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Ladies' Bane
Miss Silver is hired by Allegra Trent's grandmother to investigate Geoffrey Trent's finances and becomes involved in the investigation of the mysterious death of Margot, Geoffrey's young ward. Through her keen intellect and uncanny understanding of human nature, Miss Silver reveals the ominous forces that are at work in this strange household.
240 pages, Paperback
Published January 1, 1979
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555 people want to read
About the author
Patricia Wentworth
162 books522 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 126 reviews
May 1, 2019
Two sisters, one single (Ione) and one married (Allegra) had inherited a rather large fortune years before. Allegra’s investments weren’t doing so well, although Ione’s were increasing in abundance. Geoffrey Trent, Allegra’s husband, had become obsessed with buying the 14th century house that he and Allegra were renting. His young niece and ward, Margot, and Jacqueline (Margot’s governess) were also happily living in the large house with beautiful gardens.
The one problem standing between the family and ownership of the house was ready cash. Someone figured out that if Ione were to die, Allegra would inherit her portion. And if Allegra’s trustees continued to balk at the purchase of the house, that could be dealt with, too, if Allegra were removed from the scene.
Ione, who lived in London and had been dissuaded from visiting her sister many times, was suddenly invited to the country home of her sister and her brother-in-law. Allegra’s god-mother was suspicious about a good many things, one of them being that Allegra didn’t seem to be like herself any more. No letters, no visits to family, and visits from family discouraged. She calls on Miss Silver and asks her to stay at a friend’s home in the village to see what she could find out.
Then there is a death. It is determined to be an accident, yet very soon a blackmail attempt is made regarding evidence held back from the inquest hearings. Someone is being drugged. Then there is another death and more facts seem to be obscured than there were in evidence.
Will Miss Silver be able to see through all the smoke and mirrors to find the truth? That is what she does; that is all she does. Pursuit of the truth is number one, and if justice is served as a result of the truth, it is all the better. But the fog is swirling thickly around this one . . . and in the fog, a voice is heard demanding payment of no less than 2000 pounds. And the fog hides pages torn out of a young girl’s diary. Pages that incriminate – and pages that someone is willing to kill others to guard the secrets they contain.
Once again, Patricia Wentworth unfolds a great story with characters who are fascinating and sympathetic, and others who are fearsome and unstable. What I enjoy so much with these mysteries is that, although we are led to guess who the culprit is in pretty much every book, the emphasis is on how they perform their crimes, and what is driving them to do so. This is where Patricia Wentworth shines and we receive glimpses of what passions or pathologies from their past have now taken over to dictate their actions in the present. The Miss Silver series is always a satisfying read, and the stories are often so current that it's hard to believe this one was written more than 65 years ago.
The one problem standing between the family and ownership of the house was ready cash. Someone figured out that if Ione were to die, Allegra would inherit her portion. And if Allegra’s trustees continued to balk at the purchase of the house, that could be dealt with, too, if Allegra were removed from the scene.
Ione, who lived in London and had been dissuaded from visiting her sister many times, was suddenly invited to the country home of her sister and her brother-in-law. Allegra’s god-mother was suspicious about a good many things, one of them being that Allegra didn’t seem to be like herself any more. No letters, no visits to family, and visits from family discouraged. She calls on Miss Silver and asks her to stay at a friend’s home in the village to see what she could find out.
Then there is a death. It is determined to be an accident, yet very soon a blackmail attempt is made regarding evidence held back from the inquest hearings. Someone is being drugged. Then there is another death and more facts seem to be obscured than there were in evidence.
Will Miss Silver be able to see through all the smoke and mirrors to find the truth? That is what she does; that is all she does. Pursuit of the truth is number one, and if justice is served as a result of the truth, it is all the better. But the fog is swirling thickly around this one . . . and in the fog, a voice is heard demanding payment of no less than 2000 pounds. And the fog hides pages torn out of a young girl’s diary. Pages that incriminate – and pages that someone is willing to kill others to guard the secrets they contain.
Once again, Patricia Wentworth unfolds a great story with characters who are fascinating and sympathetic, and others who are fearsome and unstable. What I enjoy so much with these mysteries is that, although we are led to guess who the culprit is in pretty much every book, the emphasis is on how they perform their crimes, and what is driving them to do so. This is where Patricia Wentworth shines and we receive glimpses of what passions or pathologies from their past have now taken over to dictate their actions in the present. The Miss Silver series is always a satisfying read, and the stories are often so current that it's hard to believe this one was written more than 65 years ago.
September 27, 2012
This is my first book by Wentworth, and although it's #22 in her Miss Silver series, I didn't feel like I was out of the loop by not reading the first 21 books preceeding it. Really picked this one up because it featured a medieval manor house, and I loves me some stately old English houses.
Characterization slight, mystery building and resolution OK, but fairly bland. Enjoyable enough whodunnit, but not on par with Agatha Christie or Gerogette Heyer, IMO. Good enough, however, to pick up another at the library one of these days. Perhaps an early one in the series will provide more "mystery meat".
