La Roue de Sainte-Catherine

Miss Silver #16

by Patricia Wentworth, Patrick Berthon (Translator), Gilles Berton (Translator)

Un inquiétant mystère planait depuis toujours sur la vieille auberge perchée au bord de la falaise, la "Roue de Sainte-Catherine." Que recèlent aujourd'hui encore ses vieux murs battus des vents marins ? Tout commença par l'insertion dans les journaux d'une annonce demandant aux descendants de l'ancien aubergiste, Jeremiah Taverner, de se faire connaître. Ils accoururent... Mais Miss Silver s'étaient discrètement mêlée à eux. Et la Roue commença à tourner...

Genres: Mystery, Fiction, Romance, British Literature, Cozy Mystery, Crime, Detective

384 pages, Pocket Book

First published January 1, 1949

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

[Jaline · Rating 4 out of 5]

Patricia Wentworth began this novel with a short Foreword to assure readers that Miss Silver’s little cough is not because she is ill. It is, instead, a personality characteristic and Miss Silver enjoys excellent health.

I had to share that because it was rather endearing that so many fans of Miss Silver were worried about her health that they actually wrote to the author about their concerns. It was also thoughtful of the author to reassure her readers that all is well.

While that may be the case for Miss Silver, a few characters in this 15th episode did not enjoy the same good fortune. I found myself back in England somewhere on the coast, enjoying a weekend in a 300-year-old hotel that used to have smugglers as its primary guests back in the day. It belonged to the Taverner family then and was leased for a generation or so. After the last member of the family leasing the property died, it reverted back to its current owner – the elderly Jacob Taverner.

He is the one who called together various members of the many branches of the family tree to attend a weekend reunion. However, his motives weren’t all about family togetherness. Each family member who attended was to receive 100 pounds – a substantial sum back then. And then he proceeded to pump each of his relatives for information.

Scotland Yard has had eyes on The Catherine-Wheel (the name of the hotel) for quite some time, doing their best to follow up on rumours of smuggling – this time in jewelry and drugs. Miss Silver and her friend, Frank Abbott (a young Scotland Yard detective) are requested to go to the hotel and see what they can find out. Frank stays with a cousin nearby, and Miss Silver is able to find accommodations at the hotel.

The weekend gets out of hand very quickly and due to a murder, the weekend becomes extended. Miss Silver learns a lot at the same time as she knits a little dress in bright blue wool with matching knickers for the little girl of one of her many relatives. In the end, Miss Silver is the one who solves the crimes that happen during the family’s extended weekend.

Again, I appreciate the relaxed pace of these novels. The characters have time to develop and we see them in both good form and bad form. In other words, they become real. The mysteries are always very well done and this one was terrific – more complex and involved than some of the others I have read, yet still a restful read.

I’m now looking forward to #16 in the series next month!

[Shauna · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not as good as some in the series. There are too many characters introduced all at once in the beginning and even a family tree doesn't help matters much. The descriptions of the old smuggling inn, The Catherine Wheel, lack any sense of creepiness or atmosphere and the whole book comes across as somewhat superficial. Miss Silver is, of course, always in good form and manages to solve the case despite the police interference!

[Kim Kaso · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 A nice series of gentle murders, very English, but the author’s habit of having Miss Silver “gently cough” or “softly cough” every time she wishes to make an observation about something, or ask a pertinent question got old very fast. A speaking look or a raised eyebrow or some other device needs to be added to her “I am a gentile lady & don’t want to interrupt the men except they are getting it all wrong” arsenal. I need these comfort reads just now, and this one fit the bill, but this literary device was enough to annoy & make the rating lose stars.

[Meep · Rating 3 out of 5]

I like Wentworth and her sharp Victorian lady detective Miss Silver. If you've read one you know what you're getting. The text occasionally meanders, Miss Silver politly coughs everytime she speaks - the author wrote a disclaimer that she's not ill! And you can judge where you are in the case by the level of her knitting - continental style, of course.

