No Word From Winifred

Kate Fansler Mystery #8

by Amanda Cross

Literature professor Kate Fansler is asked once again to turn her talents to private investigation when Winifred Ashby - honorary niece of Oxford scholar and novelist Charlotte Stanton - inexplicably disappears from her quiet farmhand life.

Using Winifred's journal and Charlotte's novels as her only available sources, Kate must follow a scantily informed trail through Oxford to Santa Cruz before finally untangling the secrets of Winifred's past.

But Kate's investigation reveals far more than she anticipated as issues of illigetimicary and inheritance arise...

Genres: Mystery, Fiction, Crime, Academia, 20th Century, Womens, Cozy Mystery

Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 1986

About the author

A psuedonym of Carolyn G. Heilbrun.

Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name. See this thread for more information.

Reviews

[Leah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bought with a dozen tart-noir, feminist detective novels from Sydney's best secondhand bookshop cavern, I knew this would be decent. I specifically chose it because I wasn't in the mood for spiky spunky go-getter heroines, and it delivered precisely what I wanted.

Kate Fansler is intelligent. All her friends and acquaintances are intelligent. Her husband is intelligent (I'm assuming their relationship developed over the course of the preceding books, I haven't read any of them yet). The only unintelligent people in this book are her brother and sister-in-law, for their social pretensions and uninterested chatter, and one unpleasant character whose testimony is the hinge of the whole affair. These undesirable creatures are known for exactly what they are by Kate and her ilk; it's refreshing to watch unpleasant people not get any page time. Or perhaps more accurately, it's refreshing to see people portrayed as having depths and layers, and not just used as plot devices.

The best parts of this book involved musing: on the rarity and unplumbed depths of female friendship, on the position of women in academia, on the relative historical positions of women then and now, on family and children and deciding not to have them, on what makes a good marriage, on what makes a bad one, on what gender means as a social construct, on the life of the mind. The mystery is barely there in one way; in another it is the crux of all the musing, the disappearance of a reserved and intriguing woman the catalyst for all the self-reflection and discussion that occurs since.

Really enjoyable and worth seeking out more Amanda Cross/Kate Fanslers for sure.

[Melanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

The writing of novels, like any other barely acceptable anomaly in one's own private life, was one's own affair.

As I forge ahead through the Kate Fansler series, it seems like author Amanda Cross and protagonist Kate Fansler are becoming more and more like Carolyn Heilbrun, as if Heilbrun's pseudonym and main character are catching up to her. More feminism, more frustration with academia, more thoughts on work and aging and how to live a useful life. I know it's silly, but the further away these books get from traditional mysteries, the more I adore them. There's a scene of frenzied fact-checking at the offices of the Modern Language Association! SO SATISFYING.

[Rosemary · Rating 4 out of 5]

Like many other reviewers here I first read the Kate Fansler books as a student. At the time I loved them and wanted to be Kate, with her perfect apartment, academic job, wealth, perfect husband, etc. I decided to re-read No Word from Winifred because it was my favourite, and it also fitted with a reading challenge in which I am currently taking part (all the books we read have to (i) have a name in the title (ii) be on our shelves already - no buying).

I did wonder how I would feel about NWFW after all these years, but I found I loved it just as dearly. I suppose the feminism is slightly dated now,(though sadly only slightly) but this just took me back to the heady days of Spare Rib, Susie Orbach, Ann Oakley, NAC marches....(and just look where we are today on that last one...)

The story itself is blissfully non-violent; its a puzzle, or several puzzles, and Kate solves them mostly by thinking, referencing literature, and talking to people, usually over a dry martini. Nowadays the amount of drink that she and Reed (husband) put away would be remarked upon, but Cross/Heilbrun makes a point of Kate’s disregard for the diet police. I don’t think she ever describes Kate, but I always imagine her as tall and willowy - in fact with the amount of alcohol and full-fat everything she puts away i occasionally feel a little bit cross with her for being thin - which I is of course ridiculous when for all i know she could be any size.