Characterization slight, mystery building and resolution OK, but fairly bland. Enjoyable enough whodunnit, but not on par with Agatha Christie or Gerogette Heyer, IMO. Good enough, however, to pick up another at the library one of these days. Perhaps an early one in the series will provide more "mystery meat".
June 10, 2021
Unlike an Agatha Christie mystery, with Patricia Wentworth, it's always terribly obvious who the culprit is; it's just a matter of biding your time and waiting for the main characters to accumulate enough evidence to convict them. Even so, the books are fun, easy to read, and you can always be assured of a happy ending for any likeable characters.
July 7, 2024
I really enjoy the mysteries that Mrs. Wentworth writes! I especially enjoyed this one because of the sister dynamic. In this mystery we get sisters, possible poison, an old affair, blackmail, and an old house that may or may not be haunted.
March 21, 2025
Every time I pick up a Miss Silver mystery I learn something new about life in post WWII England. In this case, it's how pervasive and arresting a thing the London fog could be. After reading Wentworth's intro, I imagine it to be as quelling as a snowstorm in New England. The description was haunting, instantly engaging, and set the scene for a gripping novel. This one is yet another thriller more than a mystery. The trouble is that there's more plots than suspects to tie them too. You can fairly easily narrow it down to one or two prime suspects in each novel, which DOES take some of the fun out of the mystery element of these books. This is one of several themes that have not only emerged but solidified as I read my seventh Miss Silver mystery (not in order - this is the 22nd in the series).
Where Wentworth succeeds is in her characterization and her descriptions of the mundane things of life in that time period, which are richly detailed and wonderfully realized. She writes young lovers you cheer for and villains you are only too willing to despise. And she usually ends things, well if a little too neat that's forgivable because everybody gets exactly what they deserve (and then some) by the last page.
In this case Ione Muir goes to visit her not so newly married sister Allegra Trent, and her brother-in-law, the "sinfully" good looking Geoffrey Trent. It's been two years since Ione has seen her sister, for a variety of reasons, some valid (Ione was touring in the U.S. and then caring for an invalid aunt) and some more suspicious - every scheduled visit in London or the countryside gets inevitably cancelled last minute. When Ione does finally make it: All is not well. Allegra has erratic mood swings and seems a completely different person. Geoffrey is as personable and charming as ever, though he's enamored (bordering on obsessed) with the historic "pile" they are renting - a 14th century house known as Ladies House. Or at least that's what they tell the tourists. Locals know it as Ladies Bane - given the curse that was placed on the house centuries ago that every mistress of the house will lose the thing she cherishes most... Allegra laughs it off, but it's a brittle laugh, and Ione fears Allegra's sanity may be in danger, or at least her safety.
Still, Geoffrey seems oblivious and is determined to buy the house if he can raise the capital. That's a problem, and later a strong motive. Geoffrey's favorite past time seems to be giving tours of the house. There's a scene where he guides Ione through the prison chamber and dungeons that I thought was foreshadowing for sure and was surprised to learn otherwise... The other inhabitants of the house include a developmentally challenged young girl who is Geoffrey's cousin and ward, and a French governess who cares for her and is far too young, attractive, and cunning for Ione's comfort. Then there's the household staff - the cook, the butler, the gardener - all longtime residents of the house and with their own backstories and agendas.
When an unexpected and tragic death occurs on the grounds, Ione's fears are confirmed. Luckily, Miss Silver is already on the case and at hand. The plot relies heavily on one or two incredible (borderline unbelievable) coincidences, and yet again the heroine makes an incredibly stupid decision in the last couple chapters to endanger herself completely unnecessarily! But then, where would the suspense be otherwise? Is it too much to ask for the heroine to make a smart decision and outwit the villain that way, rather than sheer luck or the hero breaking it at opportune moment to save the day? These flaws are annoying but not deal breakers. Ultimately these novels are still enjoyable even if they are by alternating turns more romances or thrillers than mysteries. This is the last of the batch that I got as a birthday present, and I will keep looking for the newly published Open Road Media editions - I love the cover designs! I might just stagger the reading and take them in small doses for more enjoyment and less (obvious) repetition for future reads.
Where Wentworth succeeds is in her characterization and her descriptions of the mundane things of life in that time period, which are richly detailed and wonderfully realized. She writes young lovers you cheer for and villains you are only too willing to despise. And she usually ends things, well if a little too neat that's forgivable because everybody gets exactly what they deserve (and then some) by the last page.