This was an audio listen and I really enjoyed the narration. It nadd a calm backdrop to a busy shift.

That said this isn't a favourite story. A story with smugglers tunnels should have more excitement.
There are to many characters, even having them discussed then introduced I couldn't keep them straight.

It's quite the commentary on relationships. One girl having three pushy suitors. The other has...Jeremy.
Jeremy who insists they're wed, ignoring her protests. Who disapproves of her mannequin job. Who tries to stop her answering the advert. Jeremy who grabs her arm hard enough to hurt. But despite being a smart independent lady she can't help herself when he gets forceful!
I'm not sure if the intention was swoonworthy or if it was delivered with a healthy scoop of irony. It certainly showed entitled men planning to control/protect and perfectly capable young women adjusting for them.

Also, never trust foreigners!

It's entertaining though not particularly clever or memorable.

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

Free download available at Faded Page.

3* Grey Mask (Miss Silver, #1)
4* The Case Is Closed (Miss Silver, #2)
4* Lonesome Road (Miss Silver, #3)
3* Miss Silver Deals With Death (Miss Silver, #6)
3* The Clock Strikes Twelve (Miss Silver, #7)
4* She Came Back (Miss Silver, #9)
3* The Case of William Smith (Miss Silver, #13)
4* Miss Silver Comes to Stay (Miss Silver, #15)
2* The Ivory Dagger (Miss Silver, #19)
4* Out of the Past (Miss Silver, #23)
3* The Benevent Treasure (Miss Silver, #26)
2* A Marriage Under the Terror
2* Beggar's Choice
4* The Astonishing Adventure of Jane Smith: A Golden Age Mystery
TR Danger Point (Miss Silver, #4)
TR The Chinese Shawl (Miss Silver, #5)
TR The Key (Miss Silver, #8)
TR Pilgrim's Rest (Miss Silver, #10)
TR Latter End (Miss Silver, #11)
TR Wicked Uncle (Miss Silver, #12)
TR Eternity Ring (Miss Silver, #14)
TR The Catherine Wheel (Miss Silver, #16)
TR The Brading Collection (Miss Silver, #17)
TR Poison in the Pen (Miss Silver, #29)
TR Devil's Wind
TR The Fire Within
TR The Black Cabinet
TR Danger Calling
TR Run!

[Sally · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've now read 19 of the 32 Miss Silver mysteries. This is the 15th in the series. They are all pleasant cozy reads, with different plots and new personalities for Miss Silver to observe and analyze, but other than giving a synopsis of the plot, it is hard to give a meaningful review of each one. It does seem that each one has at least one really disagreeable character that either becomes the victim of murder or turns out to be the perpetrator, and in a way that makes them satisfying. Patricia Wentworth really knew how to make you dislike certain characters. It also seems that more often than not, blackmail is involved and more central to the crime than the other big motivators of greed and hatred. I particularly enjoy how the relationship between Maud Silver and the Scotland Yard man, Frank Abbot continues to develop.

Recently I viewed new presentations of a couple of Miss Marple stories on PBS Masterpiece Mystery and do think there are some similarities between Miss Marple and Miss Silver. It has been many years since I read the Agatha Christie mysteries, but I am finding that I really like Miss Silver, as a personality, better, and I think she is much more clever and subtle and not so doddering. I wonder why PBS has not done these mysteries, and if they did, who would they get to play Miss Maud Silver.

[Steph · Rating 3 out of 5]

A bit on the fence about this, it is the first book I have read in the Maud Silver series. I enjoyed it more than not but less than I thought I would - if that makes sense. I have to say Miss Silver's habit of coughing before she said anything really grated on my nerves and it may not have irritated me so much if the author hadn't written a note at the start of the story mentioning it. Also the character of Maud Silver struck me as a little bit too much of a copy of Agatha Christie's Miss Marple.

[Tuesdayschild · Rating 4 out of 5]

2021: 4* Repeat, late-night listen.

