91. Grey Mask by Patricia Wentworth (Mystery) 332 p.

Although they’re hardly earth-shattering, I quite enjoy reading Patricia Wentworth’s Miss Silver mysteries. They’re comfort reading: when I don’t feel like tackling anything too challenging, they’re perfect, charming and engaging without requiring any thought. Grey Mask is no exception.

What does separate this novel from the others in the series is that it’s the first, and it’s clear that Wentworth had yet to find her stride. Miss Silver isn’t quite as Miss Silver-ish as usual, lacking many of her most distinctive traits. The mystery is a bit different than usual, and Inspector Frank Abbott and Chief Inspector Lamb, Miss Silver’s usual police contacts, don’t appear, even though their presence would make the story more plausible, suggesting that their characters hadn’t been thought up yet. The bare bones of the Miss Silver series are there, but the usual fine touches are absent. That’s okay, though; Miss Silver is as gentle and intelligent as ever, and the narrative flows easily.

Rating: 6 out of 10

Pages read: 26,848

Tags: 50 Book Challenge 2008, Miss Silver, Patricia Wentworth