What do you think?
Rate this book
Benbow Smith #2
Danger Calling
Clandestine operative Benbow Smith recruits a former Secret Service agent to bring down an enemy of the free world in this thriller from the author of the Miss Silver Mysteries
Lindsay Trevor, a junior partner in a publishing firm, boards a train headed for Waterloo Station. He is contemplating his future as a soon-to-be-married man when the stranger seated across from him asks if he's willing to die for his country. Trevor was taken prisoner during World War I, and after his escape, he was recruited by Britain's Secret Service. But that was twelve years ago. The last thing he wants now is to risk his life again—or is it? Operative Benbow Smith is betting that Trevor wants back in the game. And when an unfortunate series of events changes the direction of his life, the former Secret Service agent signs on. With Lindsay Trevor declared officially dead, the victim of a fatal accident, he's free to impersonate another man. Soon the agents are enmeshed in a spiraling web of blackmail, intrigue, and murder, fighting a predatory criminal who is a master of deceit and manipulation. Danger Calling is the 2nd book in the Benbow Smith Mysteries, but you may enjoy reading the series in any order.
Lindsay Trevor, a junior partner in a publishing firm, boards a train headed for Waterloo Station. He is contemplating his future as a soon-to-be-married man when the stranger seated across from him asks if he's willing to die for his country. Trevor was taken prisoner during World War I, and after his escape, he was recruited by Britain's Secret Service. But that was twelve years ago. The last thing he wants now is to risk his life again—or is it? Operative Benbow Smith is betting that Trevor wants back in the game. And when an unfortunate series of events changes the direction of his life, the former Secret Service agent signs on. With Lindsay Trevor declared officially dead, the victim of a fatal accident, he's free to impersonate another man. Soon the agents are enmeshed in a spiraling web of blackmail, intrigue, and murder, fighting a predatory criminal who is a master of deceit and manipulation. Danger Calling is the 2nd book in the Benbow Smith Mysteries, but you may enjoy reading the series in any order.
325 pages, Kindle Edition
First published November 19, 1931
100 people are currently reading
125 people want to read
About the author
Patricia Wentworth
199 books528 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.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 30 reviews
Read
August 27, 2019I nabbed a second of these having adored Fool Errant. This one has a classic 20s 'young man with great war record and secret service experience recruited to pretend to be his wicked cousin' start and then goes frankly bananas with comedy foreigner, snake charmer, family mystery, sinister foreigner, multiple randoms and a highly implausible plot. Not as good as the first but a laugh.
May 30, 2015
A typical crime novel from the 1930s, with many of the elements that seem to have been de rigeur at that time : intimations of trouble between the nations of the west, shadowy figures pulling the strings of all sorts of unrest (strikes, incendiary newspaper articles), an evil mastermind with unsurpassed powers of disguise and manipulation. Blackmail. Poisonous snakes. Furtive encounters in the London fog. Secret messages. Emigration to Australia. Secret Service work as a type of boys' club where one does one's duty by one's country and has a jolly good time into the bargain, that type of thing. It's all here, and it makes for a great read for lovers of old-fashioned mysteries.
May 10, 2024
A highly entertaining story full with blackmail, kidnap, poisonous snakes, and dubious character. But in the center of it, there are some romances going on, and of course, some witty hilarious scenes too.
My complete review: https://klasikfanda.blogspot.com/2024...
My complete review: https://klasikfanda.blogspot.com/2024...
Want to read
February 24, 2017Free download available at Faded Page.
February 1, 2018
Really a 2 star book, because reasons, but I am giving it a 3rd star for making me laugh.
Lindsay Trevor is riding along in a train, minding his own beeswax, when a very odd man named Benbow Smith asks him if he would be willing to die for his country, and offers him a dangerous, mysterious job. Since Trevor is less than a week from his marriage to the lovely Marian, he refuses.
Then, perfect timing, Marian breaks off their engagement for reasons unknown (though she hints that there is a man she loves), leaving Lindsay broken down and crying in his beer. He pops along to see Mr. Smith and hi-ho, soon he’s faked his own death, dyed his hair red, and is impersonating his useless almost-identical-twin-cousin*.