In this case Ione Muir goes to visit her not so newly married sister Allegra Trent, and her brother-in-law, the "sinfully" good looking Geoffrey Trent. It's been two years since Ione has seen her sister, for a variety of reasons, some valid (Ione was touring in the U.S. and then caring for an invalid aunt) and some more suspicious - every scheduled visit in London or the countryside gets inevitably cancelled last minute. When Ione does finally make it: All is not well. Allegra has erratic mood swings and seems a completely different person. Geoffrey is as personable and charming as ever, though he's enamored (bordering on obsessed) with the historic "pile" they are renting - a 14th century house known as Ladies House. Or at least that's what they tell the tourists. Locals know it as Ladies Bane - given the curse that was placed on the house centuries ago that every mistress of the house will lose the thing she cherishes most... Allegra laughs it off, but it's a brittle laugh, and Ione fears Allegra's sanity may be in danger, or at least her safety.
Still, Geoffrey seems oblivious and is determined to buy the house if he can raise the capital. That's a problem, and later a strong motive. Geoffrey's favorite past time seems to be giving tours of the house. There's a scene where he guides Ione through the prison chamber and dungeons that I thought was foreshadowing for sure and was surprised to learn otherwise... The other inhabitants of the house include a developmentally challenged young girl who is Geoffrey's cousin and ward, and a French governess who cares for her and is far too young, attractive, and cunning for Ione's comfort. Then there's the household staff - the cook, the butler, the gardener - all longtime residents of the house and with their own backstories and agendas.
When an unexpected and tragic death occurs on the grounds, Ione's fears are confirmed. Luckily, Miss Silver is already on the case and at hand. The plot relies heavily on one or two incredible (borderline unbelievable) coincidences, and yet again the heroine makes an incredibly stupid decision in the last couple chapters to endanger herself completely unnecessarily! But then, where would the suspense be otherwise? Is it too much to ask for the heroine to make a smart decision and outwit the villain that way, rather than sheer luck or the hero breaking it at opportune moment to save the day? These flaws are annoying but not deal breakers. Ultimately these novels are still enjoyable even if they are by alternating turns more romances or thrillers than mysteries. This is the last of the batch that I got as a birthday present, and I will keep looking for the newly published Open Road Media editions - I love the cover designs! I might just stagger the reading and take them in small doses for more enjoyment and less (obvious) repetition for future reads.
January 2, 2021
Ione Muir goes down to stay with her recently married sister Allegra at her home, the Ladies' House. There, she meets Allegra's charming husband Geoffrey, his young ward Margot Trent and secretary/governess Jacqueline Delauny. Ione is already concerned about Allegra, who hasn't written in ages and is subject to odd mood swings, but soon she also has murder to worry about.
This is one of my favourite books of the Miss Silver series. That's partly thanks to Ione, who is far more admirable than some of Wentworth's heroines. Intelligent, energetic, spirited - she even earns her own living, which is practically unheard-of (most PW heroines are either heiresses or, if penniless, sponging off their relatives).
I also love the opening, a wonderfully exciting scene with Ione lost in a thick London fog, where she stumbles into a shady meeting between criminals and also meets the very eligible Jim Severn. (There's an entertaining detour in which, it being late at night by the time the fog lifts, Jim takes Ione home to stay the night at his bachelor flat and the icy reception she receives from his old housekeeper. This sort of thing has nothing to do with the actual story plot but is great fun and one of the reasons I read these books.)
In many of the Miss Silver mysteries, there's a suspicious reliance on guesswork and eavesdropping on servants gossiping to solve the crime, but in this one, Miss Silver is quite efficient and there's some actual deduction going on. And the servants and village characters, while stereotyped, are well drawn and individualised, with their own thoughts, opinions and prejudices. I particularly like the grumpy old gardener, Humphrey, and his contempt for the local police inspector who has married his niece. (On the other hand, the usual indifference to domestic violence depresses me, however much of its time it may be.)
This is one of my favourite books of the Miss Silver series. That's partly thanks to Ione, who is far more admirable than some of Wentworth's heroines. Intelligent, energetic, spirited - she even earns her own living, which is practically unheard-of (most PW heroines are either heiresses or, if penniless, sponging off their relatives).
I also love the opening, a wonderfully exciting scene with Ione lost in a thick London fog, where she stumbles into a shady meeting between criminals and also meets the very eligible Jim Severn. (There's an entertaining detour in which, it being late at night by the time the fog lifts, Jim takes Ione home to stay the night at his bachelor flat and the icy reception she receives from his old housekeeper. This sort of thing has nothing to do with the actual story plot but is great fun and one of the reasons I read these books.)
In many of the Miss Silver mysteries, there's a suspicious reliance on guesswork and eavesdropping on servants gossiping to solve the crime, but in this one, Miss Silver is quite efficient and there's some actual deduction going on. And the servants and village characters, while stereotyped, are well drawn and individualised, with their own thoughts, opinions and prejudices. I particularly like the grumpy old gardener, Humphrey, and his contempt for the local police inspector who has married his niece. (On the other hand, the usual indifference to domestic violence depresses me, however much of its time it may be.)
May 6, 2024
After finishing my first Patricia Wentworth,
She Came Back
(published under the title The Traveller Returns in the UK), I immediately started another. Ladies’ Bane captured my attention from the very beginning.
