Retro Reads discussion

Starting today, Feb. 1: This is the 2nd Miss Silver mystery, written in 1937, and our third Miss Silver read. Free ebook is available on the Faded Page: https://www.fadedpage.com/sc/wentwort...

Please mark spoilers (preferably with a reference to the chapter so people know whether it's safe to open the spoiler or not), and enjoy the discussion!

I've got a library book to finish, but should be able to start soon.
I got this paperback edition through my library


I'm looking forward to it.

I'll also start in the next day or two. I'm a fast reader so unless I'm pacing myself (hard to do with mysteries), I'll probably finish it within a couple of days. :)

I read the ebook through scribd, with this rather dramatic cover The Case is Closed . I read it last month because I was due for a book dump from my library- I always seem to get several at one time when I request the latest book from series I follow! I enjoyed the Miss Silver we did last year, and I enjoyed this one as well! I’ll check back when others are ready to discuss.

Barb in Maryland wrote: "I've got a library book to finish, but should be able to start soon.
I got this paperback edition through my library


I'm looking forward to it."

That cover is hysterical!

I know! What a hoot!
That cover harkens back to when the book was first published (1937), with a bit of a noir twist.
However, this particular edition was published c2005! Don't know when this cover illustration was actually done.

I'll probably only get to this next week. I have a 1976 Coronet edition which has some small weird holes in it, probably been eaten by a creature at some stage.

Would it be a good idea for me to read the first book in the series 1st, or is it truly standalone? I'm a bit of a stickler for book order if there is a wider arc through a series, but not if the series is meant to be episodic.

Kellie wrote: "Would it be a good idea for me to read the first book in the series 1st, or is it truly standalone? I'm a bit of a stickler for book order if there is a wider arc through a series, but not if the s..."

They are definitely stand alone; the only continuation is Miss Silver herself and the occasional mention of previous cases (and at least one of them is not even an actual book!)

Kellie wrote: "Would it be a good idea for me to read the first book in the series 1st, or is it truly standalone? I'm a bit of a stickler for book order if there is a wider arc through a series, but not if the s..."

Kellie, I’m the same, but I read the first years ago, it was “meh” for me, didn’t read another until this group read #7 last winter. I was assured it was standalone, and it truly was, as this book is; I very much enjoyed both!

Barb in Maryland wrote: "I know! What a hoot!
That cover harkens back to when the book was first published (1937), with a bit of a noir twist.
However, this particular edition was published c2005! Don't know when this cov..."

Yes, and if you blow up my cover, it looks like she’s being eaten by a shadowy black blob! I think it’s a rather accurate description of a perilous situation young Hillary finds herself in in the story, but it looks like a bad 1950s sci-fi movie poster!

Thanks for the responses; I won't let my inner pedant prevent me from joining in. :-)

That's great, Kellie! I agree with Karlyne. I've read a few Miss Silver mysteries and there's no real overall story arc to be concerned about, as far as I've been able to see.

Just finished Chapter 6. I had a bit of a hard time wading through all of the testimony from the inquest. If Patricia Wentworth was expecting the reader to pick through the trial transcripts and find the clues, I would be a sad disappointment to her, lol.

Unless Wentworth is hiding a major surprise up her sleeve, this seems like (view spoiler)[more of a howdunnit than a whodunnit, no? I mean, I have to believe that Geoffrey Gray is innocent and somehow Bertie and Mercer are behind it all, despite the alibis. If nothing else, Mrs. Mercer's words and actions seem to confirm that theory. (hide spoiler)]

Tadiana ✩Night Owl☽ wrote: "Just finished Chapter 6. I had a bit of a hard time wading through all of the testimony from the murder trial. If Patricia Wentworth was expecting the reader to pick through the trial transcripts a..."

Yes, (view spoiler)[Mrs. Mercer’s reactions to Hillary in the very beginning put up a red flag for me right away that something was not right! (hide spoiler)]

Tadiana ✩Night Owl☽ wrote: "Just finished Chapter 6. I had a bit of a hard time wading through all of the testimony from the inquest. If Patricia Wentworth was expecting the reader to pick through the trial transcripts and fi..."

The one thing that stood out for me in the transcripts was (view spoiler)[ the attention to who was where, doing what, at such and so time. So this longtime mystery reader had an 'aha' moment. (hide spoiler)]

Barb in Maryland wrote: "Tadiana ✩Night Owl☽ wrote: "Just finished Chapter 6. I had a bit of a hard time wading through all of the testimony from the inquest. If Patricia Wentworth was expecting the reader to pick through ..."

Yes, it always makes my mystery buff spidey senses tingle (view spoiler)[when a lot of info on time is given with alibis! (hide spoiler)] Not sure if that’s a spoiler or just a personal observation, but better safe than sorry...

Susan in NC wrote: "Yes, it always makes my mystery buff spidey senses tingle (view spoiler) Not sure if that’s a spoiler or just a personal observation, but better safe than sorry..."

Exactly! I feel like I ought to be doing some kind of chart to figure it out, but my brain doesn't want to do this much work.

On a different issue, I have oodles of sympathy for Marion and her imprisoned husband Charles, but I'm having issues with the dysfunctional Henry-Hilary relationship. I have a hard time believing those two are good for each other for the long haul (assuming they get back together by the end of the book, which seems an entirely safe assumption). Hopefully something will happen to change my mind regarding the way they deal with each other.