The cousin, known to his intimates as Froth, is the personal secretary to one Algerius Restow, larger than life character who has made and lost and remade several fortunes. Since he's suspected of being at the ringleader of a group determined to disrupt the world order, Froth has been gotten out of the way and Lindsay steps into his shoes.
There is a threatening librarian, blackmail, the most beautiful woman in the world who has an alarming number of snakes, a terrifying boss of the criminal underworld known as The Vulture, a dastardly plot to foment war and revolution, and all sort of other spy story hijinks.
There are two young women in the case, the drooping, wispy Marian and Elsie, who works in a hat shop. Elsie is fairly practical and down to earth, but oh Lord, Marian. Marian is a type of ingénue who I particularly dislike: a fainter, and a weeper, the sort of wet girl who mopes around looking wan and pale, acting like this:
He heard her draw in her breath, and felt her hands quiver. And then all at once her resistance was gone. He could feel her reaching out to him, leaning on him, wanting him to help her. She said, almost in a whisper, “Yes, I’ll tell you – I must tell you – I’ve been so frightened.”
“Don’t be frightened. Just tell me everything. Begin with why you broke our engagement.”
“Lin – it – it nearly killed me.”
“Why did you do it?” Then sharply, “You told me it was because you were in love with someone else.”
…”No I didn’t, Lin! I said it was because I loved – someone. I didn’t say – someone else.”
She nodded, the brimming tears fell in two bright drops.
I mean, REALLY? Marian is always crying, and whispering, brokenly. She’s the sort of girl who is always looking for someone else to prop her up. The color rushes in and out of her face a lot. I think that is Wentworth’s way of showing up she’s…sensitive and flower-like. Bah, I much prefer the practical Elsie, and the outsized person and personality of Gloria Paravicini, she of the fiery temper and the many, many snakes.
For someone that’s supposed to be a super-secret squirrel, Lindsay sure does tell a lot of people who he is. The half of London that he doesn’t tell recognizes him immediately. He’s not much of a secret squirrel.
Of course, this books winds up perfectly for everyone involved, except for the villains. Boy gets girl, boy gets girl, man gets wife back, and wife gets snakes back. Fin.
*AAAAAAAhhhhhhhh, the almost-identical-twin-cousin: one of my favorite silly tropes in literature. There are always cousins who could pass as each other, or perhaps long-lost ACTUAL twins who do pass as each other. It never gets old…even though it’s as old as Shakespeare (or older!).
Lindsay Trevor is riding along in a train, minding his own beeswax, when a very odd man named Benbow Smith asks him if he would be willing to die for his country, and offers him a dangerous, mysterious job. Since Trevor is less than a week from his marriage to the lovely Marian, he refuses.
Then, perfect timing, Marian breaks off their engagement for reasons unknown (though she hints that there is a man she loves), leaving Lindsay broken down and crying in his beer. He pops along to see Mr. Smith and hi-ho, soon he’s faked his own death, dyed his hair red, and is impersonating his useless almost-identical-twin-cousin*.
The cousin, known to his intimates as Froth, is the personal secretary to one Algerius Restow, larger than life character who has made and lost and remade several fortunes. Since he's suspected of being at the ringleader of a group determined to disrupt the world order, Froth has been gotten out of the way and Lindsay steps into his shoes.
There is a threatening librarian, blackmail, the most beautiful woman in the world who has an alarming number of snakes, a terrifying boss of the criminal underworld known as The Vulture, a dastardly plot to foment war and revolution, and all sort of other spy story hijinks.
There are two young women in the case, the drooping, wispy Marian and Elsie, who works in a hat shop. Elsie is fairly practical and down to earth, but oh Lord, Marian. Marian is a type of ingénue who I particularly dislike: a fainter, and a weeper, the sort of wet girl who mopes around looking wan and pale, acting like this:
He heard her draw in her breath, and felt her hands quiver. And then all at once her resistance was gone. He could feel her reaching out to him, leaning on him, wanting him to help her. She said, almost in a whisper, “Yes, I’ll tell you – I must tell you – I’ve been so frightened.”
“Don’t be frightened. Just tell me everything. Begin with why you broke our engagement.”