Cross is not the only mystery writer who makes her protagonist rich to avoid any issues with affording plane fares, expensive dinners, etc. Alexander McCall Smith’s Isobel Dalhousie (whom I find extremely annoying and far less interesting than Kate) is monied, as was Sayers’ Lord Peter Wimsey. Somehow Kate carries it off, probably because - unlike Dalhousie - she’s not constantly banging on about the Burdens of Money.

The central character in NWFW is a woman who has decided what she wants, and isn’t bothered by the fact that it doesn’t fit the stereotype for a woman, especially an older one. Almost 40 years later I think such a woman would still be seen as a bit weird - there is still huge pressure to confirm, although I think we are getting better at resisting/ignoring it. It’s interesting to compare Winifred to Kate herself (and Kate no doubt resembled Cross in many ways, though I understand Heilbrun was a lot less satisfied with life). Kate is independent, but happily married. Winifred is happily unmarried. Kate likes people, Winifred mostly doesn’t. Kate likes her creature comforts, Winifred couldn’t care less. The book examines the nature of female friendship, and is perhaps a little over-optimistic about female solidarity, but on the whole it’s a very engaging investigation of the lives of women who have said no to their traditional role.

I found the ending slightly unsatisfactory - the mystery is tied up, but I felt in the end that the person who’d caused all the trouble got off far too lightly. Or maybe Cross was just being realistic.

This was a most enjoyable foray into my youth, and I will now move on to another happy name-title, The Question of Max.

[Alison C · Rating 2 out of 5]

When Kate Fansler’s niece Leighton becomes interested in the disappearance of a woman from her usual haunts, Kate agrees to look into the matter, especially as there is a connection to modern English writers. Tracing the woman’s path through her diaries and the novels of the author with whom she was associated, Kate is soon led into a tangle of intrigue, passion and the importance of the solitary life in the modern world….I had difficulty getting into this novel, the eighth in the Kate Fansler series, this time set around the mid-1980s. I’m not sure what put me off, but the story felt disconnected somehow, more a collection of anecdotal meetings and events than an integrated novel. The writing is as crisp and sharp as ever, however, and I will continue my quest to read the entire series; this one so far stands as my least favourite, unfortunately.

[Stuart · Rating 4 out of 5]

Like most Amanda Cross / Kate Fansler mysteries, there's not a lot mysterious going on. This book is more about relationships than anything else. It's a surprisingly modern book for one that is now 30 years old. It throws up several variations on men / women relationships and examines them in a slightly humorous fashion. It also throws in a little politics, as the Fansler household seems to be upset at the recent election.
Overall, it's a short, enjoyable read, with an improbable ending. But, as I said, one does not really read Amanda Cross for the crime, it's for the language and the milieu and the discussions. enjoy!

[Mary · Rating 5 out of 5]

this is the second of the three best from Amanda Cross. I just finished re-reading them. I decided to do that because of a recent blog post I read which noticed the lack of good roles for aging actors and realized that there is a similar lack of aging characters in books. This book neatly marries themes of feminism, relationships, and aging to a mystery format

[Marsha Valance · Rating 5 out of 5]

A request by her niece Leighton to investigate a friend's disappearance leads Columbia literature professor/amateur sleuth Kate Fansler to a historic literary mystery & a tangled legacy.

[Pascale · Rating 2 out of 5]

Plodding and totally forgettable. Winifred is the adopted niece of Charlotte Staunton, a classicist and novelist loosely based on Mary Renault. Or so I gathered from information included in the blurb. After Winifred goes missing from a New England farm where she had oddly chosen to work as a milkmaid, various people get concerned and try to figure out what happened to her. In the end, she agreed to go to India after her lover got upset because she had become chummy with his wife, and he went ballistic. So Winifred is alive and well and living in Mumbai... It's not so much that the solution is implausible and couldn't possibly have been guessed even by the most astute reader. Many mysteries unravel towards the end and still offer some pleasures along the way. In this instance, none of the characters or situations are particularly titillating, even for a reader with long experience of the academic world in which a big part of the story takes place.

[Jim Mann · Rating 4 out of 5]

When Kate Falser attends a party given by her older brother (an event she usually avoids), she is talked into looking for a woman who has disappeared. Winifred was the adopted niece of an English writer of popular novels set in ancient Greece (it made me think of Mary Renault), who spent her summers in Oxford with this adopted aunt. When last seen as an adult, Winifred had been working part time on a farm, but had left one day to go to England for a week, never to return. Kate tries to track her down.