Kellie wrote: "Would it be a good idea for me to read the first book in the series 1st, or is it truly standalone? I'm a bit of a stickler for book order if there is a wider arc through a series..."

I noticed that one of the support characters in this book, Charles Moray, was also in the first book, Grey Mask, but I don't think there were any spoilers for that book in this one!

Tadiana ✩Night Owl☽ wrote: "I'm having issues with the dysfunctional Henry-Hilary relationship. I have a hard time believing those two are good for each other for the long haul ..."

There are a lot of these feuding young couples in some of Wentworth's early non-series books which have been republished by Dean Street Press in the UK. I can see the charm and wit of the characters, but the constant bickering can get a bit much, I do agree - plus Henry and other similar male characters do assume they can order their girlfriends around!

Judy wrote: "Tadiana ✩Night Owl☽ wrote: "I'm having issues with the dysfunctional Henry-Hilary relationship. I have a hard time believing those two are good for each other for the long haul ..."

There are a lo..."

But I do get a kick out of how their orders are ignored! Just like real life!

Karlyne wrote: "But I do get a kick out of how their orders are ignored! Just like real life!..."

Very true!

Just starting now. I have a copy on a flash drive but my USB ports on my computer have just died so I am reading the edition on Faded Page.

So far I really like Hilary!

Hilary is a delight! She really brightens up the pages.

She does, I love how her “inner imp” has her inventing silly poems to amuse herself!

I read this in 2013 so this is a re-read, though I've read so many of these Golden Age mysteries that I don't remember the plot at all! Trying it on audibook this go-round, which I find endlessly comforting.

There are almost always reasons to give Wentworth's relationships the side-eye, but I did note in my review that Hilary "is more sleuth-y and less wimpy" than some of Wentworth's other heroines.

I've been reading a bit of Phyllis McGinley, the queen of "light verse" (she won the Pulitzer in 1961, I think, for a volume of it), so I'm really appreciating Hilary's ability to see her situations and her people in rhyme. I don't see her as a downtrodden, dreepy heroine, either!

Susan in NC wrote: "She does, I love how her “inner imp” has her inventing silly poems to amuse herself!"

Hilary does brighten up the pages!

Karlyne wrote: "I've been reading a bit of Phyllis McGinley, the queen of "light verse" (she won the Pulitzer in 1961, I think, for a volume of it), so I'm really appreciating Hilary's ability to see her situation..."

That was the first time I’d come across “dreep” to describe a drippy female character- I like it, very evocative, don’t you think?

I seem to remember meeting it in children's books, too? It might have been a fairly common insult back in the day! It fits nicely with "Dry up!"

Karlyne wrote: "I seem to remember meeting it in children's books, too? It might have been a fairly common insult back in the day! It fits nicely with "Dry up!""

Oh, yes, I remember that from a Katharine Hepburn film, “oh, dryyyy up!” Had never heard it before, but her eye roll and delivery made it quite the put-down! 😉

I think dreep may have been more English than American, but I can remember using "dry up". I did, however, have the kind of mother who would have lambasted us for saying "shut up", so that explains it. We might have been skating on thin ice for saying, "dry up", but it was nowhere near as rude as shut up, and therefore much safer...

I've never come across dreep and I'm English - I googled it and I think it may be Scottish?

Judy wrote: "I've never come across dreep and I'm English - I googled it and I think it may be Scottish?"

That would make sense: Webster's says it's a dialectical British term for drip. So if you put a Scottish accent to it you'd have dreep! (We were watching an old Great British Menu episode last night with the Scottish chefs, and I'm pretty sure I dreamt in Scottish accents last night)

I've started this one and I like Hillary, she is very loyal. She is probably a little naïve in her approach, but she is attempting to verify the facts.

I think I have figured out how the murder was committed and by whom based on all those dry court documents. Will have to see if I am right.

I really have to learn A better way to decide what order to read my group reads in! Two more before I can get to this one… I already started them.:-(

Hi all, I've just broadened this thread so it will apply to the whole book. No one's commented on the "Chapter 17-end" thread; we all just kind of hopped straight to the spoilers thread. :) Which is fine!

I just deleted the second-half thread, so if you want to make non-spoilery comments regarding the second half of the book, please do it here. Otherwise we'll see you in the spoilers thread, where we're having a very interesting discussion.

I just got started on this yesterday, because my library is running a bit late. So far I'm getting a huge kick out of Hilary -- she's the perfect example of a girl who people always underestimate because she's both pretty and ditzy (sort of like me in my youth, haha). I'm so looking forward to finding out how she solves the murder, which seems almost unsolvable at this point.

Always wanted to try a Miss Silver. Should be able to start it this week :0)

It's a fun, quick read. :)

Elinor wrote: "I just got started on this yesterday, because my library is running a bit late. So far I'm getting a huge kick out of Hilary -- she's the perfect example of a girl who people always underestimate b..."

Hilary, and Henry, too, when you get to see his inner workings, are really adorable!

I'm not a fan of airheaded girls or high-handed men, so this pair is really annoying me! They bring out each other's most irritating qualities! This book has a very Victorian Gothic feel to me. I would really like to see more of the detective, and less of the space cadet.
There are some dangerous people who have conspired to commit a murder and put an innocent man in jail; why don't I just track them down and… What was her plan again? Oh, you're supposed to have a plan? (Lol)