Kingdom Lost: A Golden Age Mystery

by Patricia Wentworth

When she had let down her case, she locked her bedroom door. And then she put out the light and climbed out of the window.

Marooned as a baby, Valentine Ryven has been on a deserted South Sea island for twenty years, before she is rescued and returned to civilization—as heiress to a great fortune.

However, since she was given up for dead, her inheritance had passed to cousin Eustace. Now that Valentine is back, Eustace stands to lose it all. Pressed by an intimidating villainess, the unworldly Valentine finds a way to let Eustace keep the money. But when she finds an old letter from her late mentor Edward Bowden—to be opened only when things were ‘so bad that they couldn’t possibly be any worse’—she’ll uncover a shattering truth, transforming everything she has been taught to believe about herself.

Kingdom Lost was originally published in 1930. This new edition features an introduction by crime fiction historian Curtis Evans.

“When I pick up a book by Patricia Wentworth I think, now to enjoy myself—and I always do.” Mary Dell, Daily Mirror

Genres: Fiction, Mystery, Romance, Crime, British Literature, 20th Century

219 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 1930

About the author

Patricia 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.

Reviews

[Jane · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had intended to make steady progress through Patricia Wentworth’ Miss Silver mysteries, but I was distracted from that plan when one of her stand-alone novels caught my eye. It sounded quite unlike any of her other books that I’ve read, it sounded a little like a certain other book that I loved, and it sounded far too good to resist.

It sits somewhere between a golden age mystery and romantic suspense, and I would say that the vintage cover that proclaimed it as a ‘romantic adventure’ got it about right.

What I want to say is that this is the story of the most spirited and engaging heroine you could ever hope to meet.

Valentine Ryven was born on an ocean liner and she was shipwrecked on a small island in the South Seas not very much later. She was picked up and carried to safety by Edward Bowden, a distinguished scholar taking long and rambling holiday after working much too hard.

Edward was wonderfully resourceful, salvaging a great deal from the wrecked liner and harbouring the islands natural resources. He also educated Valentine and brought her up to be ready to take her place in the world he had left behind. He was sure that one day another boat would pass by to rescue them; but he prepared Valentine for the possibility that he might die before that day came.

This story begins some twenty years later, when a young man named Austin Muir came ashore and heard a young woman reciting Matthew Arnold. He was amazed and when Valentine recovered from her initial fright she was thrilled that she was being rescued and that she would have a chance to meet more people and to see so many things that she had only been told about by Edward.

Austin had been sent ashore by his employer, Nicholas Barclay, who had set out to find the island not on any map that one of his ancestors swore he had discovered. He was delighted with Austin’s discover, he was charmed by Valentine, and when he saw the papers that Edward had told her to present to her rescuer he knew who she was straight away.

Valentine was the missing heiress to a vast fortune!

Barclay took Valentine home via a Caribbean island, where he bought her clothes, shoes, and all of the other accoutrements a young woman going home to England should have. Valentine was delighted with it all, and she was smitten with the two very different men who were taking her back to her family.

It didn’t occur to Valentine for a minute that her family might not be pleased to see her.

She didn’t know that society had changed a great deal in the years since Edward left England.

Helena Ryven – Valentine’s aunt – was very correct and proper. That was a shock to the warm- hearted Valentine, who had been so looking forward to having a family she was sure she would love and would love her back.

She thought that the problem might be that she was disinheriting Helen’s son, Eustace, and so she offered him as much of the estate as he wanted. She explained that she needed very little to be happy, that all she needed was food and shelter and the lovely countryside around her. Her offer was rejected out of hand!

When she saw the wonderful work that Eustace was doing, restoring run down properties and looking after poor families in the East End of London, she knew that she had to find a way for him to carry on. She realised that the answer was simple – she and Eustace should be married and then everything that was hers would be his.

She loved Austin but he had rejected her – explaining that their family backgrounds. She didn’t understand but he stood firm, and after that it really didn’t matter who she married.

Her proposal was accepted.

