The Catherine-Wheel

I definitely enjoyed this, my second foray into the Miss Silver mysteries, which I just recently discovered. In my opinion so far Patricia Wentworth is at least on a par with Agatha Christie and maybe even Ngaio Marsh. Miss Silver is a wonderful creation, an ex-governess with a steely intellect that she hides under her endless knitting and dowdy outfits. (I find her a much more interesting, complex character than Christie's derpy Miss Marple.)

This one takes place in a pub somewhere on the south coast of England, where a rather strange family reunion of cousins who have (mostly) never met before has been called together by the wealthy and eccentric Jacob Taverner. Smuggling, murder, intrigue! Secret passages!

I thought the end was rushed show more a bit; a motive was glossed over. One of the love stories was creepy by modern standards (Jeremy comes off as a bully to this reader). It was hard in the beginning to keep track of all the characters, but after a few chapters they become well-differentiated, through their manner of speaking, dress, comportment, and actions. Which really helps in a mystery story. On the whole, quite satisfactory and enjoyable. show less

Interesting premise about a wealthy older man wanting to reunite his relatives at the family’s old carriage house with a bad reputation for pirate smuggling. Is it because he’s wants to know his relatives or is there a hidden agenda? The police are curious too because they believe there is something going on at the inn and enlist Miss Silver’s help. She manages to get a room even though it’s booked for the family reunion and it’s not long before someone is murdered.

This story was a little dated but still good. The book could have used a floor plan and a family tree since there are a lot of characters.

The Catherine Wheel is an old inn where millionaire Jacob Taverner sets up a sort of reunion to meet the many cousins of his family tree. He is selective of the invited guests. It is also a way for him to discover a hidden place at the inn, which may hold hidden treasure stashed there from earlier generations of his family; the family who build the inn and earned their living smuggling.

The first night of the event, a cousin is found murdered on the stairwell. Shortly later, another cousin’s body is found off a cliff. Suicide? All cousins have secrets, but who knows the secret of the treasure room?

Miss Silver has been asked to visit the area to look into the possibility of smuggling going on. There is the history of the area, but there show more could be a resurgence of the business. As Miss Silver has a history of successful investigations, and her appearance is deceptive, she is a perfect fit to do some sleuthing.

When the murders happen and she is staying at the inn, it is inevitable she becomes involve. Between her observations and ability to get people to talk, she finds the treasure room isn’t the only secret.

Wentworth’s Miss Silver is along the lines of Christie’s Miss Marple. A little old lady who notices more than people expect and can unravel the skein of clues. show less

The Catherine Wheel is an old pub which, a bit like Du Maurier's Jamaica Inn, has been used for years as headquarters of a smuggling ring run by the Taverner family, wealthy Jacob Taverner has invited his estranged relatives to a weekend house party. Of course there's a murder which Miss Silver knits her way to the solution. Packed with period detail and atmosphere this is a fun addition to the series.

Synopsis: A group of cousins are invited to an old smuggler's den that has been converted to a hotel. Miss Silver is there as a stranded traveler, but is actually working for Scotland Yard to determine if smuggling is still going on. Of course there is a murder. And there are star-crossed lovers.
Reviews:Written in the 1940s about the late 1800s to early 1900s, these stories don't move too swiftly. The main character, Miss Silver, coughs to introduce most of her lines - most annoying. Women may be smart, but they have no power or their own voice. Reminds me of many of the elderly female detectives.