Gazebo Hardcover – September 1, 1955

Miss Maude Silver is a treasure. She seems staid, but her mind is sharper than any of the police one is introduced to during a mystery. I like Wentworth's style and her addition of the romance makes the crimes less ugly, somehow.Why 4 stars? Because you don't offer 4.5!

Patricia Wentworth wrote mysteries during the same time period as Agatha Christie, and continued writing them well into her seventies, as did her more well-known peer. The sleuth of her mysteries is an elderly spinster named Miss Maud Silver and she has often been compared to Miss Marple. Personally, other than the obvious, I don't think they have much in common. For one thing, in none of the Miss Silver books does she appear to have a personal life, we never seem to get introduced to anyone who knows her intimately (at least in the books I've read), unlike Miss Marple and her nephews, her friends in the village, and the girls she trains. I feel that I know Miss Marple, whereas Miss Silver remains a book character.This book, The Gazebo, is no different in that regard, although Miss Silver become s a part of the mystery through friends and family. (We just hear about them, never get to meet them or see them interact with Miss Silver.) On the plus side, the thing that I like about Miss Silver, over Miss Marple, is that while Miss M. plays a lone hand in figuring out the mystery, Miss S. works with her clients (she's a professional sleuth, unlike Miss M.) to solve the mystery. She gets involved with their lives and is sympathetic toward them, which I like and draws me in.In most of Wentworth's books there is a romance involving her client and she becomes sympathetically involved in it, which also makes her more human and likable. But almost always the romantic characters seem to dominate the story. When there is a particularly good mystery that doesn't seem to matter so much (like in The Benevent Treasure, or Lonesome Road), but in The Gazebo the mystery is fairly pedestrian and the characters are all fairly bland. It's hard to work up much worry about the heroine who abandoned the love of her life in order to slave for an overbearing and frankly hideous mother.That's the main problem with this story, which was written toward the end of Wentworth's career: There is no one to really root for. Except perhaps the gossiping Pimm sisters who are written with the most attention and gusto. They have all the color, all the drive, and all the interest. Unfortunately, they don't appear in the story until fairly late.I enjoyed reading this book, mainly because of it's British setting. But it felt less like a mystery and more like a romance from the Fifties--and a fairly slow romance at that. I kept putting the book down--it took a long time to finish it. If you're finding Patricia Wentworth for the first time I wouldn't advise reading this as the way to start.

Althea Graham finds her mother's dead body in the gazebo one morning. Only the night before Mrs. Graham had surprised her daughter meeting her lover Nicholas in the gazebo, and Mrs. Graham had a fit of hysteria. A supposed invalid, she had been working hard for years to keep Althea from marrying. Naturally the police suspect Nicolas of wishing to rid himself of a potentially dreadful mother-in-law.Happily Miss Silver is in the neighborhood and has befriended Althea. She is a great champion of young lovers. Miss Silver, through acts of kindness and carefully orchestrated gossip finds out things Inspector Frank Abbott never thought of. Abbott has risen in the ranks at Scotland Yard. He is no longer the lowly Sergeant who worked hand and glove with Miss Silver in the earlier books. With his rise he is apt to be more skeptical of Miss Silver's more farfetched ideas. But of course he comes 'round in the end.The plot encompasses shady characters, a flashy termagant, a pushy estate agent, downtrodden spouses, and a delightful trio of accomplished town gossips. The long frustrated love of Althea and Nicolas engages the reader's sympathy. Who can resist Patricia Wentworth's star-crossed lovers?I could see the way things were going in the hunt for the murderer, but this did not lessen my enjoyment. There is never a dark ending in the Miss Silver mysteries, and that's the attraction for me. Although The Gazebo appeared in 1955, it is steeped in the atmosphere of the Golden Age. Justice prevails and love triumphs, while Miss Silver advances steadily in her knitting projects.Fans of Miss Silver should appreciate this book. It should also be entertaining for someone new to the series.