2020: 4*
I still appreciate the way Patricia Wentworth takes the last few chapters to tuck away all the loose ends.

2019 4-*
Repeating some thoughts off my blog from my first read-through in January 2019. Some clever red-herrings in this one; however, if you've already read a few Miss Silver mysteries you'll see through those and guess who was 'dunning them in' like I did.

Extra: abused wives, predatory male resulting in a kidnapping - no graphic details they are mostly just included as part of the background story.

[Caron Allan · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'm a huge fan of Patricia Wentworth's books, and especially her Miss Silver books, but I really feel this is the weakest of her works, and not as engaging or as fresh or enjoyable as many of her other books.

[ShanDizzy · Rating 3 out of 5]

'Well,' he said, 'let's get down to it. We've generally met over a murder case, haven't we? This isn't anything so violent but I think perhaps you might be able to help us. It isn't as if your name had ever got into the papers. Of course, you're known to the police, if I may put it that way, but I don't know that outside of two or three people there's been anything that would make you, so to speak, a suspected character so far as the criminal classes are concerned. In other words, speaking generally, I don't think they'd be on to you'. Miss Silver said, 'Yes?' on an enquiring note. Lamb brought himself forward with a jerk, leaned across the table, and said, Smuggling.' Miss Silver looked reprovingly. During her youth, she had been engaged in what she herself called the scholastic profession. It had often stood her in good stead that she looked and talked like an old-fashioned governess. She said, 'Indeed?...In what way do you think that I can assist you?' Lamb said bluntly, 'You could go and stay at the inn?'...Lamb [said], '...There's something very odd going on. The man who owns this inn is Mr. Jacob Taverner, and he's the grandson of old Jeremiah Taverner who owned it in its smuggling days. About three weeks ago there was an advertisement in all the papers asking the descendants of Jeremiah Taverner to apply to a box number. We followed it up because we were taking an interest in the Catherine Wheel. The advertisement was put in by Jacob Taverner, and out of the replies he received he has picked out eight people, and he has asked them down to the Catherine Wheel for this next weekend.' And so it begins...

I have just finished the last sentence of this story and the 1st word I thought of was "diabolical!"

[Teri-K · Rating 3 out of 5]

Typical Miss Silver story, well done, but nothing particulary special about it. I did have a little problem with how Miss Silver handled one situation. She never misses a trick, but she overlooked an obvious possible twist and it bothered me.

[Carmen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Because two things were quite certain. Whatever Jeremy said or Jeremy did, two things were quite certain. She was going to go down to the Chatherine-Wheel, and she was going to have that hundred pounds.

[Rosie Genova · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun cozy in the style of Christie's Miss Marple with Jamaica Inn overtones

[Elizabeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

Miss Silver is an amazing detective and Ms. Wentworth is an amazing writer. This book, as all the other Miss Silver books, was wonderful! I highly recommend this book and this series.

[Ellen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Never a dull moment with Miss Silver! Wonderful stuff!

[Richard · Rating 3 out of 5]

At the beginning, I thought this had the potential to be the very best Miss Silver. She's in fine form here, and I really liked the atmosphere. Unfortunately, it was hard to keep up with (or care) about the complicated family tree, and the big reveal is completely ridiculous.

Also, Miss Silver is complicit in the last murder in a very weird way.

Things are somewhat redeemed by a campy gothic ending staged with the subtlety of a silent movie serial.

[Rebecca · Rating 4 out of 5]

Old Jacob Taverner's father had many siblings, and now Jacob is gathering some of their descendants at the old smuggling inn--the Catherine Wheel--that's been in the family since the 19th century. He claims he's in search of an heir, but he keeps asking the diverse relatives--most of whom had never met each other before--what their grandparents told them about the Catherine Wheel, particularly about secret passages and rooms. Then the inn's bartender--a by-blow cousin, and an extremely unpleasant sort--is found murdered in the main hall. There are plenty of suspects, but fortunately Miss Silver, detective extraordinaire disguised as a mousy ex-governess with an irritating cough and perpetual knitting projects, had already weasled her way in at the request of Scotland Yard, to investigate possible smuggling. Now she has two things to solve--if the local inspector will listen to her.