Valentine tried to be happy but she couldn’t.

She loved the warm family home of Aunt Helena’s elder sister, Ida Cobb. She loved spending time in the country cottage where Aunt Helena’s younger brother, Timothy Brand, lived with his soon to be married half-sister, Lil. But she knew that Aunt Helena – a knitter who thought that wool-winding was an excellent occupation for her niece – would never understand her, and that she would never quite understand Aunt Helena. She also began to suspect that Eustace wanted to marry another woman, and that he was marrying her from a sense of duty.

She could never quite fit into the role life had given her.

As the wedding day drew nearer she knew that she couldn’t go through with it, but she wasn’t sure how to get out of it.

And one or two things happened that made her think she was in danger ….

I found so much to love in this book.

Patricia Wentworth is always good at clothes and in this book she must have had a lovely time writing about the joy Valentine found in so many lovely things in her new world.

She understood Valentine so well; and she created a wonderfully diverse band of characters to populate her world.

Eustace’s work in London gave the story just enough serious underpinning.

And I should say that ‘Kingdom Lost’ was not so like that certain other book – ‘Miss Ranskill Comes Home’ by Barbara Euphan Todd. They had similar beginnings, they had some themes and ideas in common, but the two heroines and their stories are different and distinctive.

I loved – and can recommend – both!

This particular story was improbable but it was so engaging; it rang true logically and emotionally.

I really didn’t know how the it would play out, and I so wanted to know, I was so concerned for Valentine, that I had to turn the pages very quickly.

There was romance, but I couldn’t even predict how that would play out.

Some might consider the twist at the end of the story to be a little too convenient, but I loved that it had the roots in the very first pages of the book, and it made me realise that Patricia Wentworth had plotted very cleverly.

Most of all, I loved spending time with Valentine.

I’m thinking now that maybe I should alternate Miss Silver books and Patricia Wentworth’s other stories ….

[Evelyn Brooks · Rating 5 out of 5]

The amazing adventures of "Miss Robinson Crusoe"!

I don't want to give away any of the delightful surprises in this story, because you'll want to discover them and savor them on your own. Please note if you're familiar with Wentworth's mysteries and suspense thrillers that this is a romance more than anything. Grab a copy, fix yourself a cup of tea and curl up with this well-crafted story whose characters will live on in your thoughts long after you finish the final page.

[Judy · Rating 2 out of 5]

Definitely not one of Wentworth's best, and also not a mystery. This is really a romance with an element of adventure, about a young girl who grows up alone on an island after a shipwreck, but is found and brought back to civilisation. Heroine Valentine is charming but very immature. I think the book begins well but gradually fizzles out, and the characters aren't very consistent. It's very readable though, as always with Wentworth. Really 2 1/2 stars.

[Tessa · Rating 4 out of 5]

A lovely story one of her best.

[Robyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Early Bird Book Deal | Obvious but sweet | I explained the general plot synopsis to someone after the first chapter, and told them what would end up happening throughout. I was right in every respect, because books of the time feel into the same patterns and tropes. Still, I wanted something sweet tonight, and that's what I got.

[Heather Culley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Now there's the kind of mystery I like. People like real people and a heroine confused by social situations just like me.

[Orinoco Womble (tidy bag and all) · Rating 5 out of 5]

A mystery without violence, a romantic novel without "loverin'" and a satisfying light read that held my attention under extremely stressful circumstances. We spent Christmas Eve in the emergency room and I've shuttled between home and the hospital every day since then. This book was a welcome relief.
I had to wonder how Valentine, who spent the first 20 years of her life on an island in the South Pacific, could possibly be comfortable with her windows wide open on an English summer night. I should think she'd feel like she was freezing; I certainly did after 10 years in S. Spain when I visited the Midwest. English summers can be very rainy and very cold, yet she trots about barefoot clad in light summer dresses in the dawning and apparently never feels the chill even when soaked to the skin by the dew.
However the story was well written and uncomplicated, taking my mind off catheters, noisy hospital wards and sonograms very nicely. It's the first time I haven't turned to an alternative book before tearing straight through one I just picked up, in a long time.

