A sweet and funny ride.
A tongue in cheek view of a criminal underworld from more innocent times, very cleverly done, though a very easy read.

A jolly romp of a cosy crime book. I will be searching out previous Mrs Pargeter books. Highly recommended.

I was sent a copy of Mrs Pargeter's Patio by Simon Brett to read and review by NetGalley. This is a readable cosy crime mystery with plenty of disparate characters. This is the first of the author’s Mrs Pargeter novels that I have read and the jury is out as to whether I read any more or not. While I quite enjoyed the book I did feel that it lacked any sort of tension and I felt that Mrs Pargeter herself was painted as a very superficial and unaware protagonist, which was perhaps the point, and I felt that she and most of the other characters lacked depth. I also felt that the plot became quite predictable as it unfolded which is why I have only awarded the book 3 stars.

This is the 9th book in the series. Mrs Pargeter is having her morning coffee on the patio of her mansion. The patio's paving slabs crack into two slabs revealing a human skull with a hole in the middle of its forehead. She soon certain that a murder has been committed. But who is the mysterious victim? Who put the body under Mrs. Pargeter's patio?
I really enjoyed reading this book and all the other humorous characters that were involved. The plot was one that led me to read all the way to the engaging ending that I didn't see coming. If you enjoy books with humorous characters then you will love this book. I look forward to reading another Mrs. Pargeter's books as I really did enjoy this one.

Mrs Pageter is back with another fun mystery!
One fine morning, Mrs Pageter discovers a skull under a cracked paver of her patio. Not wanting to bother the police with such a trivial matter, she turns to the (criminally inclined) former associates of her dearly departed husband.
I thoroughly enjoyed the twists and turns of this fast paced, tongue-in-cheek cozy mystery. The reality gardening show theme was so much fun!
Thank you to NetGalley and Severn House for the advanced copy. Available now!

I enjoyed this quirky cozy mystery. It made me laugh at the antics the characters went through to solve the mystery. I enjoyed this book very much as it made a change for my usual genre. My thanks to netgalley and the publishers for giving me the opportunity to read this book in return for an honest review.

I'm very fond of Simon Brett as I remember teenage nights burning through his Charles Paris books until the wee hours, even with the stereotypical torch under the blankets at one point. He brings a lightness of tone and sense of humour to the mystery genre, and I suppose the description cosy has grown up around him. I've read a couple of the Mrs Pargeter books before, and they all follow a very similar pattern. There is a crime, Mrs Pargeter is involved somehow, and she decides to solve it on her own without bothering the police, and calling in favours from the late and much celebrated Mr Pargeter's little black book. As the book is loathe to say, and is indeed joyfully constantly tiptoes around, Mr Pargeter may have been involved in the occasional sady business and his little black book is full of colourful operatives who may now be plying their trades for the side of light, one mans burglar may well be another locksmith.

To review this therefore is to review the series, the difference just come in the plot, and here a body is found under Mrs Pargeter's patio, and she wants to know who it is and who did it (certain that Mr Pargeter would have had nothing to do with it). This coincides with wanting to help out her gardener, who in the Pargeter way was rescued from a teenage life of crime and is being sponsored through college. The two threads coincide of course, and end up circling a reality TV show which resembles a gardening Bake Off, presented by an unpleasant stand-up comedian. You really feel Brett's years at the BBC in this section, and he gleefully takes potshots at terrible TV formats, how the public are happy to be humiliated on screen and the evil of agents. But it all remains properly cosy, and by the end of it Mrs Pargeter has both solved her crime, but also helped a few more people on to the straight and narrow. Lovely stuff.

Having ploughed my way through some heavy books recently it was a pleasure reading and enjoying a more lighthearted book.
The style of writing is entertaining and quite tongue in cheek and it is easy to read with a smile on your face.
There is enough of a mystery to keep you puzzling but no gory scenes. Mrs Pargeter, 'a pearl among women", is ably assisted by a variety of her late husband's acquaintances reminiscent of the characters in the films from my childhood - delightful!

Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for allowing me to read and review this book.

I hadn’t realised this was part of a series but can easily be read as a stand alone. Weirdly cosy crime crossed with Martina Cole

Good cozy mystery fun! I was able to jump right in without reading the earlier books in the series, and am now hooked on Mrs. Pargeter. Entertaining characters without feeling twee.