I must admit I like this kind of mystery. Smuggling, secret passages, old family secrets, Cornwall, and a detective completely un-tortured and un-wrapped-up in her own plot-stealing issues. It's old-fashioned, of course, and I can't love Wentworth's attitude towards women and what they want in a man--does any woman really want a man to bully her and tell her what to do and what not to do? I did appreciate that the main female character, young Jane Heron, could stand up to her attractive bully, but she fell for him anyway, and he's the male romantic lead. I preferred the Scotland Yard detective Frank Abbott, who brought in Miss Silver, and smiled when the local inspector fumed and fussed about her. Abbott never seemed to feel the urge to tell her what to do. But anyway, a good classic mystery with lots of atmosphere and interesting characters.

[Susan · Rating 3 out of 5]

A wealthy eccentric host gathers an unlikely group of relatives in an old house on the English coast. When mayhem ensues, the reader knows Miss Silver will knit her way to the truth and a happy ending (at least for some).

[Pat · Rating 1 out of 5]

(Read in Gutenberg transcription, which has nothing to do with how much I disliked the book.) Other people loved this book; I didn't. This is the second (or third) Miss Silver book I've read; I didn't like the other one, either; I just may not like Wentworth's books.

Regardless. Problem one: too many characters. I couldn't keep them straight, few of them were at all interesting, and after a while, I didn't want to give any more energy to trying to remember them.

Problem two: the so-called romantic couple. I'm sure Jeremy read as strong and romantic and just all-around masculine and slightly dreamy to earlier generations reading this book, but now he comes off as overly grabby and overly entitled and really toxic. The early insistence that he and Jane are going to be married, over her protests, isn't strong or romantic; it's arrogant, and I rather hoped that it would be addressed as the red-flag behavior it is. (Actually, I was sort of hoping Jeremy would be one of the murder victims.) But, nope: this is the romantic behavior of the romantic male of books I read when I was young; and a horrifying number of people overlook it now. (The repetition of "darling" got very old very quickly: did anybody in real life actually say it even half as often as it's said in these books?)

Mystery-wise: okay, but nothing I wanted to read again. Really: half the pleasure of murder mysteries is in the characters, and there wasn't a single character here I wanted to read about. Given that I haven't enjoyed any of the Wentworths I've read, there's no point in keeping them on my ereader.

Miss Silver really should consult a good doctor about that little cough of hers.

[Louise Culmer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Old Jacob Taverner has never seen any of his numerous cousins due to an old family quarrel over inheritance, , so he invites some of the many descendants of his grandfather old Jeremiah Taverner, to a family reunion at The Catherine Wheel, the old seaside inn kept by Jeremiah. A mixed assortment of people arrive to stay at the old inn, which has a fascinating history connected to smuggling. But the police suspect that smuggling may still be going on, and Miss Silver is requested to go and stay at the inn as well, and see what she can find out. And if Miss Silver is present, you know something exciting is bound to happen. This is a very good mystery with some interesting characters, lots of twists and turns, and I did not guess the identity of the murderer, which is always satisfactory. And Miss Silver appears at quite an early stage of the story, and has a more active role than in some of the other books. My only criticism is that there are rather a lot of Taverner descendants and I had trouble sometimes remembering who was who, a family tree would have been helpful.

[Sara · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 1/2 stars, really. Not as involving as some of her others, but pretty good! The usual Miss Silver/Frank Abbott amusements, a fun little love affair which turns out well, and a gaggle of eccentric descendants of a family of smugglers whose inn, the Catherine Wheel, was the center for this occupation in the past. The question is, is it the center for smuggling in the present day?
The inn is located on the old Ledlington coast road, but this is one of Wentworth's fictions, as the only Ledlingtons that I can find are in Suffolk and Northamptonshire. Suffolk might be the right place. Another of her mysteries, Miss Silver Deals with Death, is set in this same area, wherever it may be. And oddly enough, old Wentworth books may be found online on several Russian book sites. A taste for cozies in Russia? Ha!

