Wicked Uncle

 Wicked Uncle (aka Spotlight; 1947) by Patricia Wentworth

Dorinda Brown needs a job. She lost her parents when young and went to live with her Aunt Mary and her husband (always known as the "Wicked Uncle"). The Wicked Uncle took Aunt Mary for everything he could and then left her. So when Aunt Mary died there was just a tiny annuity left which doesn't quite meet her needs. So she takes a position with the wealthy Oakley family as a secretary to Linnet Oakley, whose nerves won't allow her to answer the telephone or see most people in person. It's not exactly the best thing going in the way of jobs, but beggars can't be choosers.

When the Oakleys go to their country house, they are invited to dinner by their neighbor Gregory Porlock and he insists that they bring along Dorinda because his numbers are uneven. Before the party, Mrs. Oakley sends Dorinda to town to buy a suitable frock (nothing the poor girl has with her will "do") and some luminous paint for her son's playroom clock. While at the high-end shop (which carries everything from "suitable frocks" to luminous paint), Dorinda is accused of shoplifting. If not for Miss Silver, she would have been carted off to the police station and been forced to miss the dinner party. But Miss Silver saw another woman slip her hand into Dorinda's pocket and plant the item in question. The real question is--why? Miss Silver is sure that something nasty is afoot and gives Dorinda her card; telling her to call on the elderly sleuth if anything should come up.

So, Dorinda makes it back to the Oakleys in time for the party and off they go to Porlock's house.The last person Dorinda expects to see as her host is her Wicked Uncle (only his name should be Glen Porteous). And wicked he is. He's blackmailing just about everybody on the guest list--from Mrs. Oakley over the fact that they were once married...but never divorced to Mr. Tote who carried on some shady black market business during the war to Moira Lane who purloined her aunt's bracelet and pawned it to Mr. Masterman who may have caused his aunt's death and certainly has suppressed her will to Leonard Carroll who probably sold secrets to the enemy during the war. Porlock (as we'll continue to call him) has pleasant little chats with all of them to let them know he has the goods on them and they'd pay up--with money or juicy gossip--or he'll just have to let the proper authorities know.

When the lights go out unexpectedly during a game of charades, none of us should be surprised that Porlock is found dead from a stab in the back after the lights come back on. All we need to find out is which of his victims couldn't take the pressure and did away with the source of their trouble? Chief Inspector Lamb and Detective Sergeant Lamb are soon on the spot to find out. And Miss Silver arrives soon as well after Dorinda calls her in. And it is Miss Maud Silver who points the police in the right direction.

This was a prime example of Wentworth's Miss Silver mysteries. Young woman in the thick of things--check. Personable man for her to wind up romantically involved with--check. {This means they did not do it--check. Nor really a spoiler because this is the general set-up in Wentworth mysteries.} Miss Silver knitting in hand and cough at the ready--check. Though I must say that I didn't notice Miss Silver coughing nearly as much this time around. Inspector Lamb blustering about--claiming not to be happy about Miss Silver's involvement; irritated by Abbott's educated ways; but ultimately following Miss Silver's lead--check. There are plenty of suspects and motives and red herrings spread about to keep armchair detectives busy. All making for a nice mystery outing. 

I really enjoyed Dorinda's character in this, although she did seem just a little bit slow on the uptake when it came to Justin Leigh and who he really was in love with. And even though she loved him, she seemed intent on pushing him into Moira Lane's arms because "Moira's the type of girl you should be with." But I did like the way she refused to be talked into being the nanny for the horrid little Marty in addition to being Mrs. Oakley's secretary. She may have been desperate for a job...but she wasn't that desperate. I did figure out who did it--but I didn't catch all the clues. So, good for Wentworth for keeping some of the secrets to herself until the wrap up.  ★★★★

First line: When Dorinda Brown came into the Heather Club at four o'clock on January eighth she hadn't the slightest idea that she had just made the first step upon a road which was going to take her into some curious places.

Last lines: "Don't worry," he said. "Pure gold doesn't rust."
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Deaths = 7 (one stabbed; three natural; one hit on head; one hanged; one fell from height)