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Fear For Miss Betony

Fear For Miss Betony | Dorothy Bowers

21 posts | 7 read | 3 to read

Former governess Emma Betony is living in quiet and boring retirement when two unexpected letters arrive. The first is a lonely hearts magazine, with an entry ("Lonely Batchelor, age 49, good health, comfortable income, seeks friendship of unattached lady with view to matrimony") highlighted by the anonymous sender. The second is an appeal for help from a former student. Grace Aram is running Makeways, a struggling boarding school for girls, newly relocated to a site of former nursing home in Dorset. Grace isn't interested in Miss Betony's teaching skills-she wants a trusted friend to help identify the culprit behind a series of troubling events. Two nursing patients have remained at Makeways and one appears to be the victim of a poisoner. It is not clear who could be responsible for the ongoing trickle of arsenic found in Miss Thurloe's drinks- the new abrasive doctor, the pragmatic nurse, the nervous teaching staff or the high-strung students. During her investigations, Miss Betony uncovers an overwhelming sense of fear on the part of Makeways' inhabitants, and clues that lead to the Great Ambrosio, a charismatic fortune-teller, who seems to have an undue influence on various teachers, students - and Miss Thurloe. First published in 1941, Fear and Miss Betony marks the final appearance of Chief Inspector Dan Pardoe-but it is Miss Betony herself who fights through fear and solves the case. Contemporary critics proclaimed the book an instant classic, with an ingenious plot.

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quote

Fear For Miss Betony | Dorothy Bowers

Emma was sensitive about books. She believed that their arrangement on a shelf should accord with their temperaments and characters, and that, as in human relationships only mutual irritation was induced by stressing incompatibility. So what was The Mistress of Shenstone doing next to Commercial Book- Keeping for the Student, and The Tailor of Gloucester.... shoulder to shoulder with Mr. Pendlebury's excellent Arithmetic?

37 likes1 stack add

review

Fear For Miss Betony | Dorothy Bowers

Pick

pick

I enjoyed this quite a bit & it reminded me of Dorothy Sayers' Gaudy Night: the same cloistered environment of women & girls in close quarters & the same kind of simmering psychological motivations for the murder. Bowers' writing is quite delightful; it might seem over-written at first as the pace is slow, but it picks up nicely & provides so many interesting insights into the social & material conditions of the time. #GoldenAgeCrimeClub @Mitch

Cathythoughts Lovely review ❤️ 2y

BarbaraBB Great review an oh that cover 🥰 2y

batsy @Cathythoughts Thanks, Cathy 😘 2y

See All 16 Comments

batsy @BarbaraBB Yes, the other titles also have cute covers ❤️ 2y

batsy One for the annals of #spinsterlit I must add! 2y

vivastory I read my first Dorothy Sayers last month. Loved it! 2y

batsy @vivastory Ooh, which one? 2y

vivastory @batsy Murder Must Advertise. While reading it I had the impression that it was a post WW-II novel. I was a bit shocked to find that it was pre-war once I checked. There were entire passages about office politics & the dominance of capitalism that could easily be moved into a contemporary novel. I thought it was brilliant how in the end the financial aspects that Sayer's portrays ties into the mystery itself without feeling manipulative. 2y

batsy @vivastory MMA is one of my faves! Great point about the depiction of the workplace and how the logic of capitalism operates; it struck me when I read it, too, but it was many years ago and your comments are prompting me to revisit it soon 🙂 2y

vivastory Do you have any particular favorites by Sayers? I'm uncertain where to go next. 2y

batsy @vivastory I'm a big fan of all four books where Harriet Vane appears (Strong Poison, Have His Carcase, Gaudy Night, and Busman's Honeymoon). Out of the standalone Wimsey ones I've only read MMA, Whose Body (the first one, interesting but also kind of flawed) and The Unpleasantness at the Bellona Club, which was a lot of fun as I remember! 2y

vivastory Thanks so much for your detailed response! Noting the recommendations. I think I will make Gaudy Night my next one as I have seen it pop up previously & it will be interesting to read about a different character than Wimsey. 2y

vivastory I still need to read Jospehine Tey. I know she was writing around the same time as Christie & Sayers & is generally considered one of the best. 2y

batsy @vivastory Josephine Tey has some good ones. The Daughter of Time is really excellent imo. We read The Franchise Affair for #GoldenAgeCrimeClub recently; a reread for me but the mystery stands up after all this time. I also loved Miss Pym Disposes and Brat Farrar but they do come with some regressive social views. They way she builds atmosphere is fantastic, though. And she's a bit ruthless with her characters so it's never too "cosy" or cute. 2y

vivastory I have heard positive things about both Daughter of Time & Ms Pym. Your comment about her being ruthless with her characters has me even more intrigued as it puts me in mind of Muriel Spark's treatment of her characters in some of her novels. 2y

batsy @vivastory I need to read more Spark for sure! I've only read the tagged but it was so good