[Kathleen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Because of the COVID-19 crisis, I have found myself - along with many others - seemingly unable of actually reading any books. Any new books anyway. I have been rereading all of my comfort books instead, including the Miss Silver mysteries by Patricia Wentworth, which were some of my personal favorites as a young girl. However, Miss Silver can get a little repetitive after awhile, and I found myself actually starting AND FINISHING one of her stand alone books that I had never read before.

Kingdom Lost is a fun, light read. It's not even really a mystery, just an adventure book about a young woman stranded on an island her whole life, suddenly found and discovered to be an heiress of a large fortune. It's very silly, highly improbable, and completely fun. I read it in the span of 3 hours and enjoyed it immensely. It didn't land very high on my list of Wentworth favorites, but I'm glad I gave it a read.

[Judy St. John · Rating 3 out of 5]

Unusual book

I have read nearly all of the Miss Silver books and many of the author's other books as well. This one contains a fine romance but hardly any mystery. I'm fact, it was quite easy to put down and then read again later which is not the norm for her other books. While I thought her characters were well developed and the story was told well, it was just sort of a let-down. Additionally I have never seen so many typos as there are in this book. Many words were misspelled so that you would have to stop and figure out what the word was supposed to be. For example, hex instead of her and ate instead of are come to mind. Save your money and read one of her other excellent stories.

[Wina · Rating 4 out of 5]

Maybe 4.5 stars because I liked it so much. This book is a romance in the other definition of the word, as well as a commentary on the stuffy norms in upper-crust England which prove to be so ludicrous and harmful. It does contain romantic love, too. This book isn't marked as "historical", because it was contemporary at the time it was written, 1930. The writing seems choppy at times, but it feels like it was just the style at the time . . . like listening to a recording of a radio announcer from those days. The heroine is absolutely charming and lovable, Wentworth's characters and character development are good, and the story was so engrossing. I had to finish it this morning, since I had the time. I SO wanted to know what would happen! Delightful.

[Tina · Rating 4 out of 5]

An adorable little book. Valentine, shipwrecked on a deserted South Seas island as a baby, was raised by her fellow castaway, a middle-aged professor who tried to prepare her for eventual entry into normal life. But she was raised by an Edwardian and enters, completely innocent and unworldly, into the modern society of 1930. Her adjustment and romantic adventures are sweet.

Another nice reissue by Dean Street Press. This is not actually a mystery, although Patricia Wentworth was known primarily for her books in that genre. This is my first Wentworth, and I will probably try another.

[Spitz]

The premise had a lot of potential, with a savage like in Brave New World who has never been exposed to modern society. Especially the idea of being brought up by someone whose world stopped in 1908, and being thrust into 1928 society with all the changes happening in intervening 20 years. But there is almost nothing about that. The "savage," 20 year old Valentine, adapts instantly and only needs to decide whom to marry. Too bad! Her aunt and finacee are effectively scary in their rigid social conformity.

[Briar · Rating 5 out of 5]

What an adorable book. First things first, it’s not actually a crime story. It’s part adventure, part sort-of-coming-of-age and part romance. It’s the story of a young woman called Valentine who was raised from babyhood on a deserted island by a middle-aged don after a shipwreck, who is then discovered, three months after the death of said don, and returned home to her not-exactly-grieving family.

See my full review on my blog

[Mizloo · Rating 4 out of 5]

A totally unbelievable beginning is an unexpected beginning to a comedy of manners. Caricature persons, ever conscious of things "that simply aren't done" come up against a native innocent raised on a desert island. Wentworth has an immense talent for scene setting and sets the reader up for a stock ending just paragraphs before twisting the plot like a corkscrew. It's devastatingly enchanting fairy tale set a mere 90 years in the past. Lovely.

[Lynnie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not a mystery but a romantic adventure, with a charming Cinderella type heroine. I love Patricia Wentworth's descriptions of clothes and knitting and houses and the countryside and this put me in mind of Nightingale Wood by Stella Gibbons.