“Lin – it – it nearly killed me.”
“Why did you do it?” Then sharply, “You told me it was because you were in love with someone else.”
…”No I didn’t, Lin! I said it was because I loved – someone. I didn’t say – someone else.”
She nodded, the brimming tears fell in two bright drops.
I mean, REALLY? Marian is always crying, and whispering, brokenly. She’s the sort of girl who is always looking for someone else to prop her up. The color rushes in and out of her face a lot. I think that is Wentworth’s way of showing up she’s…sensitive and flower-like. Bah, I much prefer the practical Elsie, and the outsized person and personality of Gloria Paravicini, she of the fiery temper and the many, many snakes.
For someone that’s supposed to be a super-secret squirrel, Lindsay sure does tell a lot of people who he is. The half of London that he doesn’t tell recognizes him immediately. He’s not much of a secret squirrel.
Of course, this books winds up perfectly for everyone involved, except for the villains. Boy gets girl, boy gets girl, man gets wife back, and wife gets snakes back. Fin.
*AAAAAAAhhhhhhhh, the almost-identical-twin-cousin: one of my favorite silly tropes in literature. There are always cousins who could pass as each other, or perhaps long-lost ACTUAL twins who do pass as each other. It never gets old…even though it’s as old as Shakespeare (or older!).
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 2, 2024
This is literally unbelievably close to a cliffhanger, and despite having spent the money to buy a reprinted pb copy to check the ending, I'm still not convinced it really ends like this in the 1931 edition - so VERY un-Wentworth like!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Good story, writing style quit typical, plot themes quite typical; if you like Wentworth you'll like it, if you have never read Wentworth I wouldn't start here.
I'm still going to have to track a vintage copy to check the ending...
Good story, writing style quit typical, plot themes quite typical; if you like Wentworth you'll like it, if you have never read Wentworth I wouldn't start here.
I'm still going to have to track a vintage copy to check the ending...
Read
May 1, 2015This is the first of a short Wentworth series involving Garret and Smith. They have secret connections with the government and work together to send young Lindsey Trevor into a dangerous undercover assignment in place of his ne'er-do-well cousin. (They look very similar.) One of the characters has pet snakes. Then there are the poison snakes.
September 18, 2013
Here is a link to my review: http://perfectretort.blogspot.com/201...
December 10, 2017
Early Bird Book Deal | Nearly unreadable due to transcription errors, and one of the author's worst even without that. | Wentworth did not know how to write espionage, and the later in her career you read, the less she was able to cover her insufficiencies. The beginning includes some ridiculous and pointless rambling by a character who's meant to be basically the head of British Secret Service. After he goes on for awhile about ideas and ideals and "their exponents, after an appropriate martyrdom, [being] accommodated with handsome tombs" he starts to discuss the actual business of the espionage job the book's protagonist is to take on...which Wentworth didn't write any of. Just "he talked for some time". Helpful. Nice MacGuffin, there. The rest of the book is filled with red herrings nobody would follow for a second, multiple murder attempts by poisonous snake in bed, cousins who look so alike as to pass for each other, sisters separated at birth and convinced with no evidence that they are the offspring of an evil criminal mastermind, broken engagement, faked death, duel challenge, fainting women, skilled French criminal still loyal to British agent, blackmail, bigamy, layered identity, and a criminal who can have one arm broken, the other arm restrained such that if he moves suddenly it, too, will be broken, and still retain a gun that he had to be forced to toss it aside (with what was he holding that gun?!), after which he evades two grown men--including a British agent--and two women by pretending to faint and jumping out the window. Are you fucking kidding me with this?! The edition I got was riddled with missing words, incorrect words ("cornel" instead of "come" in several places), extra random letters (mostly I and J), in some chapters there wasn't a single page without at least one transcription error, and that being the case I'm still not certain the end really is how it was originally published. Wentworth usually did a lot of tedious tying up at the ends of her books, so for it to stop so abruptly was strange. Just for the sake of curiosity I may read the rest of the series, but I won't pay money for them after this fiasco.