[tagged book]

Loitering with Intent

2y

85 likes16 comments

blurb

Fear For Miss Betony | Dorothy Bowers

After many delays look what finally arrived. Better late than never I suppose. Too late for the discussion but I‘ll still read it. @Mitch #Goldenagecrimeclub

Ruthiella You can chime in still! I hope you like it. 😃 2y

Cuilin @Ruthiella thanks, did you like it? 2y

Mitch Please just jump in whenever you can. Xxx 2y

Ruthiella I did like it. It just took me a while to adjust to the writing style. 2y

51 likes4 comments

review

Fear For Miss Betony | Dorothy Bowers

Pick

pick

I enjoyed this Golden Age mystery about a retired governess who helps a former pupil by investigating mysterious events at a combination nursing home and boarding school. The story was creepy and suspenseful but also had touches of humour, and the characters were great.

Thanks to @Mitch for hosting this group read as part of the #goldenagecrimeclub!

#BookSpinBingo @TheAromaofBooks
#192025 #1941 @Librarybelle

Librarybelle I‘m looking forward to this one - have not had a chance to start it yet! 2y

TheAromaofBooks Woohoo!!! 2y

36 likes2 comments

review

lauraisntwilder

Fear For Miss Betony | Dorothy Bowers

Pick

pick

It was killing me, waiting to see what was written on that paper Emma stole at her reading! I audibly gasped toward the end -- did NOT expect to come back to the pet shop, let alone what had happened there. I'm glad I read this one and would like to read more Bowers, but maybe editions with larger type? The type in this book seemed tiny to me. #goldenagecrimeclub

blurb

Fear For Miss Betony | Dorothy Bowers

I‘m not sure why this edition has a slightly different title, but I like the cover. Ambrosio‘s got quite the hairdo.
#GoldenAgeCrimeClub

tagged users icon

jlhammar I, too, was curious about that title change/variation! 2y

quietjenn Not exactly the handsomest man ever 😅 2y

26 likes2 comments

review

Fear For Miss Betony | Dorothy Bowers

Pick

pick

Good mystery! Really glad this was a pick for #GoldenAgeCrimeClub as Bowers was not on my radar. Loved our amateur sleuth, Miss Emma Betony, and the nursing home/boarding school setting. I also appreciated the humor and liked her “fair play” style, presenting all of the clues for the reader to work out.

tagged users icon

blurb

Fear For Miss Betony | Dorothy Bowers

There were also lots of funny bits in this novel - some chuckles, some great older characters and some novel bizarre parental choices! Overall thoughts, fractions, things we‘ve missed?
#goldenagecrimeclub

Ruthiella Overall it was rather complicated, I thought. Like, if the murderer had thought a little harder, there would have been an easier way to go about it? 🤔 2y

jlhammar The humor was my favorite part. First, the fact that Toplady residence was called a “Home for Decayed Gentlewomen“ was pretty great. That Emma, a retired teacher, admits to finding children rather odious. That “cherishing them was simply a measure of self-preservation...a colossal game of let's pretend.“ Just lots of fun bits like that. I think my favorite part of the mystery though was in Chapter XI when Emma makes her list of observations. 2y

quietjenn I agree with @Ruthiella, in that it seems overly-complicated when you stand back from it. Yet, I totally enjoyed it and it didn't make me roll my eyes, the way some mysteries can. 😂 And like @jlhammar I loved the humor that was woven throughout. And I just appreciated Miss Betony in general - and am glad that the policeman (who I think are at the center of Bowers other mysteries) admire and respect her too! 2y