[Evelyn Brooks · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another suspense winner from Wentworth!

I'm glad this wasn't my first encounter with a mystery by Patricia Wentworth because I would have put it aside after slogging through the opening pages in which a large cast of characters was introduced in detail. However (!) since I'm a newly minted fan of her incredible body of work, I persevered and was, of course, amply rewarded. A great read with lots of plot twists and delightful input from the insightful mind of "Miss Silver" as she solved the mystery. Took off a star only as a little warning about the opening--mystery writers today would open with a thrilling chapter from later in the story, and then flashback to tell us about the cast of characters before proceeding with the tale.

[Nikki · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's been a long time, but I remember enjoying the Miss Silver mysteries quite a lot and reading them compulsively. I don't do much rereading these days, but if I were in a lake cabin or a shore camp and found one of these, I'd be very happy. Recommended.

[Bryn · Rating 2 out of 5]

This reminded me a little too much of Jamaica Inn -- it wasn't terrible, but it didn't have enough of the cosy imagined England that I read Wentworth for.

[Craig · Rating 3 out of 5]

More cozies. This series (Miss Silver) mostly from the 50s. Not quite 4 stars, but better than most 3s.

[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great British mystery a la Agatha Christie. Wentworth is an expert at atmosphere. Quick read and enjoyable.

[Thomas Ray · Rating 2 out of 5]

Losers' reunion. No likable characters.

[Whistler's Mom · Rating 4 out of 5]

You'll need a family tree to keep the characters straight, but it's worth it.

This reminds me of an earlier Miss Silver book - The Clock Strikes Twelve. I spent the first couple of chapters of that one trying to untangle the family relationships, but it turned out to be a good mystery and so is this one. The characters are (mostly) descendants of Jeremiah Travener, who owned and ran a seaside inn called The Catherine Wheel. He died in 1888, leaving six sons and two daughters. Needless to say, they had children and their offspring had children.

The Traveners don't go in for family reunions, so almost none of them know each other. Elderly, wealthy Jacob Travener decides to change that and he advertises to find some of his relatives, especially those of the younger generation. He claims to be looking for one worthy of being the heir (or heiress) to his fortune, but why is he only interested in those who grew up close to their grandparents - i.e. old Jeremiah's children?

The Catherine Wheel was passed to his grandfather and is now his. Tradition is that the inn was the center of a thriving ring of smugglers in the 19th century. Smugglers bringing contraband in by the sea normally use caves and secret passages to get illegal goods into a safe building where it can be hidden. Does the old inn have secrets that would be of value to modern smugglers?

Whatever his reason, Jacob invites eight relatives to be his guests at the inn for the weekend, promising them a substantial gift of money for accepting his hospitaltiy. All but one are eager to accept. WWII is not long over and the English economy is still struggling. The money will be welcome, especially with the prospects of a fortune in the future.

As would be expected, some of the family lines have risen in society and some have fallen. One is an aristocrat - Lady Marian. She's a charmer, but her attempts to marry into money keep falling short. The youngest relatives are firmly upper class, a career military officer and his cousin who makes her living modeling designer clothes. They are the only ones who were previously acquainted and (naturally) one of them is in love with the other.

The lower middle class is represented by the Travener bother and sister. He's an enthusiastic seller of household appliances and she owns a small shop. And there's brassy Florence Duke, who's risen from serving drinks at a pub to owning a snack bar. Al Miller and John Higgins are working class men. Miller lives near the inn, but is gathering with the family. Higgins is a carpenter on a local estate and a lay preacher. He's the only relative who refused old Jacob's bribe. He dislikes the current manager of the Catherine Wheel and chooses not to enter the premises. However, he's courting the pretty maid at the inn and is involved in the family weekend, like it or not.

