The Girl in the Cellar

Miss Silver, Book 32

By: Patricia Wentworth

Narrated by: Diana Bishop

Length: 6 hrs and 26 mins

Publisher's Summary

Miss Silver helps a woman with no memory reconstruct a terrible crime.

She awakes in a dark place. A young woman with a shattered memory, she knows neither who she is nor how she came to be in this abandoned house. All she possesses is a faint sense that someone is lying dead at the foot of the stairs. Horrifyingly, she is correct. In the cellar lies a young woman, her body broken, her head split, her life undone by a revolver’s shell. The amnesiac flees and finally has a stroke of luck: She meets Maud Silver.

A dowdy governess turned daring detective, Miss Silver sees immediately that something is wrong. She comforts the confused young woman, and coaxes out of her what little story she can tell. The memory of the body sets Miss Silver on a fantastic adventure—the last written by Patricia Wentworth, and one of the most thrilling of them all.

©1961 Patricia Wentworth (P)2014 Audible, Inc.

Not this cozy author's best; maybe, worst

Patricia Wentworth has become a favorite of mine, since I discovered her Miss Silver books at audible. Diana Bishop, the narrator throughout the series, is, in my mind Miss Silver. Here as always, Ms Bishop gives her best. But the tedium of the material let's her down.
As I see it, here are 2 problems with 'Girl..'. First, far too much time is spent inside Ann's-the protagonist's- mind; and, as Ann is suffering from near total amnesia, time spent amongst her thoughts is necessarily arid and repetitive. To paraphrase: She didn't know where she was or how she came to be there or where she had come from or why or even... Some of this is necessary, granted. But it never lets up, and the smallest details are examined in brain-numbing detail. Second, and far worse, Miss Silver seems little more than a tag along in this particular story- I don't recall she had opportunity to 'cough' more than once or twice, so brief was her appearance. Though I usually find her peculiar governing tic annoying and bordering on the tubercular, I admit to almost missing it in this story.
I hope this is no one's first visit with this able detective; there are many, many better offerings with Miss Silver in proper charge.

Terrible

Plodding, most of the narrative point of view is from two angst ridden characters who “suddenly know a thing to be true” instead of moving the story along with an actual, well- thought- out story. The ending is completely unsatisfactory for several reasons but mainly because the main arch enemy’s motivations are never explained. The entire plot hinges on an enormous coincidence that is never even addressed. If I could give less than 1 star I would.

Beautifully rendered by Diana Bishop

Another reliably captivating entry in the Miss Silver series. I wish there were more of these to enjoy.

Love this author's Miss Silver books

I've been indulging myself with the Miss Silver mysteries. And I love this performer. She keeps me in the story.

Unusual Mystery Plot

I really like Patricia Wentworth's books.....this story had an unusual plot and was certainly believable. Since she wrote over 30 "Miss Silver" mysteries I have a lot of listening pleasure ahead of me. The narrator was excellent. Ready for my next "read" with audible.