takes her suspicions to her on-again-off-again beau, Captain Henry Cunningham, and he sets Maud Silver on the case.
This was a great little mystery and it was fun to pick apart a court case and to see if I could discover who-dun-it (and why). Miss Silver was in this book a bit more, but not as much as I would’ve liked, and I still was not quite sure of her character and personality.
There seemed to be more action in this book, as Hilary is frequently in the path of danger, and even though she has a temper and sometimes does silly things, her bravery and impulsiveness were fun to read. I liked her very much.
The mystery here was smart, and I enjoyed the different take on figuring out a crime that happened by looking at the court case and re-interviewing witnesses, etc.
Bottom Line for The Case Is Closed: Another fun, smart entry in the Miss Silver Mysteries!
My Thoughts on Lonesome Road:
Book Three of the Miss Silver books is called Lonesome Road and this entry is more of a “closed circle of suspects” mystery. This one focuses on Rachel Treherne, a single woman in her late 30s who is very rich and has stipulations on how to use her money. She becomes aware that someone in her family is trying to kill her, and hires Miss Silver to solve the case.
Miss Silver is more involved in this mystery, and I really enjoyed her in this one. She is more a part of the action and you can see her actively working on the mystery, rather than just coming up with solutions and ideas off the page, like in the other two books.
Lonesome Road seemed to have more characters in it than the other two books, and I had trouble keeping some of the suspects straight. There was also a bit more predictability in this mystery, but I was still surprised in certain spots.
Bottom Line for Lonesome Road: Clever mystery and Miss Silver comes to the rescue again!
My Overall Thoughts:
All in all, I’ve really enjoyed these first three entries in the Miss Silver series. I think the series is definitely a product of its time, especially in the way the women and their romantic relationships are portrayed.
I will say however that I am very glad that I decided to read this series in order, and the reason why is that some of the characters “link” together. For example, the first book is mostly told from the POV of Charles Moray. When you get to the second book, Charles Moray refers one of the characters, Captain Cunningham, to Miss Silver. In book three, Rachel learns about Miss Silver from Hilary who is in the second book. Since this happens in the first three books, I can guess that this might happen in all the rest of the Miss Silver mysteries. Now, none of the actual mysteries are spoiled, so you probably could read these out of order and not have anything ruined, but it was kind of fun to hear mentions of previous characters and “touch base” with them in a way.
I would definitely recommend Miss Silver to those who love classic who-dun-its and for those who enjoy Agatha Christie novels.
March 10, 2018
These are fun cozies -- less challenging than Agatha Christie's mysteries, but in some ways more readable. Miss Silver is often compared to Miss Marple because they're both elderly spinsters who get overlooked by people, but the two women are quite different. I've just read this good blog post comparing the two protagonists -- https://niranjana.wordpress.com/2010/... -- and I agree with the assessment that Miss Silver, who is a professional detective, works with her clients to solve the case, while Miss Marple works alone. I think it is that working relationship that Miss Silver develops with her clients that makes the novels fun to read. And the three I've read here are all told from the perspective of the client, not Miss Silver. Fluffy novels, to be sure, but a fun read.
February 22, 2020
Enjoyable!
These are quiet mysteries with lots of personality and British life. Each mystery brings in completely different characters and you are drawn into their lives before you ever hear of Miss Silver. It is an effective and intriguing format that keeps the series fresh. As a knitter I am also always interested in what project Miss Silver has going on her knitting needles. When the author described some artwork on the walls of Miss Silver's parlor I spent an enjoyable evening Googling all of the paintings by that artist - there are many wonderful layers in these books. I recommend this volume and will continue reading the series myself.
These are quiet mysteries with lots of personality and British life. Each mystery brings in completely different characters and you are drawn into their lives before you ever hear of Miss Silver. It is an effective and intriguing format that keeps the series fresh. As a knitter I am also always interested in what project Miss Silver has going on her knitting needles. When the author described some artwork on the walls of Miss Silver's parlor I spent an enjoyable evening Googling all of the paintings by that artist - there are many wonderful layers in these books. I recommend this volume and will continue reading the series myself.
September 25, 2020
Interesting cozy type clean murder mysteries with interesting characters.
Miss Silver doesn't come into them immediately so you get to understand the characters & story a little more beforehand & she's almost supernatural as a detective in getting information about the quarry. I mean, not so much like Poirot using his 'little grey cells' to figure things out, her ways aren't explained most of the time, but she's still a good detective & plus, as in most cozies, the characters in the story help in the detecting in their own ways, unlike the detective mysteries where only the detectives do the work.
The stories are somewhat dated in the way they're written, but still good stories.
Miss Silver doesn't come into them immediately so you get to understand the characters & story a little more beforehand & she's almost supernatural as a detective in getting information about the quarry. I mean, not so much like Poirot using his 'little grey cells' to figure things out, her ways aren't explained most of the time, but she's still a good detective & plus, as in most cozies, the characters in the story help in the detecting in their own ways, unlike the detective mysteries where only the detectives do the work.
The stories are somewhat dated in the way they're written, but still good stories.
September 3, 2017
At first I was very disappointed in this collection. In the first story, Miss Silver doesn't even show up until the last quarter of the book, and I'm thinking, hey, it's supposed to be the Miss Silver mysteries, where the hell is she? In the second book she shows up half way through, which was better, but still disappointing. It was only in the last book that she was there from the first, and for my money, it was a much better book than the first two because of it. Don't know if I'll read any more or not.
