We finally get to meet Mr P !!!
As I’ve mentioned before, I was thrilled to see Simon Brett start writing new titles in his Mrs Pargeter series again a few years ago, after a pause of about fifteen years. And I have enjoyed the after-hiatus titles just as much as the pre-hiatus ones. Which includes the newest book, coming soon, on October 7, 2025.
First off is a bit of a warning: if you want a nicely plotted Agatha Christie-ish murder mystery, the Mrs Pargeter series isn’t for you. Or if you want a gritty thriller, again, not for you. But if what you want is a wonderfully tongue-in-cheek gangster pastiche, sometimes a bit weak on plot but always long on madcap giggles, then you will love these books.
Mrs Pargeter is the widow of (wait-for-it) Mr Pargeter, a criminal mastermind who was VERY good at compartmentalizing his work and his home life. To the extent, in fact, that Mrs P officially knew nothing at all about his doings. But what she still has is Mr P’s little black book, filled with contacts who are all happy to help her out when needed, solely based on their gratitude to her late husband. And who could fail to love characters with names like Jukebox Jarvis (now largely superseded by his daughter, who sadly doesn’t seem to have a nickname of her own); Concrete Jacket and his ever-patient wife, Tammy; Hedgeclipper Clinton; and Truffler Mason. Even if their morals seem to be quite flexible.
In earlier books, although we have gotten a pretty good picture of Mr P, we’ve never actually met him. But in this latest book, aptly titled, Mrs Pargeter’s Past, we finally do, because, although the story opens in the present time, it rather quickly goes into an extended flashback. And there Mr P is, along with many of his “colleagues”. Of course, the story eventually moves back to the present and the echoes of the past come to roost, as Mrs P (seemingly unknowingly) dismantles a rival gang. But to me, the biggest treat was finally meeting Mr P in person.
A couple of additional notes: First, I just want to state that I am more-than-half-in-love with Mrs Pargeter – who has all the nerve and self-confidence to wear a bright yellow dress when everyone else is in black, and pulls it off with panache. And second, as fun as it was to meet Mr P, I did feel the plot – specifically the ending – was a little more deus-ex-machina than normal, so I did give this four-and-a-half stars, instead of my usual five for Mrs P titles. But, please keep in mind that for me, anything four stars or over is still a definite “read this book” rating.
And finally, my thanks go to Severn House and NetGalley for my advance review copy!
Buy: Amazon US | Amazon UK | Amazon Canada | Kobo US | Kobo UK | Kobo Canada
Oh, and I probably should have mentioned that if you are starting with some of the later Mrs Pargeter books, and haven’t read the early ones, there is an omnibus of the first eight books in the series available for $1.99/£1.99 right now in the US/UK. Links and info are in this post, although the price has gone up by $1.00/£1.00. But still a bargain if you don’t already have these!