I don't know if it's a good thing or not when the victim happens to be a character you're delighted to see murdered, but that's the case in Miss Silver's newest mystery The Gazebo. Althea Graham's mother is a hypochondriac, but more annoyingly, she's a controlling, manipulative, mean-spirited, selfish, jealous woman who wants to run Althea's life and fortune. When she ends up murdered in the gazebo, Althea becomes the prime suspect - with good reason if anyone happened to know her mother. However, Miss Silver is convinced Althea is innocent. She suspects Althea might become the next victim if the truth isn't rooted out.Miss Silver comes to Althea's aid, as well as her fiance's, and begins to investigate in the name of justice. However, the reason for Mrs. Graham's death is more complicated than they realized. Before long, Miss Silver has two new suspects and seeks to find answers regarding the possibility of buried treasure. This was another incredible story, and I loved it! I highly recommend it to anyone who loves mysteries, beloved detectives, and is a fan of Agatha Christie.

Althea Graham has given up a lot for her demanding widowed mother including Nicholas Carey, the man she was once engaged to and with whom she is still very much in love. However, Mrs Graham has no intention of allowing her daughter to escape her clutches and, as time passes, she becomes even more demanding and resentful towards her attractive, but downtrodden daughter and the fact that Mr Graham left the family home to Althea instead of his wife causes even more resentment. Althea's problems increase when she receives two very good but unexpectedly high offers for the family home and her mother wants to sell up and spend some of the money on a cruise. And then Nicholas Carey returns to the town where Althea and her mother live and Althea finds herself torn between her duty to her mother and her love for her one-time fiance. When Mrs Graham discovers that Nicholas still has feelings for Althea, she is determined to come between them - so much so that when Mrs Graham is discovered dead in the gazebo, it is Nicholas Carey who becomes the prime suspect. But did Nicholas kill his rival for Althea's affection, or is there something else entirely that has been instrumental in causing Mrs Graham's murder?Yet again, another readable cosy crime drama from the pen of Patricia Wentworth which features her ex-governess turned private detective Miss Maud Silver - an elderly lady whose seemingly benign exterior hides a sharply perceptive interior. It is true that this murder mystery is very much of its time and also true that it's not difficult to work out who killed Mrs Graham, but if you enjoy Agatha Christie's Miss Marple and are looking for something similar, then Miss Silver (although not in quite the same class as the better-known Miss Marple) could be the next place to go for your cosy crime stories.3 Stars.

Lifelong fan of British mysteries, especially those from the golden age of Patricia Wentworth and Agatha Christie. Along with engaging plots are highly realized characters. It is so interesting to read a book that is set in the time period, especially compared to today’s writers who are writing “period “ novels. I’ll prefer the original every time.

Althea Graham has given up all hope of a life of her own because she feels duty bound to stay with her mother. Mrs Graham is possessive and selfish and uses her illness to get her own way in all things. Five years ago Nicholas Carey wanted to marry Thea, but was turned down because of her mother's supposed heart attack.Now he has returned to the area and Mrs Graham is doing her best to drive a wedge between them again. Added to which two people are showing an alarming degree of interest in buying Thea's house which she has no intention of selling.When Mrs Graham is found dead in the gazebo Miss Silver comes to stay with Althea and is soon helping Frank Abbot - from Scotland Yard - to find the murderer. This is a complex plot with several strands and some interesting characters and varied motivations. It kept me guessing until the last few chapters. In addition there is the question of whether Nicholas and Thea will eventually be able to marry. I would recommend this author to anyone who enjoys classic detective stories such as those written by Agatha Christie.

I first read Patricia Wentworth years ago in paperback form and I am delighted they’ve made it to Kindle as I am enjoying them all again. I like her style of writing and her characters are much warmer and ‘real’ than Agatha Christie’s. I also enjoy reading books contemporary to the time they were written as opposed to a modern author writing about that era - quite a difference in the feel of a story I find, however well researched.

As usual, Wentworth comes up with an intriguing plot line - this time a puzzling degree of interest in a house which is not for sale. There is the usual Wentworth back story involving two young lovers who had previously been separated and have now been thrown together again by circumstances after a period of several years. As always, these rather cardboard characters and their unrealistic relationship form a slightly colourless background to the more colourful - though almost equally unbelieveable Miss Silver.