A review of Out of the Past by Patricia Wentworth – 231205

I have always found Patricia Wentworth to be an engaging writer, capable of creating page turners, but one who has a set boilerplate which she follows religiously. That is one of the keys to her success and her ability to write so many books. Out of the Past, originally published in 1953 and the twenty-third in her Miss Silver series, is one of her better novels and, by her standards, is quite dark. It deals with the consequences of the return of a bad penny, Alan Field.

Having jilted Carmona Leigh at the altar without any warning, Alan Field goes off to South America. Within three months Carmona had married James Hardwick, who had fallen in love with her instantaneously when their eyes met at the opera. James had made it his mission to win over Cremona by fair mean or foul and it emerges that there was more than a little underhand behaviour needed to secure his prize.

Out of the blue, Field returns, ostensibly in response to an advertisement for information about the papers belonging to his father, a famous artist. In reality, though, Field is desperate for money to invest in a horse farm in South America. To raise the funds he engages upon a campaign of blackmail. He points out to his stepmother that his father’s papers include incriminating evidence that he had carried out extra-marital affairs which, if published, would damage his reputation. Only some money would stop him from publishing.

On the other side of the coin he points out to Lady Castleton that some of the letters imply that her beloved younger sister, who tragically drowned, had had a relationship with his father. He tells Carmona why he was persuaded to jilt her. He drops in on a girl in the village, Darsie Anning, who he had abandoned when he had made her pregnant. So despicable a character is he that it is only a matter of time before he is murdered, found dead in a bathing hut, but which of his many enemies did the deed?

Further complications are presented by the arrival of one of the Cardozo brothers, convinced that Field had murdered his brother to get his hands on some papers which reveal the whereabouts of a haul of gold. He enlists the help of a French maid, Marie Bonnet, who sees an opportunity to blackmail the South American, as well as to use her knowledge of what happened on the night of Field’s death. Of course, she pays for her audacious attempt to leverage her knowledge with her life.

Miss Silver is on the scene and with her number one fan, Frank Abbott of the Yard, sets out to uncover the mystery in her inimitable style, a knowing cough here and knitting needles clicking. She probes seemingly cast-iron alibis, hears the stories of each of the principal suspects and uses her unique ability to get behind the person of an individual to establish the facts.      

The denouement is exciting as Abbott swims around Black Rock to prevent another murder. The culprit gets away and swims off into the distance, their identity a surprise to those who have not paid close attention to the story but whose motivation fits in well with their character. There are many skeletons in the closet and often it is best if they remain undisturbed.

If you are looking to get into the Miss Silver series, this might just be the one to start with.