Lost in a London fog, Ione Muir, stumbles down a flight of stairs and while she is picking herself up out of the muck, she overhears a suspicious conversation of someone coming out of the house above. Desperate to find her way home, she follows the man as he seems to know where he is going, and ends up holed up for the night in an empty house with him and another man, while the three wait for the fog to lift.
Ione visits her newly married sister, Allegra, in the town of Bleake where she is letting a mysterious medieval manor house, known locally as Ladies’ Bane because of the sinister legend that the woman who lives there will lose everything she holds dear. The place is enough to make a person’s blood run cold, unless you’re Allegra’s husband Geoffrey Trent, who is absolutely thrilled with the grim house and dreams of nothing more than purchasing the place, despite Allegra’s less than enthusiastic feelings about living there.
There is just one catch to Geoffrey’s plans. Allegra’s the one with the money, but it’s in the form of shares, and she needs to get permission from the trustees to sell them. It seems fairly straightforward until Ione realizes the reason her sister hasn’t seemed like herself is because she’s been under the influence of narcotics.
Thank goodness, Allegra’s nosy godmother hires Miss Silver to investigate Geoffrey’s finances, because soon someone’s dead and it’s beginning to look a lot like murder.
Now this wasn’t quite as good as She Came Back. However, I was reading this book at a steady clip when I had to put it down for a few days. By the time I picked it back up I wasn’t quite as thrilled with it. I’m not sure if having the take a break from reading interrupted the pace, or if the second half of this book wasn’t as good as the first half, which on its own would have been a 5-star read for me. I still had a good time reading it and it’s one I would gladly reread in future.
Lost in a London fog, Ione Muir, stumbles down a flight of stairs and while she is picking herself up out of the muck, she overhears a suspicious conversation of someone coming out of the house above. Desperate to find her way home, she follows the man as he seems to know where he is going, and ends up holed up for the night in an empty house with him and another man, while the three wait for the fog to lift.
Ione visits her newly married sister, Allegra, in the town of Bleake where she is letting a mysterious medieval manor house, known locally as Ladies’ Bane because of the sinister legend that the woman who lives there will lose everything she holds dear. The place is enough to make a person’s blood run cold, unless you’re Allegra’s husband Geoffrey Trent, who is absolutely thrilled with the grim house and dreams of nothing more than purchasing the place, despite Allegra’s less than enthusiastic feelings about living there.
There is just one catch to Geoffrey’s plans. Allegra’s the one with the money, but it’s in the form of shares, and she needs to get permission from the trustees to sell them. It seems fairly straightforward until Ione realizes the reason her sister hasn’t seemed like herself is because she’s been under the influence of narcotics.
Thank goodness, Allegra’s nosy godmother hires Miss Silver to investigate Geoffrey’s finances, because soon someone’s dead and it’s beginning to look a lot like murder.
Now this wasn’t quite as good as She Came Back. However, I was reading this book at a steady clip when I had to put it down for a few days. By the time I picked it back up I wasn’t quite as thrilled with it. I’m not sure if having the take a break from reading interrupted the pace, or if the second half of this book wasn’t as good as the first half, which on its own would have been a 5-star read for me. I still had a good time reading it and it’s one I would gladly reread in future.
April 30, 2016
Ione Muir is puzzled by her sister Allegra's behaviour. She hasn't seen her for two years and all arrangements she has made have been cancelled at the last minute. She has started to believe that Allegra really doesn't want to see her until she is positively encouraged to visit. Allegra and her husband, Geoffrey rent a house known as Ladies' Bane and want to buy it - or at least Geoffrey does. He is besotted with the house though Ione when she is shown round it finds it rather creepy.
Allegra herself is behaving very strangely - one minute lively and talkative and the next hardly seeming to be aware of what is going on around her. Then there is Margot - Geoffrey's ward - who loves practical jokes and her governess/companion. Ione knows there is something going on but doesn't know what. Fortunately Miss Silver is staying nearby and gradually as the secrets of the house and the people who live in it are unravelled Ione finds out the truth behind the strange events which keep happening and realises there is a murderer in their midst.
This is an atmospheric and compelling story where the reader/listener ends up suspecting everyone including Ione herself before the final truth is revealed. Patricia Wentworth's Miss Silver series has stood the test of time and they still make good reading even today in the more sophisticated twenty first century. I had not read this book before and was glad to see it available as audio book. I listened to it over two days and found it entertaining and enthralling. Diana Bishop's voice is perfect for this type of book.
Allegra herself is behaving very strangely - one minute lively and talkative and the next hardly seeming to be aware of what is going on around her. Then there is Margot - Geoffrey's ward - who loves practical jokes and her governess/companion. Ione knows there is something going on but doesn't know what. Fortunately Miss Silver is staying nearby and gradually as the secrets of the house and the people who live in it are unravelled Ione finds out the truth behind the strange events which keep happening and realises there is a murderer in their midst.