January 14, 2018
I love Patricia Wentworth, and having devoured the entire Miss Silver series, have been delighted that many of her stand-alone mysteries have recently been released as ebooks. I didn’t know that she’d published two or three other (much shorter) series. _Danger Calling_ is the second in a series about a Benbow Smith, a sort of freelance spy/ intelligence agent.
Here, we meet him as he tries to recruit Lindsay Trevor to infiltrate the operations of a man who seems bent on steering Europe into anarchy (the plot takes place between the two world wars). Having just been jilted, Trevor is very willing to take on another identity and become the secretary to this alleged criminal mastermind.
He’s really kind of awful about it, since everyone seems to figure out pretty fast that he’s not who he claims to be, and he as much as admits it to several characters. There are a lot of coincidences that turn out to in fact be engineered by Smith (or at least, that Smith was aware of),so they become forgivable.
As is always the case with Wentworth’s books, there is also a romantic plot that parallels the mystery, and a variety of eccentric characters (in this case, a flighty, rich polyglot and his estranged wife, a snake charmer in the circus...yes, you read that right).
I enjoyed it, although I felt it ended very abruptly. I turned the Kindle “page” expecting a final chapter, only to discover I’d reached the end! This is very different from the Miss Silver books, which always continue a bit beyond the solution of the mystery proper. I’m curious to see if she uses this same technique in the other Benbow Smith books.
Here, we meet him as he tries to recruit Lindsay Trevor to infiltrate the operations of a man who seems bent on steering Europe into anarchy (the plot takes place between the two world wars). Having just been jilted, Trevor is very willing to take on another identity and become the secretary to this alleged criminal mastermind.
He’s really kind of awful about it, since everyone seems to figure out pretty fast that he’s not who he claims to be, and he as much as admits it to several characters. There are a lot of coincidences that turn out to in fact be engineered by Smith (or at least, that Smith was aware of),so they become forgivable.
As is always the case with Wentworth’s books, there is also a romantic plot that parallels the mystery, and a variety of eccentric characters (in this case, a flighty, rich polyglot and his estranged wife, a snake charmer in the circus...yes, you read that right).
I enjoyed it, although I felt it ended very abruptly. I turned the Kindle “page” expecting a final chapter, only to discover I’d reached the end! This is very different from the Miss Silver books, which always continue a bit beyond the solution of the mystery proper. I’m curious to see if she uses this same technique in the other Benbow Smith books.
March 22, 2020
This is my second encounter with Patricia Wentworth's enigmatic Benbow Smith and I am enjoying every minute of this classic mystery.
It is only fair to warn prospective readers that Wentworth seems to specialize in stories featuring genteel young people who encounter dire problems while riding on trains, weekending in the country, or walking down a leafy lane. There is criminal activity, but it is generally more sinister than grisley and the reader knows full well at the beginning of the story that things are most likely going to end favorably for her gently bred hero or heroine. Yes, there is always some romance, but it makes for a lovely distracting read on a rainy afternoon, or a quiet evening.
Benbow Smith is considered the "featured player" in this novel, but perhaps because Wentworth has created a distinguished, lofty character and it is his class and style (not featured time in the story) that seem to earn him that position. I love him. I love his parrot. And, I am looking forward to another adventure that he sets in motion.
It is only fair to warn prospective readers that Wentworth seems to specialize in stories featuring genteel young people who encounter dire problems while riding on trains, weekending in the country, or walking down a leafy lane. There is criminal activity, but it is generally more sinister than grisley and the reader knows full well at the beginning of the story that things are most likely going to end favorably for her gently bred hero or heroine. Yes, there is always some romance, but it makes for a lovely distracting read on a rainy afternoon, or a quiet evening.
Benbow Smith is considered the "featured player" in this novel, but perhaps because Wentworth has created a distinguished, lofty character and it is his class and style (not featured time in the story) that seem to earn him that position. I love him. I love his parrot. And, I am looking forward to another adventure that he sets in motion.
January 7, 2022
When the leading character, Lindsay Trevor, is very suspicious of coincidences, it seems odd that a major coincidence in the book is that Lindsay's fiancé, Marian Rayne, and a random girl he meets on the street, Elsie Manning, should turn out to be sisters! This relationship does turn out to be important to the plot, but still... Also, I think we are expected to believe that the villain dies in a fall from a ground floor window. Injured, perhaps, but dead? It beggar's belief. And, it does end a little suddenly for me, though there is really nothing left to explain. but it would be nice to wrap it up with the wedding and the guests present, and Lindsay getting some kind of commendation for what he has done for his country and Europe.