A delightful story.

[Bill · Rating 4 out of 5]

Could be a 3 act play

This is a British drawing room comedy of errors concerning a naive waif rescued from an uncharted island. Her rich, upper class family is suddenly in turmoil, thinking that the girl might bring their way of life to an end. But there is a way save them all if she is paired with her cousin who could continue with his slum reconstruction. Lots of handwringing ensues as the end is finally dragged out and the sunbeams shine.

[Bekah · Rating 4 out of 5]

unrealistic view of the trauma and process to heal

Valentine lived on a island for 20 years. When found and brought back to civilization, she adjusted emotionally, mentally, and physically too fast to be realistic. With most cases, there would be much disorientation, instead the first thing she thought was that she wanted to be pretty and wear nice clothes. She knew nothing about life outside of an island.

[Shelly · Rating 3 out of 5]

Solid 3.5 stars

Not nearly as good as the last Wentworth read, didn't get good until about 75% in then it was worth the read. Not a fan of the 'heroine' but loved Timothy. I will definitely be hunting for more non Miss Silver story 's by author because I really enjoy her writing style.

[Cate · Rating 4 out of 5]

Different and yet classic Wentworth. For a minute there, I wasn't sure if the ending would be classic Wentworth or not. A fun read, different because the "bad guys" aren't bad at all--they are heroes of their own kind, and the "good guys" aren't necessarily good. It's more a snippet of life, of what happens when your world collapses and you must needs make a new one.

[Joann · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked this story of a young woman, Valentine, who is found on a deserted island. She was raised by the only other survivor of a shipwreck 20 years ago. He is dead and she is returned to civilization, where she is thought to be a heiress. I loved Valentine and Timothy, but couldn't stand Helena, who is a very cold, selfish woman.

[Betsy Fisher · Rating 3 out of 5]

Different from the Miss Silver series but still an interesting plot. As with all of her books there does need to be a suspension of reality and one just has go with the flow. Wentworth did have a talent for descriptive passages that bring forth clear pictures of places and the people who populate them.

[Suzanne Petrella · Rating 4 out of 5]

simply written

I had to keep my focus as the story kept changing in big ways. It was interesting enough to keep the pages flying by but there were some portions that had me rolling my eyes. Typical English mystery stuff but it didn’t disappoint. The end satisfies just as you hope it will.

[Phyllis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting story.

Stumble on a young lady living in a volcano on remote island. Take her back to England where she is an heiress, her family, who had declared her dead, were not happy for her to turn up.

[Teri Heyer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kingdom Lost was recommended to me by Amazon/Kindle. I'd never read a book by Patricia Wentworth, but decided to give it a try. It's a mystery noir & worth reading. I promptly decided to add more of her books to my Kindle & am looking forward to reading them.

[Helen McCabe · Rating 3 out of 5]

This Wentworth intersects more with issues I work in my professional life - equality, justice, poverty etc. I have a real tenderness for Eustace's secretary, and think Wentworth does an interseting job of exploring the negative side of "civilisation" through Valentine's eyes and experiences.

[Lipi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well I enjoyed it, gives a fair view of the 18th century England like many other contemporaries but through the eyes of an outsider. Character development is not that deep though, couldn't connect with anyone and kept thinking whether this cousin is an excellent fellow for valentine or the worst.

[Valerie]

This is another of Wentworth's books based on an intriguing premise. It seems a bit dragged out, though, and some early characters with promising appearances just seem to vanish after a while. As usual, the descriptions of the surroundings are spot on, and most of the characters are well drawn.

[Zoe Scowen · Rating 4 out of 5]

A change of pace

Not what I expected from Patricia Wentworth, not a murder in sight! This is a lovely, well written, suspenseful story.

[Patricia Mayne-Schlachtun · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good read

I thought he story would be more about Valentine's time on the island. The story line was ok. Glad she ended up being happy.

[Bonnie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Old fashioned but different. Good escapism.