See All 7 Comments

Ruthiella @quietjenn Yes! Props to the cops who appreciated Miss Betony and her deductions ! At that point, the tension was so heightened, it was a relief to know they were on her side. 2y

kwmg40 I too liked the humour and I also enjoyed seeing the very different personalities of all the staff members. 2y

batsy Yes @jlhammar I loved that line. She had another one about the class differences and how the bourgeoisie view the working class folks like herself, and went on to characterise the middle-class as having "small incomes, smaller brains, and smallest talents" and their instinct for survival & reproducing their class alliances. She didn't hold back in that brief paragraph which really was some astute commentary. 2y

Mitch @jlhammar 👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼 2y

38 likes7 comments

blurb

Fear For Miss Betony | Dorothy Bowers

The fortune teller was a fab character - one of the only men in the book and we see him briefly. Whilst lots of the mystery tropes are in this book - his character seems quite unusual! It felt very different from a Christy or Sayers novel……
#goldenagecrimeclub

Ruthiella I found him quite creepy. 😱 2y

Mitch @Ruthiella me too! Those scenes were quite tense … 2y

jlhammar The Great Ambrosio, the master, the wizard of Bugle 😂 - yes, quite the creepy character! That whole scene when Miss Betony visits him was a good one. And when she glances back and catches him “looking at her with an expression of violent distaste on his face“ as she was leaving - yikes! 2y

See All 7 Comments

quietjenn @jlhammar although I'm honestly not sure what to make of Ambrosio overall, I did really love that scene! 2y

kspenmoll Totally mesmerizing & creepy!A great character. 2y

kwmg40 I liked Ambrosio as a character and found him creepy but did sense that he was a conman. 2y

batsy Agreed, he was creepy! And a red flag character from the start. This characterisation of Ambrosio and the bits involving him reminded me a tiny bit of Christie's The Mysterious Mr. Quin short story collection. 2y

24 likes7 comments

blurb

Fear For Miss Betony | Dorothy Bowers

The war felt like it had a strong presence in this book - it was lingering in the background in terms of the older women‘s histories and the current (1941) situation of WW2. I wonder how it was writing fiction during war time. ……..
#goldenagecrimeclub

Ruthiella It must have been difficult to write contemporary works during the war. In retrospect, we know when and how it ended, but authors didn‘t have that knowledge. 2y

Mitch @Ruthiella I dont think I‘ve really thought about that a lot until recently. But you‘re so right - what did it feel like when the thought of a German occupation was still a reality. 2y

Mitch Having read a few books now around this time period they seem to fall into two categories- ignore it and use fiction as an escape or face it head on. This seems to be in the middle…. 2y

See All 7 Comments

jlhammar Yes, good points about WWII lingering in the background and this seeming to be in the middle of the usual categories (comfort/escape or war-focused). I think there was some remembering back to WWI in the beginning too, to around the time when Grace was her student. Makes me think about how people like fortune tellers and mediums took advantage of all the loss and vulnerability following WWI. This great Kate Summerscale book explored that a bit

[tagged book]

The Haunting of Alma Fielding: A True Ghost Story

2y

quietjenn It actually didn't feel like that to me, but maybe because I'm more accustomed to books that, like @Mitch said, either have it at the center of the story or don't mention it at all. 2y

batsy Yes, it wasn't overt but I wonder if it was lingering in the background in the sense of the shifting sense of social and gender hierarchies and how it shaped women's desires and ambitions, especially in relation to the ending. Great point @jlhammar about how fortune tellers would have exploited that uncertainty at the time. Thanks for the book rec, I've had this by her on the TBR for far too long

[tagged book]

The Suspicions of Mr. Whicher: or The Murder at Road Hill House

2y

Mitch @jlhammar that‘s a fab reference- thanks for reminding me - great book 2y

26 likes7 comments

blurb

Fear For Miss Betony | Dorothy Bowers

I loved the first sentence “ At the age of 61 Emma Betony in a kindly light looked ten years younger” ….. I‘m always on the look out for kindly light! What did you think of our sleuth?