Otherwise, there is plenty of intrigue, adventure, danger, mystery, and cleverness, not to mention snakes, throughout.
Otherwise, there is plenty of intrigue, adventure, danger, mystery, and cleverness, not to mention snakes, throughout.
May 29, 2023
I thought I'd give this series one more try, despite the fact that the 1st volume left me quite underwhelmed. Sadly, it doesn't get any better. In many ways, the general storyline is a rehash of the first book, albeit with different characters and a different milieu. Worse still, I found the book overwritten and sloppy, as if she dashed off the first draft and published it like that. So, another 2-stars that could well be a 1, and I am unlikely to hazard the remaining two books in the series. Maybe I should give the Miss Silver novels a go. We'll see.
Read
March 6, 2022This is the second entry in the Benbow Smith series, and as was the case in the first one, Smith barely appears. The novel is engaging, even though it's based on a very improbably premise. The characters are mostly compelling and the story moves in some unexpected ways, although I found the ending a little flat.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 18, 2018
In this sort-of mystery/spy novel, an engagement is broken off very suddenly, and the jilted groom channels his angst into helping to shut down a spy ring, only to discover his former fiancée in danger.
September 4, 2021
It started off a little slow, but ended up being better than the first book in this series. A young man is jilted by his girlfriend, goes undercover as a spy and encounters some very strange characters. I really enjoyed this book, it had suspense, romance and some humor.
April 6, 2022
Wonderful characters
If you like Miss Silver, this one’s almost as good, with some wonderful larger than life characters, two of which eat up the scenery. Absorbing. Maybe the ending was a little abrupt.
If you like Miss Silver, this one’s almost as good, with some wonderful larger than life characters, two of which eat up the scenery. Absorbing. Maybe the ending was a little abrupt.
August 11, 2018
I'm really enjoying these Benbow Smith stories although the almost total lack of Benbow Smith's presence in them is still a head scratcher.
February 2, 2019
I loved this book, but it ended so abruptly. Someone mentioned that it might be because I read it on Kindle and that if I got the book, it had more chapters. Does anyone know if this is true?
November 7, 2019
This was OK. It dragged a little and was rather predictable.
October 1, 2020
I thought it ended a bit abruptly and have to guess exactly how the dénouement played out. I like things to be spelled out, I'm afraid.
October 7, 2021
Need a little more detail in the final scene
Ok writing until then, some plot holes. The end needs just a bit more explanation. Did someone get shot? Was the fall fatal?
Ok writing until then, some plot holes. The end needs just a bit more explanation. Did someone get shot? Was the fall fatal?
June 17, 2023
A good action mystery with lots of suspense and thrills. However, I was left wondering what was the point of all the villainy. It was never made clear.
August 30, 2023
Such tension and intrigue.
Patricia Wentworth is a master of mystery, intrigue, and one tense moment after another. A very riveting and unputdownable novel.
Patricia Wentworth is a master of mystery, intrigue, and one tense moment after another. A very riveting and unputdownable novel.
September 2, 2025
Pure enjoyment
As
a Miss Silver fan almost avoided this book, but am glad I didn't. Smooth reading with good characters and a great plot.
As
a Miss Silver fan almost avoided this book, but am glad I didn't. Smooth reading with good characters and a great plot.
December 20, 2025
Wonderful plot elements but just paced so slowly. Of the two lovely young females, I much prefer the one with a little sense and spirit.
October 2, 2019
Interesting read
Lovely characters but they're only skin deep. And sadly a Non satisfying ending- what happened? Just one more page, please!
Lovely characters but they're only skin deep. And sadly a Non satisfying ending- what happened? Just one more page, please!
July 16, 2016
I enjoyed this book as much for the social history of the 1920s-30s as for the story
Read
November 27, 2017Very much a spy story, and quite readable if you can swallow the constant coincidences.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 30 reviews