Wicked Uncle

Patricia Wentworth

Jul 2011 · The Miss Silver Mysteries Book 12 · Open Road Media

About this ebook

The governess-turned-sleuth looks into the dark secrets of a wealthy murder victim—“You can't go wrong with Miss Maud Silver” (The Observer).
 Dorinda Brown takes a job working for the wealthy Porlock family on a whim, and quickly finds it to be the hardest position she has ever had. The father, Gregory, is a charming tyrant—just the sort of man her aunt always warned her about. His wife is an overfed fool, entirely blind to the defects of her despicable son, and unsympathetic to the pain he causes his governesses. All that Dorinda can stand, for she needs the job. But when murder comes to the Porlock house, it brings along much more unpleasantness. There is a question of blackmail, first of all, and a shocking realization about Dorinda’s past. All told, it adds up to a frightful mystery—the sort that only Miss Maud Silver, the governess-turned-detective, can solve.

Ratings and reviews

One of my all-time favourites, my only complaint being that this edition has several errors: Missing punctuation, mangled spelling and homonym confusion (peace vs. piece). The story, however is delightful.

About the author

DIVPatricia Wentworth (1878–1961) was one of the masters of classic English mystery writing. Born in India as Dora Amy Elles, she began writing after the death of her first husband, publishing her first novel in 1910. In the 1920s, she introduced the character who would make her famous: Miss Maud Silver, the former governess whose stout figure, fondness for Tennyson, and passion for knitting served to disguise a keen intellect. Along with Agatha Christie’s Miss Marple, Miss Silver is the definitive embodiment of the English style of cozy mysteries. /div