#goldenagecrimeclub

Ruthiella I quite liked her. 👍 She was intelligent, enterprising and courageous. 2y

Mitch I liked her humble roots (like the author) and the fact she did have to factor in money in her decision making, she needed to count the pennies - which made her feel real to me. 2y

jlhammar Emma Betony was pretty great as far as sleuths go. Very perceptive and no nonsense! I also liked that about her @Mitch - loved the end when she shares her modest plans/dreams and says “I'm too old to be rich now. I wouldn't know what to do.“ 2y

See All 10 Comments

Ruthiella @jlhammar Totally agree about the end. It was just perfect, the modesty and self-awareness. 👌 2y

lauraisntwilder I liked her a lot. I emjoyed her reluctance -- and then her surprise at how easy it was to get answers. 2y

quietjenn I thought she was great! Tons of personality, good sense of humor, very down-to-earth, observant, and she definitely knows who she is. Totally agree with what others have said here. 2y

kspenmoll I too enjoyed her character- agree with all that is said here. 2y

kwmg40 Like the others who commented earlier, I liked the main character very much. Emma is a very “ordinary“ person but with good perception, courage and empathy. 2y

batsy Agree with all of the comments here. She grabs your attention from the start with her opinions and insight, very little with which I disagreed with. Resourceful, smart, and definitely with an eye for closing in on the right details. 2y

Mitch I‘d really like to have more adventures with her. She‘s just so nice! 2y

25 likes10 comments

blurb

Fear For Miss Betony | Dorothy Bowers

#goldenagecrimeclub

What did you think of the setting? A school / nursing home with sooo many staff and very few residents!

Ruthiella It seemed an odd sort of school in a building maybe unsuitable for a girls boarding school…but then the solution to the mystery goes a way to explain that! 😀 2y

Mitch @Ruthiella I thought it really weird! But it was wartime and I suppose things worked out in different ways. I was sitting with the oddness as I was reading - didn‘t once assume there was a reason for it! 🤣🤣 2y

jlhammar Great setting! The somewhat spooky nursing home/boarding school really drew me in. I also found the Makeways school motto pretty hilarious “I make my way in my way.“ 2y

See All 8 Comments

quietjenn I really love a boarding school OR nursing home setting (thinking of a couple of Christies, a Tey, and a few episodes of Midsomer Murders), but a setting that is both was a bit odd tome. I think that it ultimately worked, but it definitely wasn't what I expected. 2y

kspenmoll I thought the setting was strange, spooky & mysterious, but fun! 2y

kwmg40 The combination nursing home and boarding school setting was definitely new to me, but it worked! 2y

batsy I agree with @kspenmoll ! It is strange but it made for a good creepy and "fun" (since we enjoy mysteries ?) vibe. I'm always up for some "women in close quarters on the edge of anxiety and hysteria" type thing. A bit Gothic! 2y

Mitch @jlhammar is of loved that as my school motto! I was intrigued by the parents who chose to pay to send their girls there. 👍🏼 2y

24 likes8 comments

blurb

Fear For Miss Betony | Dorothy Bowers

#goldenagecrimeclub

Welcome everyone to our fifth buddy read! Posting a few days early as I‘m heading off wild camping tomorrow for a few days!
So let‘s kick off with initial impressions and relationship with the book …..

AmyG I am apologizing….I didn‘t finish this one. Just had alot on my plate this month. Hoping to jump back in next month. 2y

Ruthiella I‘m only 1/2 way through but I have to say this book is making miss Christie‘s less elaborate writing style. There is SO MUCH DESCRIPTION…I‘m getting a little lost each time, wondering where the plot is…😂 2y

batsy I'm just starting today but will come back to the discussion when I'm done! 2y

See All 9 Comments

Mitch @AmyG no need to apologise honey. Talk to you next month x 2y

jlhammar Wild camping! That sounds pretty cool. Hope you have a wonderful time. I enjoyed this. I'd never heard of Bowers before. Sad that she died so young. I agree with @Ruthiella about the elaborate, descriptive writing. I didn't mind too much once I got into it, but I do prefer Christie's more economical style. 2y

quietjenn I really liked this! I was also totally unfamiliar with Bowers, but I'd be keen to read more. Although she was a bit wordy, it didn't bother me too much and I thought it was a really good, creative take on the mystery. I didn't figure things out until exactly the moment I think I was supposed to ... 2y

kspenmoll Chiming in late - initially it felt slow to me “elaborate descriptive writing” as @Ruthiella aptly said, but once I got into the rhythm of the writing I was able to enjoy it. I did not always know what was going on & missed clues but in the end i felt satisfied 2y

kwmg40 I enjoyed this book. It was a bit of a slow start but once the characters and circumstances were firmly established, the book moved at a good pace and there were surprises for me at the end. 2y

Mitch @kwmg40 I agree. I think she took a long time to set the scene up and we took some time getting to know Emma before things really started! 2y

