Nothing Venture: Mini-Review

Synopsis from the back of the book: Diabolical...that was the best word for rich Uncle Ambrose's will. If Jervis Weare did not marry within three months, King's Weare, the huge seaside estate, and all the money would go to his fiancée, Rosamund. Then, just two days before the wedding and the expiration of the deadline, Rosamund threw him over. Jervis's only hope, and his attorney reluctantly concurred, was to marry someone else.

But who was this strange girl named Nan Forsythe? She was his lawyer's secretary, and after he met with her employer, it was she who had run after Jervis. All the rest about her was a mystery. And why now, after they were married and alone together at King's Weare, was she insisting that someone was trying to murder him....

Nothing Venture (1932) by Patricia Wentworth has several things going for it that should make me love it. Most importantly a plucky heroine who repeatedly saves the rather dense love of her life (yay for Girl Power!) and lots of atmosphere from a gloomy, isolated country house to a dank underground cave where our heroine's love is held captive near the end of the book. But it just doesn't take me beyond the "middle-of-the-road," "this is an okay story" point. I like Nan Forsyth (our plucky heroine) and I'm always glad to see a strong female character. It's just a shame that Jervis Weare (the love of life) is so darn dense. I mean, you'd think that after a few near-misses he'd start believing Nan when she tells him someone's trying to kill him. But nooo, that bridge that collapsed practically under their feet...that was just old and rickety. The taxi that nearly ran him down--that was an accident too. 

Yvette over at In So Many Words has reviewed this from the opposite side of the fence saying that this is basically a very silly book (it is), but that doesn't stop her from loving it. In fact, she makes such a great case for the book that you should probably wander over there and read her review and maybe you'll be convinced to read it and love it as well. Her review persuades me that I must have read the book when I was feeling grumpy and not at all in the mood to suffer fools (Jervis!) gladly. I'll need to give this one another try at some point--but for now ★★★ for my middle-of-the-road reading.

[Finished on 7/19/18]