This is an atmospheric and compelling story where the reader/listener ends up suspecting everyone including Ione herself before the final truth is revealed. Patricia Wentworth's Miss Silver series has stood the test of time and they still make good reading even today in the more sophisticated twenty first century. I had not read this book before and was glad to see it available as audio book. I listened to it over two days and found it entertaining and enthralling. Diana Bishop's voice is perfect for this type of book.
October 3, 2019
Ione Muir is worried about her gentle sister Allegra, who married a man she hardly knew, and is now living in virtual seclusion in the 14th century house he wants to buy. Geoffrey's household consists of his wife, of course, his developmentally delayed cousin, for whom he is guardian, and a young woman who looks after his cousin. Coincidentally, Allegra's godmother has hired Maud Silver to make sure that Allegra is all right. Soon there's a death in the small circle. Ione surprisingly find herself in danger, as her sister's money will come to her if Allegra dies. By the same token, Ione's money will revert to Allegra if Ione dies.
July 25, 2022
And she says even when it was the Manor House, hundreds of years before the big place was built, it had another, secret name. And do you know what it was?” She put her lips quite close to Ione’s ear and dropped her voice to a thread. “They called it Ladies’ Bane.” Ione was startled.
“Why?”
“Oh, I don’t know-some old story.” She shook back her hair and gave that tinkling laugh. “Stupid, isn’t it? A thing like that couldn’t be true.”
September 4, 2021
If you like Agatha Christie, you'll love Patricia Wentworth...
Such a good tale that is full of twists and turns where you'll never guess who the murderer is. Patricia Wentworth is nearly as good as Agatha Christie, so if you love a good Miss Marple, you'll love Miss Silver!
Such a good tale that is full of twists and turns where you'll never guess who the murderer is. Patricia Wentworth is nearly as good as Agatha Christie, so if you love a good Miss Marple, you'll love Miss Silver!
April 24, 2025
Miss Silver never disappoints! But she took a long time to appear in this entry!
https://perfectretort.blogspot.com/20...
https://perfectretort.blogspot.com/20...
September 20, 2025
Written in 1952, this cozy offered a fascinating glimpse in the attitudes of society -especially towards women at this time. Ex-governess Miss Silver only appears sporadically in the second half of the book sporting a ubiquitous pair of knitting needles as she sleuths alongside the handsome-and much younger- Inspector Abbott of Scotland Yard.
Very curious to see a popular female author of this period portray some women as so self-effacing, and emotionally and physcially prone to fainting, but it seems this was an accepted trope back then.
While the plot itself fell short of the charm of Miss Marple stories, it did offer many worthwhile historic insights, which made it a positive experience.
Very curious to see a popular female author of this period portray some women as so self-effacing, and emotionally and physcially prone to fainting, but it seems this was an accepted trope back then.
While the plot itself fell short of the charm of Miss Marple stories, it did offer many worthwhile historic insights, which made it a positive experience.
November 22, 2025
Ione had not met her sister Allegra for two years - was it just a series of unfortunate individual situations, or was there something more sinister at work? Why did she find Ladies’ Bane, the house Allegra’s husband so loved, such a disturbing place? And what was the connection with the mysterious hints at planning a murder that she overheard in a London fog?
‘Difficult to see anything in this case of yours - if you can call it a case. It began in a fog, and it seems to be stuck there.’ I have to agree with Frank Abbott, Miss Silver’s favourite police officer. This is an atmospheric miasma of a story with not a lot of concrete links between the different parts. Yes, Ione’s constant feeling that something is wrong is a classic Wentworth study in how a woman can be gaslit and unable to upset the conventions, but the connection between the opening London peasouper and the rest of the story is very thin. In some ways this late book is clearly a rehash of the elements of a Wentworth mystery, but it just about pulls off Miss Silver’s accurate reading of how those elements shake down in spite of some misdirection.
‘Difficult to see anything in this case of yours - if you can call it a case. It began in a fog, and it seems to be stuck there.’ I have to agree with Frank Abbott, Miss Silver’s favourite police officer. This is an atmospheric miasma of a story with not a lot of concrete links between the different parts. Yes, Ione’s constant feeling that something is wrong is a classic Wentworth study in how a woman can be gaslit and unable to upset the conventions, but the connection between the opening London peasouper and the rest of the story is very thin. In some ways this late book is clearly a rehash of the elements of a Wentworth mystery, but it just about pulls off Miss Silver’s accurate reading of how those elements shake down in spite of some misdirection.
October 24, 2023
No one has seen Allegra Trent since she got married. Her husband swept her off her feet and out of London, to a faraway town called Bleake. She has stopped writing letters, and her family has begun to worry.Allegra’s husband is a strange man. He is consumed with his dream of owning the ramshackle estate curiously known as Ladies’ Bane, and he intends to use his new wife’s money to do it. Why he wants to live there no one knows, but Josepha Bowden does not want his castle to become her goddaughter’s prison. She asks the help of Maud Silver, the former governess who now makes a living using her reason to unravel the intricacies of murder. There has been no killing in Bleake, but if Miss Silver doesn’t intervene quickly, there could be one soon. Much of the story is told from the pov of Allegra's sister Ione Muir, who it quickly becomes apparent is more pivotal to the story than at first appears.