This novel rambles around a bit more than other Amanda Cross novels, and I'd probably have rated it 3.75 instead of 4 had Goodreads enabled that. Its major strength is its examination of female friendship. I found the concluding moments a bit unsatisfactory, but there were enough good things in the novel that I still enjoyed it.

[spotsoftime · Rating 2 out of 5]

I liked the idea of this book - a woman disappears, leaving a journal in which she has chronicled her youth and connection to a well known author and academic; I liked the character of Winifred - non-conformist, very much her own person but someone who made a big impact on the people she met; I LOVED the literary aspects of the book - I’d love it if in real life someone tested me on characters’ actions in Middlemarch as a way of making sure I was who I said I was! Sadly, it didn’t live up to expectations- is friendship between women really so unlikely and rare? Is it likely that a woman would volunteer to move from USA to India so her married lover didn’t have to feel like killing her and spoiling his career and family life?!? The book lost pace half way through and by the end had petered out completely, unfortunately.

[Alton Motobu · Rating 3 out of 5]

English professor Kate Fansler investigates disappearance of a woman who has links to the English literary world. Oddly constructed; told mostly through letters and journal entries; takes place in New York, England, and California. Major setting is Modern Language Association convention in New York City. Author gives insights into people involved in that world. Turns out the missing woman, Winifred, was involved in a love triangle with two other professors, and she left to get away from it all. This book is listed in some cozy mystery sites as a Christmas-themed book, but the only mention of Christmas happens on a single page where characters discuss negative things about the Christmas season. I don't this qualifies it as a Christmas mystery.

[Jan Priddy · Rating 4 out of 5]

As in her other books the discussion, particularly discussions of literature and current society. are the best parts. Several reviewers have complained about the multiple POVs (journal entries from Winifred and letters from Charlie). I do not as a rule object to epistolary novels or the use of multiple viewpoints. I did not object here. Nevertheless, the complexities of plot reminded me (not in a good way) of the rare Dorothy Sayers plot that relies overmuch on train schedules. I found myself wanting a chart or to ignore these complications of wills and relationships.

Nevertheless, I am enjoying very much how this author grows in the telling of her tales.

[Kathy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the 8th book in the series, so I don't have the background on the investigator, Professor Kate Fensler. Kate is fairly believable as a no-nonsense academic, and the settings are developed with detailed descriptions. The mystery requires considerable historical research and reading of incomplete journals. I'd be interested to reading some of the previous books to understand Kate's antipathy toward her brothers and how she got together with her husband, Reed, a Columbia Law School professor. Could be as interesting as the mysteries she solves.

[Jennifer Albert · Rating 1 out of 5]

I have had this book since the mid 80's, and I am sorry to say I did not enjoy it. It was boring and kind of dragged. For the life of me I do not understand why I bothered to buy this book when I was 16 years old. The book to me left me feeling,"You are meandering and wandering. What is the point to all this?" Kate Fansler basically investigated the disappearance of a woman who clearly didn't get why anyone was looking for her.It just seemed like a colassal bore and a waste of time.I couldn't wait to finish this book because it was a total let down.

[Susan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another rather slow one. When Winifred disappears, Kate's friends ask her to help. The more she learns about Winifred's past and present, the more Kate wishes she had known her. She visits various friends of Winifred, and even forces herself to go to the MLA convention, where she meets people and picks up several clues via an ad in the MLA journal. There is almost no forward progress, though, until the very end, when she finally gets a confession out of one of her suspects.

[Jean · Rating 4 out of 5]

There really is no crime here, just a suspicious disappearance. And a lot of women's lib, too. It makes me a little sad that women feel they have to feel guilty for having a happy marriage, but that is beside the point, really--just an undercurrent. More to the point, it takes a lot of sleuthing to find what really happened to Winifred.

[Denise Spicer · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book is #8 in the Kate Fansler series. Kate investigates a missing person case. There are some interesting descriptions of Oxford where the title character spent her childhood but a lot of the book reads more like a feminist tract with the authors pet peeves and causes showing through loud and clear.