What none of them know is that Scotland Yard is very much interested in the inn and what might be going on there. They know of Jacob's family get-together and want someone inside to see what goes on. And who better to choose than a harmless old lady? Inspector Frank Abbott will be nearby, staying with one of HIS many relatives. Superintendent Lamb groans that Abbott produces relatives like a magician pulling rabbits out of a hat. This particular rabbit is a baronet who's ancestral mansion has been connected to the Catherine Wheel Inn in some peculiar ways.

Miss Silver worms her way into a room at the inn and shortly afterwards there's (what else?) a murder. The murdered man is a stinker, but Scotland Yard can't let that stand in their way. Besides, he's suspected of being involved in the illegal activity at the inn and his murder may mean that his fellow smugglers have fallen out.

I think this is a very good Miss Silver mystery. The local inspector isn't a fool nor is he incompetent, but his sense of humor is poorly developed. He's not thrilled that Scotland Yard is involved and an elderly governess-turned-detective sitting in on police conferences and (worse!) making suggestions is a thorn in his side. He sees it as an open-and-shut case, but Miss Silver is quietly unimpressed.

Instead of accepting one of several logical suspects for the murder, she wants to know what happened to Al Miller and why the police can't find him. No sooner do the police figure out the whereabouts of Al Miller than another person disappears and the need to find that Secret Room becomes urgent.

Some of the characters are appealing and some aren't, but all are believable. I had my suspicions about one of the relatives, but was never sure and would not have been surprised if any of them was the guilty party. There are two sets of lovers, but the romance never gets in the way of the story and I was happy for all of them. Miss Silver will have new photographs of happy young couples to display in her office/parlor and (perhaps) baby booties to knit in good time. I love this series.

[Virginia Tican · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Catherine Wheel was a smuggler's inn and lair found near the coast at Ledlington... and as very smuggler worth his salt, the Taverners had a secret passage from the Inn to the coast... and it would be in this inn that Jacob Taverner, Jeremiah Taverner's heir would have his relatives gather by bribing them with 100 pounds each to come stay with him at their grandfather's childhood home. The reason that old Jeremiah's children left the inn and scattered into the four winds was that he did not distribute his ill gotten wealth to his eight children... instead, he gave it all to his eldest son, Jacob Taverner's father. With nothing in common except their name and the Catherine Wheel, the poor relations girded their loins for a bumpy weekend. Meanwhile, it would seem that the Inn was again going back to its old history and that the law was deeply interested with drugs bring smuggled as well as a series of jewelry thefts from old English families' collections... and that the jewels might find their way out of England via a smuggler's route. Enter Miss Silver as a government spy to gatecrash the family reunion as an unexpected stranded guest. As it turned out, there was a murder or two. Goodread.

My tally for this prose:
1. "Miss Silver coughed." or the word "coughed" involving this Annoying Silver Affectation inserted in a sentence or in a paragraph. 68 times
2. "My dear Frank." or another name. 15 times.
3. "Dear me." 6 times.

[Italo Italophiles · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've pointed out the many creepy British kissing cousins in the previous books in the series; the author plays with that idea in this one. And there are many manly men bullying women in this book, just like in previous books, as well as a few softer types. However, the truth that women could barely afford to earn a living, and needed to marry for financial security, is well portrayed.

The post WWII era is depicted in detail, when some were indulging in things denied during the war, like full skirts, while others were struggling with collapsed incomes and high taxes especially on luxuries, and inheritances. The crimes that explode in times of war and economic difficulties are featured.

Wentworth always provides a good set up to her stories, with the quality of the follow through varying from book to book. In this one, the setup fades to the background as the plot moves in a different direction, with others taking center stage. This is an interesting book in the series, even if a bit slow moving, with a Scooby-Do ending.

Miss Silver goes undercover at a hotel, which is actually a plot device in a comic Miss Marple film of the era, starring Margaret Rutherford, the least accurate Miss Marple, and the most entertainingly fun. Miss Silver has some humor moments, but actually this story is quite serious as it unfolds.