29 likes9 comments

blurb

Fear For Miss Betony | Dorothy Bowers

I am, perhaps, not the only one spending time with this book today ...? #goldenagecrimeclub

jlhammar You are not! I‘m about a third of the way through and enjoying it so far. Hope to make some good progress yet this afternoon. 2y

Tamra I‘m looking forward to your review! 🤞🏾 2y

batsy Trying to squeeze in as much as I can 😅 2y

Ruthiella You are not alone! I just finished it! 2y

52 likes1 stack add4 comments

blurb

Fear For Miss Betony | Dorothy Bowers

My only goal for this #20in4 Readathon is to start and finish the tagged book by Sunday for the #GoldenAgeCrimeClub! 🤞

I only have access to the ebook via Hoopla on my tablet, my least preferred method (wish I could get it on kindle), but hopefully the book is entrancing enough to make up for it! 😅

tagged users icon

Andrew65 Great to have you with us, good luck 😍 2y

kspenmoll You can do it! 2y

Ruthiella @Andrew65 Thanks! 🙏 2y

See All 6 Comments

Ruthiella @kspenmoll Thanks for the encouragement! 😊 2y

Aimeesue Thank goodness I saw this - I almost forgot! I have the same problem - I can only find it on Hoopla, and I hate reading ebooks on my iPad. Nevertheless, I shall persist! 😄 2y

Ruthiella @Aimeesue Glad I was able to remind you! Hoopla is awesome for audio, but ebooks, not so much. 🙄 2y

66 likes6 comments

quote

Fear For Miss Betony | Dorothy Bowers

“At the age of sixty-one Emma Betony in a kindly light looked ten years younger.”

Excited to be starting our latest #GoldenAgeCrimeClub selection!

#FirstLineFridays

kspenmoll I just finished. Cannot wait to discuss. 2y

batsy I just remembered this month's read! Hope to squeeze it in before the end of the month. 2y

Ruthiella Oopsie Whoopsie! I‘d forgotten this too. I‘m gonna try to read it tonight and tomorrow. 😬 2y

54 likes3 comments

blurb

lauraisntwilder

Fear For Miss Betony | Dorothy Bowers

This is the third book I've read this year with a talking bird in it. I've never heard a bird talk in real life. I mean, I know they don't really talk, but still. Is running across talking birds more common than my own experience leads me to believe??

Clare-Dragonfly I only know one talking bird, an African Grey parrot, but yes, he does really talk! He repeats sounds he‘s heard and genuinely communicates. 2y

lauraisntwilder @Clare-Dragonfly Okay, that's pretty amazing! 2y

11 likes2 comments

blurb

Fear For Miss Betony | Dorothy Bowers

Sunday before dinner cocktail. Campari & seltzer w a twist of lime accompanied by Swiss cheese & crackers.#porchlife #goldenagecrimeclub

Tamra This one sounds good - stacked! Beautiful cocktail 😍 2y

dabbe #porchlife = #thegoodlife 💙💚💙 2y

60 likes2 stack adds2 comments

blurb

Fear For Miss Betony | Dorothy Bowers

#weeklyforecast
Plan to finish the Moon & the Anchoress
Continue with Out of Bounds
Begin the other two if possible. I have high hopes!

tagged users icon

Cinfhen High hopes is good 😊 I think you can 🙌🏻 2y

46 likes1 comment

blurb

Fear For Miss Betony | Dorothy Bowers

repost for @Mitch:

Thank you to everyone who is joining in each month for the #goldenagecrimeclub. Each month we‘re reading once book and chatting about it on the last Sunday of the month. Everyone is welcome to join us!
May‘s book takes us into the world of boarding schools!

original post: https://www.litsy.com/web/post/2582343

willaful Did you say boarding schools? My literary catnip! (edited) 2y

30 likes1 comment

blurb

Fear For Miss Betony | Dorothy Bowers

Thank you to everyone who is joining in each month for the #goldenagecrimeclub. Each month we‘re reading once book and chatting about it on the last Sunday of the month. Everyone is welcome to join us!
May‘s book takes us into the world of boarding schools!

tagged users icon

Ruthiella Looking forward to this one! Title and author are both new to me. 😀 2y

batsy @Ruthiella Same! And a boarding school! Can't resist 😆 2y

Ruthiella @batsy And a boarding school to boot? Excellent. 😅 2y

erzascarletbookgasm Sounds superb! But I don‘t know where to get a copy 🤷🏻‍♀️ 2y

57 likes4 comments