October 25, 2017
Interesting stories from “back in the day”
Written in the first half of the twentieth century, these tales are very reminiscent of Miss Marple mysteries, if not as successful. The same ingredients are there: young love, hidden hatreds, and a plethora of massive country homes and small country towns. The putative protagonist, Miss Silver, often seems peripheral to the cases, which again echoes Miss Marple, but somehow it all felt less successful in these mysteries. Entertaining, however, and as improbable as any English mystery of that era apparently _had_ to be!
Written in the first half of the twentieth century, these tales are very reminiscent of Miss Marple mysteries, if not as successful. The same ingredients are there: young love, hidden hatreds, and a plethora of massive country homes and small country towns. The putative protagonist, Miss Silver, often seems peripheral to the cases, which again echoes Miss Marple, but somehow it all felt less successful in these mysteries. Entertaining, however, and as improbable as any English mystery of that era apparently _had_ to be!
May 13, 2021
Friends of Marple Will Enjoy Miss Silver
So many interesting nuances to the stories of Miss Silver. Each tale introduces a new set of characters that find themselves in need of the redoubtable Miss Silver's skills. Some of them pay a repeat visit in other books, but in each of their adventures Miss Silver pieces together the trouble and unmasks the evildoers.
Fans of Miss Marple will love Miss Silver!
So many interesting nuances to the stories of Miss Silver. Each tale introduces a new set of characters that find themselves in need of the redoubtable Miss Silver's skills. Some of them pay a repeat visit in other books, but in each of their adventures Miss Silver pieces together the trouble and unmasks the evildoers.
Fans of Miss Marple will love Miss Silver!
December 11, 2019
I am a lifelong fan of cozy mysteries; I'm rather surprised I haven't encountered these before. While they aren't amazing, they are lovely and sweet and perfectly on point. I think the style of bringing Miss Silver in later in the story and focusing primarily on the characters of each mystery is a nice twist, where we get to know the detective quite slowly. I will probably pick up more of these.
August 13, 2021
Miss Marple anyone??
I picked this up on a whim and was delighted to find another elderly lady who used her quick wits to solve crimes. As a big fan of Miss Marple, I found myself caught in these cozy who -done its. Of course, since these novels are 100 years old, they also offer a look at a different time and place. Worth my time!
I picked this up on a whim and was delighted to find another elderly lady who used her quick wits to solve crimes. As a big fan of Miss Marple, I found myself caught in these cozy who -done its. Of course, since these novels are 100 years old, they also offer a look at a different time and place. Worth my time!
April 5, 2024
The plots here were good, Miss Silver was interesting and the other characters believable.
However, to today's readers the writing seems twee and melodramatic. If I never hear the words "frightfully" and "dreadfully" again, it will be too soon.
I would like to read some of her later work to see if that aspect has lessened, since I did like the stories otherwise.
However, to today's readers the writing seems twee and melodramatic. If I never hear the words "frightfully" and "dreadfully" again, it will be too soon.
I would like to read some of her later work to see if that aspect has lessened, since I did like the stories otherwise.
February 18, 2017
Got better and better with each book!
Miss silver reminds me of Agatha Christies Miss Marple, only Miss Silver comes right out as a detective.Each books gets better than the one before. The author is quite good and tells a good story
Miss silver reminds me of Agatha Christies Miss Marple, only Miss Silver comes right out as a detective.Each books gets better than the one before. The author is quite good and tells a good story
December 30, 2017
Fine read of old friends.
Like an old comfortable friendship one can settle in and be assured of a delightful even if somewhat predictable end in that the good will get the upper hand.
Like an old comfortable friendship one can settle in and be assured of a delightful even if somewhat predictable end in that the good will get the upper hand.
January 17, 2018
Great read, all three!!!
I enjoyed all three books. They keep your interest from first to last. I think I enjoyed the third book the best because it has more of Miss Silver in it, but I do recommend all three.
I enjoyed all three books. They keep your interest from first to last. I think I enjoyed the third book the best because it has more of Miss Silver in it, but I do recommend all three.
November 2, 2018
Fascinating
Having heard of the "Miss Silver" mysteries for a long time, I finally purchased and read this three book series.
Well worth the price, these old fashioned mysteries are entertaining and I enjoyed them very much.
Having heard of the "Miss Silver" mysteries for a long time, I finally purchased and read this three book series.
Well worth the price, these old fashioned mysteries are entertaining and I enjoyed them very much.
July 16, 2020
Miss Silver isn't the central character unlike Miss Marple.
I wasn't sure when I first round these books whether I enjoyed it or not. I'm now on the enjoyment side. The stories are well constructed and written.
I'm now in favour of Miss Silver's adventures.
I wasn't sure when I first round these books whether I enjoyed it or not. I'm now on the enjoyment side. The stories are well constructed and written.
I'm now in favour of Miss Silver's adventures.
November 22, 2020
the Lonesome Road reads like a game of Clue. Rachel is left her father's fortune with some stipulations. While trying to be obliging to a the relatives, there's only one thing they want, the money they feel they deserve. Was entertaining and the real murderer is played well.
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