Saturday, September 21, 2019

The Girl in the Cellar - Mystery Review

Goodreads:  The Girl in the Cellar (Miss Silver #32) by Patricia Wentworth

Rating: Very Good
Source:  Purchased

Description:  Miss Silver helps a woman with no memory reconstruct a terrible crime.  She awakes in a dark place. A young woman with a shattered memory, she knows neither who she is nor how she came to be in this abandoned house. All she possesses is a faint sense that someone is lying dead at the foot of the stairs. Horrifyingly, she is correct. In the cellar lies a young woman, her body broken, her head split, her life undone by a revolver's shell. The amnesiac flees and finally has a stroke of luck: She meets Maud Silver. A dowdy governess turned daring detective, Miss Silver sees immediately that something is wrong. She comforts the confused young woman, and coaxes out of her what little story she can tell. The memory of the body sets Miss Silver on a fantastic adventure--the last written by Patricia Wentworth, and one of the most thrilling of them all.

Genre:  Mystery - Classic 

Why I Picked This Book: Wentworth is one of my favorites and this was one I couldn't quite remember.

My Impression:  This is one of the last Miss Silver mysteries and while it's not my favorite it was s till an enjoyable read.  Wentworth has a few amnesia plots and this was a fun one.  A woman stumbles onto a bus and is unable to remember who she is and where she was going - she only remembers that she had seen something terrible - a woman lying dead at the foot of the steps.  Luckily, one of the first people she stumbles into just happens to be the always kind and ever practical Miss Silver.   As always Miss Silver has useful advice and a soothing presence.

There are a few logic holes in the book and to be honest even though I read it not that long ago it isn't one that stuck in my head.  While it's a delightful read and full of Miss Silver wonderfulness it isn't her best.  If you're a fan of Miss Silver then you will enjoy this.  If you haven't met her yet then maybe start with a different book?

Would I Read More of this Series/Author?  Of course!  Miss Silver and Patricia Wentworth are some of my favorites.

Would I Recommend this Book?  If you enjoy classic mysteries in the Miss Marple style then Wentworth's Miss Silver books are a must read.

2 comments:

  1. Even if a book has some plot holes but a good series and fave author, then a lot can be forgiven.

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  2. I haven't read Patricia Wentworth before. I must give her a try!

    ReplyDelete