Having crashed midway into this series and only read the two – I don’t think it’s a dealbreaker if you haven’t read the previous instalments. Like many murder mysteries, each whodunit is wrapped up within the story and while I’m sure you’d gain further enjoyment and learn more about the characters if you’d read the previous eight books – you won’t flounder unduly if you don’t.

This series, compared to Brett’s Fethering and Decluttering Mysteries, is gentler and more escapist. Mrs Pargeter might be a widow, who adored her husband and has no intention of marrying anyone else – but there isn’t a sense that she’s burdened with unbearable bereavement. Neither is she afflicted with money worries, or real knowledge of her dead spouse’s criminal affairs. She isn’t the only one who regards her former husband with misty affection – it seems he spent quite a bit of his ill-gotten gains giving those around him a new start. And while these characters may or may not have gone straight, they are all falling over themselves to assist Mrs Pargeter in any way they can.

It goes without saying that Brett is a skilled writer – you don’t get to write and produce successful shows for the Beeb and Radio 4 if you don’t know your craft. But I was impressed that Mrs Pargeter doesn’t come across as an idiot, or unduly gullible, despite being blithely unaware of the late Mr Pargeter’s shady doings. As ever, I was sure I knew who’d dunnit – until it became clear that I didn’t. I always enjoy reading murder mysteries that can pull that rabbit out of the hat and frequently, they’re penned by Brett.

While this book is generally less acerbic in tone, compared to the Fethering Mysteries, for instance – I was amused to read Brett’s account of the popular gardening competition Dirt Under Your Fingernails. The author clearly loathes the type of shows that ritually humiliate and demean the competitors in front of a live audience encouraged join in the laughter against them. I read these scenes with relish, as I also hate this television sub-genre. As for Mrs Pargeter – while I’m not as fond of her as I am of Ellen from the Decluttering Mysteries, who I’d happily adopt as a member of the family – I enjoyed watching her determined to unravel the gordian knot around the discovery of the body buried in her garden.

All in all, another successful, twisty plot that had me reading far later than I should to discover what happened next. Recommended for those who like a bit of escapism with their murder mysteries, without resorting to treacly sentimentality. While I obtained an arc of Mrs Pargeter’s Patio from the publisher via Netgalley, the opinions I have expressed are unbiased and my own.
8/10

The titular figure, Mrs Pargeter, is an easy going Essex born and bred widow who seems phased by nothing even on finding a dead body under her patio! But before reporting it to the police she wants to do a bit of her own detective work.
Like her deceased husband, Mrs Pargeter positively encourages the underdog - read not completely legitimate individuals. For example a getaway driver set up in his own chauffeur business. It is these individuals she calls upon to assist her enquiries.
Whilst this is book nine in the series was easy to follow. It’s a fun story with colourful characters reminiscent of ‘Only Fools and Horses’ in its essence.
Only real negative was the narrator, who either sniffed, gasped or inhaled very heavily at the end of most sentences. This got worse as the tension rose and it drove me nuts. Thank goodness it was a short book! In fact this three star review would have been higher had there been an alternate narrator.

Not having read a book by Brett before, it only took a few pages for me to realise I was really going to enjoy this book. I was a smidge concerned, this not being my first Mrs Pargeter mystery, that I might be a bit at sea, not knowing what's gone before, but this is perfectly stand-alone.

This is a cozy mystery, Mrs P being a present-day Miss Marple (a rather startling discovery under her patio requires her enlisting the assistance of her late husband's 'business associates'.) It's very well written, wonderfully tongue in cheek and a joy from start to finish. (I will forgive the erroneous use of 'less' for 'few' and the 'head nodding' tautology.)

Having subsequently discovered Brett's written dozens of books, I wanted to shelve all the books on my TBR and just zip through all of his, but I shall honour my reading list and settle for punctuating with the occasional Brett penmanship!

Wonderful characters with wonderful names and some wry humour in sparkling dialogue: just a lovely, entertaining read. I can't wait to read more.

An amusing and wryly written novel about Mrs Pargeter, the widow of a rather shady underworld character, whose former accomplices assist her in uncovering the mystery of the body discovered under her patio. This is a story populated by interestingly named criminal archetypes. It is witty, sometimes cliched but highly entertaining and compelling.

With thanks to NetGalley, the author and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review an advance copy.

s. Because it certainly wouldn’t have been there because of anything Mr Pargeter was involved in…

Soon, Mrs Pargeter finds herself up against a mysterious local crime lord, someone with a finger in every pie. But when you don’t know who you’re up against and you don’t know who was killed, it does make things a tad more difficult to sort out.

