Source: Purchased
Description: A con man named Spike Reilly was dying an agonizing death in a Brussels hotel. Next door, the erstwhile sleuth and wanderer, Peter Talbot, was very much alive. And in a moment of brilliance and madness, Peter knew that he could adopt the dying man's identity and use it as his passport into a dangerous ring of thieves.
Reborn Spike Reilly, Peter followed a trail of coded messages that led first to a well-appointed English manor, a house full of well-appointed guests, and then to the true identity of Spike's employer: Maud Millicent Simpson, England's most deadly woman. After steering him through the theft of a priceless painting, Maud then had a second job for "Spike": kidnap and kill a beautiful young lady. For Spike Reilly it might have been all in a day's work. But for Peter Talbot it meant playing a role within a role within a role - and somehow coming out alive!
Genre: Mystery - Classic
Why I Picked This Book: I'm reading through my non-Miss Silver books and this is one I haven't read.
My Impression: This is one of Wentworth's spy books and while I don't enjoy those quite as much as the typical English country house type mysteries this was still a lot of fun. Peter Talbot is a likable guy with no real connections other than an aunt who ends up taking the identity of a criminal in order to figure out just what kind of con the criminal is running.
A fun bit of mayhem ensues as Peter follows orders without being quite sure just what he's getting himself into. But things quickly turn serious when Maud Millicent arrives on the scene and Peter has to think fast and make sure he's keeping his poker face up while trying how to get out of a situation alive - and with Terry alive too.
I enjoyed this read quite a lot. It's not the most the most realistic but it's fast paced enough and entertaining enough that I didn't mind. If you're looking for a bit of escapist fun with a classic mystery touch of espionage this is a great choice.
Would I Read More of this Series/Author? Of course! Wentworth is one of my favorite authors and I'm looking forward to reading more of her non-Miss Silver books.
Would I Recommend this Book? Absolutely! If you like classic mysteries this is a fun read.
Would I Recommend this Book? Absolutely! If you like classic mysteries this is a fun read.
This looks fun! I generally like the country house mysteries a little more tha spy books too, but those can be really entertaining too!
ReplyDeleteHer books always sound like so much fun! I wish my library had more of them. Great review, as always. :D
ReplyDeleteSounds thrilling though, yikes adopting a dead man's identity.
ReplyDeleteI'm still loving these covers. 🙂
ReplyDeleteI really want to get into reading the classics. This author may be a good place for me to start.
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