The Chinese Shawl

I always think of Patricia Wentworth as "Christie lite," though I don't mean that as an insult. Wentworth is a good writer and writes good mysteries, but she's definitely second rank. She's not as good as Agatha Christie, Rex Stout, Arthur Conan Doyle, or Erle Stanley Gardner. Her characters just don't come to life like theirs do, and Miss Silver, for all her excellent detecting, is no Miss Marple, the other spinster detective she is most compared to. Despite appearances, Miss Silver is not a ripoff of Miss Marple. She first appeared in "Grey Mask" in 1928, two years before Miss Marple made her debut in "Murder at the Vicarage." However, it was another nine years before her second appearance in "The Case is Closed," which makes me wonder if Wentworth returned to Miss Silver after seeing the success of Miss Marple.

"The Chinese Shawl" was published in 1943 and was the fifth Miss Silver book. Unlike Erle Stanley Gardner, who avoided dating his books, Wentworth places "The Chinese Shawl" firmly during World War II. Several male characters have either served in the military or are currently serving. There is also mention of bombings and evacuees. Laura Fane has turned 21, which means she is now of age. Her parents died when she was five, and she was raised by relatives. She is the owner of the Priory, a stereotypical country house, but the current residents are her distant cousins - Agnes Fane, Lucy Adams, and Tanis Lyle. Laura's father Oliver Fane was engaged to Agnes, but broke up with her when he met Laura's mother, Lilian. In a rage, Agnes took a wild ride on her horse - think Gerald O'Hara in "Gone with the Wind" - and had a nearly fatal accident, which has confined her to a wheelchair ever since.

Agnes is very well off and has completely taken over the Priory, which she leases from Laura. She has raised her younger cousin, Tanis Lyle, a spoiled, utterly self-absorbed, and heartless young woman who enjoys playing with people's lives. Agnes wants to buy the Priory, so she can leave it to Tanis. However, Laura is reluctant to part with Priory, even though she has never visited it. Agnes invites Laura to visit, presumably so she can apply more pressure regarding the possible sale of the Priory. To make matters worse, Tanis is doing her best to get her claws into Carey Desborough, the young man that Laura loves. However, Tanis is not monogamous - she is also toying with Alistair, whose girlfriend Petra is becoming increasingly volatile over the situation, and Tim Madison, whose wife Sylvia appears to be on the edge of hysterics. Tanis is by far one of the most reprehensible characters in Wentworth's novels. Wentworth does an excellent job of raising the tension to an unbearable level. Then, of course, everything comes to a head early one morning.

This is a good, though not great mystery. The romance between Laura and Carey was too quick to start and got very serious way too soon, and the characters are rather two-dimensional. I had a trouble telling the Maxwell brothers apart. However, the setting and history are both well done. It is also fun to watch Miss Silver humble a few pompous characters. An enjoyable read for a summer afternoon. Like Christie, it's not gory and can be enjoyed by all ages.