The Ivory Dagger

by Patricia Wentworth

Inspector Lamb (11), Miss Silver (19)

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A jilted fiancé is suspected of murder in the series that offers "some of the best examples of the British country-house murder mystery" (Alfred Hitchcock's Mystery Magazine).
Bill Waring went to America with a bright future ahead of him. In London he had a promising career and the love of a young beauty, Lila Dryden, and there were plans for marriage when he returned from overseas. But then a freak train accident puts their happiness on hold. Bill spends a month in the hospital, and when show more he finally makes it back to London, there is a still bigger shock awaiting him. Under pressure from a domineering aunt, Lila has become engaged to another. She and her new fiancé—middle-aged, charmless, and rich—are in the country for the weekend. Bill follows, determined to win back Lila's heart. But when her new betrothed is stabbed to death, blame falls squarely on Bill, and only the brilliant, demure detective Maud Silver can clear his name. show less

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6 reviews
In a plot device worthy of the Brontes, while her fiance, Bill Waring is in hospital following a train crash, Lila Dryden's guardian forces her to become engaged to rich Herbert Whithall, a man she loathes. Whithall is discovered murderedand Lila is firmly in the frame so her friends call Miss Silver into investigate. Although I guessed (and it was a guess) the name of the murderer quite early on the twist and turns of the plot kept me entertained.
½
'Lila keek neer op haar rechterhand, die rood zag van het bloed. Op haar jurk zat ook bloed een lange, rode veeg. Op de grond aan haar voeten lag een dolk.'

De mooie Lila Dryden heeft beloofd met Sir Herbert Whitall te trouwen, een man die veel ouder is dan zij en voor wie ze alleen maar afkeer en angst voelt. Maar vlak voor het huwelijk wordt Sir Herbert gevonden: vermoord. Lila staat naast het dode lichaam met haar handen kleverig van het bloed en het lijkt heel duidelijk wat er gebeurd is. Iedereen heeft medelijden met Lila, maar bijna niemand twijfelt aan haar schuld. Gelukkig valt het miss Silver op dat Lila eigenlijk geen motief had voor de moord.
Sir Herbert Whitall muere asesinado en su propia mansión, rodeado del más profundo misterio. Una daga de marfil, valiosa joya por su antigüedad, ha sido clavada en su pecho.
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British Mystery
469 works; 14 members

Author Information

Picture of author.
90+ Works 14,843 Members

Some Editions

Bishop, Diana (Narrator)

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Common Knowledge

Canonical title
The Ivory Dagger
Original title
The Ivory Dagger
Original publication date
1950
People/Characters
Maud Silver; Frank Abbott (Inspector); Lila Dryden; Lady Sybil Dryden; Ray Fortescue; Zachariah Richardson (Professor) (show all 12); Herbert Whitall; Bill Waring; Eric Haile; Adrian Grey; Millicent Whitaker; Chief Inspector Lamb
Important places
England, UK
First words
The young man in the hospital bed threw out an arm and turned over.
Last words
(Click to show. Warning: May contain spoilers.)'My dear Frank, you really do talk great nonsense,' she said.
Blurbers
Gosling, Paula

Classifications

Genres
Fiction and Literature, Mystery
DDC/MDS
823.9Literature & rhetoricEnglish & Old English literaturesEnglish fiction1900-
LCC
PR6045 .E66Language and LiteratureEnglishEnglish Literature1900-1960
BISAC

Statistics

Members
424
Popularity
72,733
Reviews
3
Rating
½ (3.46)
Languages
6 — Dutch, English, French, German, Russian, Spanish
Media
Paper, Audiobook, Ebook
ISBNs
30
ASINs
23