This story first appeared in the early 1950s. I actually quite enjoyed it but there are some elements which are disquieting to a twenty-first century reader:
First of all, to me, Ione is shown to be unfamiliar with a perfectly ordinary word even though I think she is meant to be well educated. This is not an important point and probably would not bother anyone else but it jarred with me.
One of the characters is a young woman with severe learning disabilities; the use made of her in the book made me a little uncomfortable but I have read worse in books of the same era.
The worst part of the book, to me, was the severe beating given to a young woman by her father for conducting a relationship he considered unseemly. It is made clear that the beating is physical and severe yet not one person seems to feel that there is anything wrong with the fathers behaviour. More than that there is nothing to indicate that the author felt that such treatment was anything but justified.
I finished this book with no real difficulty and intend to read Wentworth's other titles next year; however, if you have dislike the kind of attitude towards women displayed above, you might wish to approach it with caution.
This story first appeared in the early 1950s. I actually quite enjoyed it but there are some elements which are disquieting to a twenty-first century reader:
First of all, to me, Ione is shown to be unfamiliar with a perfectly ordinary word even though I think she is meant to be well educated. This is not an important point and probably would not bother anyone else but it jarred with me.
One of the characters is a young woman with severe learning disabilities; the use made of her in the book made me a little uncomfortable but I have read worse in books of the same era.
The worst part of the book, to me, was the severe beating given to a young woman by her father for conducting a relationship he considered unseemly. It is made clear that the beating is physical and severe yet not one person seems to feel that there is anything wrong with the fathers behaviour. More than that there is nothing to indicate that the author felt that such treatment was anything but justified.
I finished this book with no real difficulty and intend to read Wentworth's other titles next year; however, if you have dislike the kind of attitude towards women displayed above, you might wish to approach it with caution.
May 8, 2020
Interesting later Miss Silver, with little of Miss Silver and less romance but a terrific plot, one of Wentworth's best. Allegra Kent goes to visit her sister Ione in the country and finds Ione's husband obsessed with the creepy 14th century house they live in, and it becomes clear right away that something is wrong with Ione. This is actually a really realistic look at drug addiction, surprising for the time period (1950). There's also a troubling adolescent ward of the brother in law and a dashing architect met by Allegra in the depths of a pea soup fog. Apart from everything else the opening scene in the London fog is spectacular. Excellent read.
December 11, 2020
As I binge on these Miss Silver mysteries, the thing I'm discovering is that they're never particularly surprising - here, I sussed out the killer, as well as their motivations and other crimes pretty early and easily, plus there is a huge reliance on coincidence - but they are solidly, competently constructed in a way that sort of defines the pleasures of genre, if that makes sense? Anyway, they are really working for me this week.
January 28, 2022
I generally enjoy classic British mysteries, but this one, not so much. The biggest problems was that the book started off with some truly unbelievable coincidences that made me skeptical of everything else. The plot was straightforward, with an obvious villain; the only question was whether they were a solitary actor or a duo. Plus love-at-first-sight (or in this case, sound) romances annoy me. So, meh.
October 17, 2018
I really enjoyed the beginning of this book, very atmospheric with a creepy chill, but once we got to the sister’s place the rest of the story was rather a mess, and Miss Silver was not really much help to anyone. The cute little romance between two thoroughly likeable people was the saving grace for this story.
February 11, 2021
3-* I much prefer to listen to Miss Silver mysteries narrated by Diana Bishop over reading them, as the written version seems to detract from my enjoyment of them.
Miss Silver is in this story helping gather clues to solve the crime/s, but she is not leading right front and centre in the final solving of the case.
Extra detail: Domestic abuse. Drug addiction. Female predator.
Miss Silver is in this story helping gather clues to solve the crime/s, but she is not leading right front and centre in the final solving of the case.
Extra detail: Domestic abuse. Drug addiction. Female predator.
August 2, 2013
Much as I love Miss Silver this one is not one of the best. Quite formulaic and not such rounded characters as, say, The Clock Strikes 12 or Latter End
January 19, 2020
I really like Miss Silver mysteries, but this one had higher than the normal quotient of fainting and coincidence. I liked it, but others in the series are better.
December 29, 2022
This had a very sinister tone which gave me anxiety; I prefer straightforward murders without a creepy atmosphere.
September 27, 2022
not often do i come across a book this boring
August 16, 2025
Be sure your sins will find you out...
