Saturday, September 18, 2021

The Case of William Smith - Classic Mystery Review

Goodreads:  The Case of William Smith by Patricia Wentworth

Rating:  Loved It!
Source:  Purchased

Description: Who was William Smith? And why was Mavis Jones so horrified to see him? For seven years William had worked as a woodcarver for the local toyshop, ignorant of his true identity. The war had robbed him of his memory, and no one expected him to ever find the answer. So when he took his work to Evesleys Ltd, why was his life instantly in danger?

Genre: Mystery - Classic

Why I Picked This Book:  This was the next book in my Miss Silver reread.

My Impression: This is a bit different from the usual mystery as this isn't a murder mystery.  Instead the focus on just who is William Smith and who is trying to kill him and why?  Miss Silver is very much a side character in this case and doesn't make an appearance at all until about halfway through the book.  When she does appear it's mostly in an advisory capacity though her interactions with Abbott and Chief Inspector Lamb more then make up for it.  Abbott actually appears a bit earlier as he ties into the search for William Smith's identity.

Because it isn't a traditional mystery the reader isn't really investigating along with the characters but is instead just along for the ride as the story unfolds.  I found the story itself interesting with lots of sweet moments mixed in.  It's hard not to like William and most of the other characters and to root for the best ending possible.  It's a bit slower to unfold but that helped me become more invested in the characters and their future. 

I love Wentworth's way of really making the scene and the characters come to life.  I was fully pulled into the story and enjoyed every minute of it.  This is probably one of my favorite Patricia Wentworth books and the reread didn't disappoint.  

Would I Read More of this Series/Author?  Of course!  Already have the next Miss Silver book ready to go.

Would I Recommend this Book? I do if you're not going in expecting a not so typical fast paced mystery.

5 comments:

  1. One of these days I am going to try this series!

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  2. Sounds really good. I can imagine they'd be good on audio if that was a format they are in.

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  3. I really need to make time to read these books.

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  4. Sounds good! I enjoy mysteries that aren't the typical murder-mystery plot. And I am definitely going to try this series one of these days.

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  5. You are doing fantastically with your series challenge! 🙌🙌🙌

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