You know what you’re getting with a Simon Brett book. Actually, that’s not really true. Lovers of the Fethering mysteries might get a shock if they encountered Blotto and Twinks, for example, and the gentle humour of Mrs Pargeter is a counterpoint to the melancholy of Charles Paris. OK, you know what you’re getting with a Simon Brett Mrs Pargeter book – an enjoyable cosy mystery with endearing lead and support characters.

I do like the Mrs P books. Yes, they’re cosy mysteries – one death, and it’s very off panel – but they’re fun and Brett has a good time taking a pop at whatever’s currently irking him. It’s reality/competition shows, this time, as there’s a good portion of the book about Dirt Under The Fingernails, basically Bake-Off with gardening, and the washed-up tedious comedian who hosts it.

The mystery… well, it’s not much of one as we’ve another break of Rule 7 of the Doc-alogue as the villain comes out of nowhere to everyone’s surprise to try and kill our heroes and there aren’t any clues of any sort to be seen (that I noticed).

But it’s charming, fun, and was exactly what I was in the mood for. So where’s the harm in that?

Simon Brett at his best, one of my favourite characters, Mrs Pargeter, and a solid mystery
There's humour, there's an intriguing and fascinating woman like Mrs Pargeter, and there's a lot to love.
I had fun and read it in one sitting.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mine

Such a wonderful read!

Mrs Pargeter, widow, decides to take her morning coffee out to her patio where she intends to sit and enjoy the beauty and tranquility of her garden. What she doesn't expect is for a paving slab to crack, revealing a skull with a hole in the forehead! Deciding not to trouble the police at this time, she gets in touch with her husband's former associates and together they set out to discover who the body belonged to and who had the nerve to put it below Mrs Pargeter's patio!

Ah, what fabulous entertainment. I loved everything about this one and have made a note to try and catch up with this series. Terriific characters with a humorous story line and so much fun! I have giggled and laughed my way though this novel and happily recommend to everyone who enjoys cosy mysteries. Truly delightful and easily worth all five flowing stars.

My thanks to the publisher for my copy via NetGalley; this is - as always - my honest, original and unbiased review.

Mrs Pargetter is a gem. When she finds a human skull with a bullet hole under her patio, she doesn’t panic. No need to bother the police just yet. Rather, she turns to her late husband’s old associates and starts an investigation herself. As Truffler, Mason and Gary assist in her subtle enquiries, they begin to realise that there are links closer to home than they would like to admit. Mrs P must solve the mystery, before the police start thinking the unthinkable.

Mrs Pargetter may be my favourite character of the year. Living in somewhat blissful ignorance of her late husband’s activities, she goes about her life thinking the best in everyone. She’d do anything to help someone in need. And there are people all over the country willing to help her too. People with plenty to thank Mr Pargetter for.

I adored her attitude to life and the loyalty she engendered in others. She was held in high esteem and I can see why. Her husband’s little black book of contacts allowed her to find assistance with just about anything.

The story was beautifully written, with humour and warmth. I can’t believe it hasn’t been picked up to turn into a TV series.

I have read Simon Brett before and have always enjoyed his books. This one is no exception.
An easy to read narrative, and great characters, with many nick-names that made me smile.
Mrs. Pargeter finds a body under her patio and decides to investigate.....
A great read that you are sure to enjoy. A1

When widow Mrs Pargeter decides to have her morning coffee on the patio of her mansion in Chigwell, little does she expect one of the patio's paving slabs to crack in two, depositing her on the ground - and revealing a human skull with a neat hole in the middle of its forehead! Not wanting to bother the police just yet, Mrs Pargeter decides to save them some trouble and starts investigating the curious find herself. And who better to assist than her late husband's 'business associates', private investigator Truffler Mason and chauffeur Gary? The trio are soon certain that a murder has been committed and the body disposed of under some convenient building works. Mrs Pargeter and her friends must find out the truth and soon, before the finger of suspicion points in an unthinkable direction: towards the late, great Mr Pargeter.
This is the first book I’ve read in the series & I thoroughly enjoyed it, so much so that I bought a box set of the earlier novels. I found it to be a humorous, slightly tongue in cheek book but with a good mystery at its heart. I’m a bit on the fence as to whether I like Mrs P or not maybe once I’ve read the earlier books I’ll jump one way or the other. It was easy to read & I was surprised how engrossed I became in it
My review is for a special copy I voluntarily read