This one has a long, slow creeping sense of impending doom. Everything is foggy, even the weather, then you get a glimpse of something. But what is it? Obviously, you know something terrible must happen (it is a mystery after all), but to who, and what, and why? At every chapter, you're ready for some disaster. And what a setting! That will give you creeping chills all by itself. Then, when all is hopelessly in a tangle, Miss Silver pops in and guides you to a very satisfying conclusion. Even though I solved it rather early on, there were enough red herrings to keep me unsettled to the end.
Several of the characters have unsavory pasts. Their sins are referenced discreetly and play out rather disasterously as the mystery drags them all to the brink of disaster. There were also several "mild" curse words. I'd say it was comparable to Agatha Christie's works for cleanliness.
This one has a long, slow creeping sense of impending doom. Everything is foggy, even the weather, then you get a glimpse of something. But what is it? Obviously, you know something terrible must happen (it is a mystery after all), but to who, and what, and why? At every chapter, you're ready for some disaster. And what a setting! That will give you creeping chills all by itself. Then, when all is hopelessly in a tangle, Miss Silver pops in and guides you to a very satisfying conclusion. Even though I solved it rather early on, there were enough red herrings to keep me unsettled to the end.
Several of the characters have unsavory pasts. Their sins are referenced discreetly and play out rather disasterously as the mystery drags them all to the brink of disaster. There were also several "mild" curse words. I'd say it was comparable to Agatha Christie's works for cleanliness.
June 28, 2025
This is one of the better Miss Silver books. I especially loved the beginning.
November 7, 2025
love being able to depend on miss silver for an always-competent book!!!!!!!!!
November 22, 2025
Delightful
Full of twists, rich characters and so, so enjoyable to unravel. Miss Silver is certainly a treasure! Perfect for reading over and over. Like visiting with a dear aunt.
Full of twists, rich characters and so, so enjoyable to unravel. Miss Silver is certainly a treasure! Perfect for reading over and over. Like visiting with a dear aunt.
August 29, 2023
One of Wentworth's poorest efforts. There is just SO much wrong with this novel.
In the first place, it seems that she was making an unsuccessful attempt to 'modernise' her writing style. This story includes drug dealing, domestic violence and a 'problem child', but none of these things is done well.
Secondly, the plot relies on some totally unbelievable coincidences. Ione Muir, lost in London during a severe fog, 'just happens' to fall over outside a house just as the people inside it come out, discussing plans for a murder (and how dumb does a murderer have to be to discuss their plot without checking if anyone is there to hear them?!) and conveniently, dropping a piece of paper with Ione's sister's address written on it, so that Ione knows the plot is directed against her own family. The conspirators don't spot her in the fog, so she then follows one of them at a distance, resulting in her 'just happening' to bump into the young, handsome, single architect Jim Severn, who 'just happens' to be on his way down to look at the aforesaid house...Really?!!! And surely the biggest improbability of the plot is the motive.
I also found the location and characters much less realistic than usual. The irony is that the Trent's house, Ladies House, is supposed to play a major part in the story and much space is devoted to describing it, yet I felt it was less real than the houses in her other novels. Few of the characters were well rounded, and I struggled to care about any of them. And our heroine is unbelievably feeble, fainting left, right and centre for the most trivial reasons. (Since she is also continuously described as 'very pale', one wonders why the sensible Miss Silver doesn't suggest an iron tonic!)
I also found there were too many stray ends. For example, at the end of the book, Ione meets a nosy elderly lady in a train who is introduced for no apparent reason. At first, I thought I also felt that many of the chief characters were more or less 'abandoned' at the end of the novel in favour of descriptions of yet another tea party for Frank and Miss Silver.
My final reason for really, really disliking this book is the way in which domestic violence is treated. One female character is having an affair with a married man, and her father beats her so severely that the next day, she is unable to move without crying out in pain. No one expresses any condemnation of the beating, and many other characters relish it. Even Miss Silver 'could not possibly approve...but could not feel that this was the moment to say so.' And later, she states that the father beat his daughter because of 'very grave provocation'. And I'm not giving this attitude a free pass because of the era in which the book was written - even in 1954, there were plenty of people who didn't hold with condoning violence.
I was tempted to give this one star, but upgraded it to two because of Josepha Bowden. I felt that she was the most realistic character in the whole book, and it was a real disappointment that she played such a tiny part in it. I also liked some of the other minor characters.
In the first place, it seems that she was making an unsuccessful attempt to 'modernise' her writing style. This story includes drug dealing, domestic violence and a 'problem child', but none of these things is done well.
Secondly, the plot relies on some totally unbelievable coincidences. Ione Muir, lost in London during a severe fog, 'just happens' to fall over outside a house just as the people inside it come out, discussing plans for a murder (and how dumb does a murderer have to be to discuss their plot without checking if anyone is there to hear them?!) and conveniently, dropping a piece of paper with Ione's sister's address written on it, so that Ione knows the plot is directed against her own family. The conspirators don't spot her in the fog, so she then follows one of them at a distance, resulting in her 'just happening' to bump into the young, handsome, single architect Jim Severn, who 'just happens' to be on his way down to look at the aforesaid house...Really?!!! And surely the biggest improbability of the plot is the motive.