[Karen-Leigh · Rating 3 out of 5]

When Winifred, the niece of a renowned British novelist goes missing after she agreed to be interviewed for her esteemed aunt's biography, the biographer taps Kate Fansler to find her. Kate spots clues all right, but finding the person is a lot trickier than she thought....

Not a keeper or a collectible

[Elizabeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

I think this has been my favorite of all the Kate Fansler mysteries I have read so far.

[CapnKath · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyed the mystery of finding Winifred.

[Marci · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this book when it first came out and really liked it. I like it even more now.

[Betsy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good writing; thought-provoking commentary; great plot.

[Janice · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5

[Ray · Rating 3 out of 5]

I couldn’t resist a mystery set in part at the MLA’s annual convention. Not the strongest entry in this series though.

[mirole · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked this book a lot and would like to read other books in the series. I loved the writing style and humour.

[Eleanor · Rating 3 out of 5]

I attended San Francisco Public Library's book sale the day before boarding a redeye to Puerto Rico. The book sale is a great event where paperbacks can be picked up for $1. The tables of books are not organized other than into general categories (fiction, mystery, biography, cooking, etc.), but there is a decent selection of recent popular material. After last year's sale, I went to visit my high school friend and her four children in Seattle armed with a suitcase full of kid's book.

This year, as I was standing in line to pay for about 30 books, a family friend, who knew I was traveling that night, handed me a copy of "No Word for Winifred" with a dollar bill stuck in it. "Happy travels,' he said. This is a great way to receive a book.

This is a good plane book. Interesting and different enough to keep me intrigued, but with nothing too difficult or disturbing. The best part about the book, however, is the way it captures the zeitgeist of the 80s in which it was written. A particularly avant garde party serves sushi. Sushi! The country's political right turn is referenced as is the culture of excess. The unusual experience of being a woman in the workforce is referenced. Enjoyable.

[Mary · Rating 4 out of 5]

I picked this book up at a used book store in Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania looking for something to read on a day of travel. Instead, it became a great beach read a few weeks later. As with the other three mysteries I read this week, I'll forget the plots and "who done it," but it was great for this time and place.

Carolyn Heilbrun, who wrote as Amanda Cross, was a professor at Columbia. That makes her reflections on academia, friendships among women, and women's roles realistic and honest. This is not a bloody or gruesome mystery. I'll remember the setting and the characters more than the story itself, I think.

Is Heilbrun Kate Fansler herself? Kate had a great marriage and friendship with Reed, her lawyer husband. Heilbrun however ended her life at age 77 leaving her husband to find her and survive her. How could she have done that to him? She was in good health and seemingly good spirits. Knowing this has made reading the Kate Fansler novels a somewhat poignant experience.

[Cassandra · Rating 2 out of 5]

I found this book very odd, mostly because I do not really understand all of the drama around women's friendships -- not viscerally, at any rate. Intellectually, I may put myself into the mindset, but it is a stretch. I also do not have much sympathy for this idea that one reads the diary of a random woman and becomes enamoured of her... I do not have good words to say it, and I can see how much it is of my time, in which the writing of random people is easily available everywhere. But I had a hard time with the romance of the absent Winifred, whom seemed interesting but not actually as special as the narration insisted that she was. So the structure did not please me, nor work for me.

[Jenny · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a mystery where a woman disappears for no reason. Kate and her friends and family try to figure out if she's dead or kidnapped. Winifred's connection to everyone was confusing to me (there were a lot of single women in this book!) and since readers never meet her (other than reading her journal entries), I wasn't sure I cared where she was. The ending resolved itself prettily but the book seemed more of a celebration of female independence and friendship. It seemed dated in that way, too, where maybe in the 80's it wasn't as common to be single and childless and seem content with that.

[Lee · Rating 2 out of 5]

I had a hard time getting into this book. The basic mystery was good but there were just a few too many improbably convoluted and unnecessary twists to it, I thought. I also found some of the characters difficult to like or believe were "real". Maybe I only thought it was okay because I wanted a more escapist formulaic mystery while on vacation. As usual, though, she does do a great job of capturing and subtly poking fun at aspects of academia.