I also found the location and characters much less realistic than usual. The irony is that the Trent's house, Ladies House, is supposed to play a major part in the story and much space is devoted to describing it, yet I felt it was less real than the houses in her other novels. Few of the characters were well rounded, and I struggled to care about any of them. And our heroine is unbelievably feeble, fainting left, right and centre for the most trivial reasons. (Since she is also continuously described as 'very pale', one wonders why the sensible Miss Silver doesn't suggest an iron tonic!)
I also found there were too many stray ends. For example, at the end of the book, Ione meets a nosy elderly lady in a train who is introduced for no apparent reason. At first, I thought I also felt that many of the chief characters were more or less 'abandoned' at the end of the novel in favour of descriptions of yet another tea party for Frank and Miss Silver.
My final reason for really, really disliking this book is the way in which domestic violence is treated. One female character is having an affair with a married man, and her father beats her so severely that the next day, she is unable to move without crying out in pain. No one expresses any condemnation of the beating, and many other characters relish it. Even Miss Silver 'could not possibly approve...but could not feel that this was the moment to say so.' And later, she states that the father beat his daughter because of 'very grave provocation'. And I'm not giving this attitude a free pass because of the era in which the book was written - even in 1954, there were plenty of people who didn't hold with condoning violence.
I was tempted to give this one star, but upgraded it to two because of Josepha Bowden. I felt that she was the most realistic character in the whole book, and it was a real disappointment that she played such a tiny part in it. I also liked some of the other minor characters.
January 31, 2024
This being the first Miss Silver book I've read, I imagine I was dropped into some circumstances about which I was "supposed" to know. Still, the large majority of such instances didn't bother me--and some facts I don't know whether they were already revealed in previous books or not.
The setting, in England and near/in London, was fairly well established, mainly in the description of houses (especially the focus of the story, the medieval home). I'm not sure if it was supposed to be 1940s or '50s (copyright is 1952), but references to "the war" and "after the war" were frequent, indicating a likely date around the turn of the decade. It makes me wonder what the Miss Silver books published during WWII were like ...
The characters were well-done and pretty distinct. I really liked Ione's relationship with her sister; not the perfect close-knit sisterhood that some books portray, but a sense of loyalty nonetheless. Geoffrey Trent was certainly an interesting man, a fitting addition to a mystery plot. Though Humphreys appeared probably halfway through the book, he quickly became my favorite. Call it cliché--the classic curmudgeonly, tight-lipped old gardener still captures my complete affections.
The book deals with some tough and rather unpleasant topics, not the least of which is murder; drugs and drug addictions also play a part, and the question of punishment (or lack thereof) is brought up, but not really conclusively addressed. Romance appears in the first and last sections of the story (and not at all in the middle), and though there were allusions to things not looking so wholesome, everything was handled quite tastefully without being explicitly Christian.
There were, as I recall, a small handful of uncouth words. The title itself refers to a supposed "curse" on a house, and though there were a few conversations contemplating the legitimacy of the curse, no protagonist decided one way or another on its veracity, and the narration did not return to the subject in its conclusion, either. It was actually more or less forgotten, which is odd, considering it was contained within the book's title.
All in all, I enjoyed the vintage-like style of the writing, and I wouldn't be averse to reading another Miss Silver mystery!
The setting, in England and near/in London, was fairly well established, mainly in the description of houses (especially the focus of the story, the medieval home). I'm not sure if it was supposed to be 1940s or '50s (copyright is 1952), but references to "the war" and "after the war" were frequent, indicating a likely date around the turn of the decade. It makes me wonder what the Miss Silver books published during WWII were like ...
The characters were well-done and pretty distinct. I really liked Ione's relationship with her sister; not the perfect close-knit sisterhood that some books portray, but a sense of loyalty nonetheless. Geoffrey Trent was certainly an interesting man, a fitting addition to a mystery plot. Though Humphreys appeared probably halfway through the book, he quickly became my favorite. Call it cliché--the classic curmudgeonly, tight-lipped old gardener still captures my complete affections.
The book deals with some tough and rather unpleasant topics, not the least of which is murder; drugs and drug addictions also play a part, and the question of punishment (or lack thereof) is brought up, but not really conclusively addressed. Romance appears in the first and last sections of the story (and not at all in the middle), and though there were allusions to things not looking so wholesome, everything was handled quite tastefully without being explicitly Christian.
There were, as I recall, a small handful of uncouth words. The title itself refers to a supposed "curse" on a house, and though there were a few conversations contemplating the legitimacy of the curse, no protagonist decided one way or another on its veracity, and the narration did not return to the subject in its conclusion, either. It was actually more or less forgotten, which is odd, considering it was contained within the book's title.
All in all, I enjoyed the vintage-like style of the writing, and I wouldn't be averse to reading another Miss Silver mystery!
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