Mrs. Pargeter is back after a six-year absence! Of course, she has found a body under her back patio. She uses her shady, but beloved, dead husband’s contacts to dig up information about who was murdered and why. Oh, did I mention that Mrs. Pargeter's Patio is a humorous cozy mystery?

It is nice to return to the first real housewife of fiction. Mrs. Pargeter. The first book in this series was published in 1986 so obviously Teresa Giudice is copying her. They both claim ignorance about their husbands’ lives of crime. However, they both benefit from it.

In this series entry, all the usual suspects are involved. There are some funny moments. However, due to the slow reveal of information, the mystery’s solution cannot be solved prior to Mrs. P’s unraveling of the clues. The book relies more on a nostalgic feeling from the previous books rather than inspiring new fans to peruse its backlist. Overall, Mrs. Pargeter's Patio is best for fans of the series rather than new readers. 4 stars!

Thanks to Severn House and NetGalley for a digital review copy of the book.

A cozy mystery written in the style of P.G Wodehouse. Little character development and unusual relationships between the investigating characters made for a dated feel to the whole book. It is entertaining in its own way . The first I have read in this series, so some of it probabily passed me by . If you wnt a realistic crime novel, this is not the one for you . Not a bad read
Thanks to Net Galley for the ARC

As a fan of this series it comes as little surprise to discover that of all the places for a body to be found under a patio that it turns out to be the home of Mrs Pargeter! Another fun instalment in this next outing for Mrs P and her little black book of her late husband's contacts. The book is a witty and enjoyable read, a trademark of Simon Brett who writes various series I look forward to reading.

The ninth book in the series, but 7 years since the last story of Mrs Pargeter and her close friends is like meeting long lost family again. Knowing a little about Mr Pargeter and his criminal past, it's not surprising that dead bodies would pop up under his patio, but maybe that wasn't his style to bring trouble to his door. Like the others in the series, this book is a quick and easy read which is probably why most of this writer's readers choose his style; because it's what they like. I most certainly enjoy this way of story telling. I do find that the Erin character is quite brilliant on her computer and could become a very well paid research analysis expert for both the police and the opposition. This mystery did take some unravelling and involved many of the late Mr Partenger’s former colleagues. His widow must ensure that the little black book has turned into a digital version because if it was ever lost, half the criminals in London would be out of work. It's consistently amusing that all of the criminals regard themselves as going straight these days, but within seconds are prepared to do anything to help their former boss's widow. I hope we don't have to wait another seven years before the next in the series as I'm ready now. To say this is a simple story would be wrong; it's a very good mystery and the twists and turns are excellent.

I requested this book because I was intrigued by the title, it was obviously about a body being discovered under Mrs Pargeter’s patio but I am so pleased that I have read it. The book is a classic cosy crime novel and is a real pleasure to read and escape from the real world for a few hours. The book starts with Mrs P discovering a body under her patio before calling in the police she contacts a couple of her late husband’s associates who council caution and start their own investigation into the murder. As the investigation continues many of Mrs P’s husband’s associates are called into play and assist in the investigation progresses whilst the police who have been called in are getting nowhere. The book is well written and has some numerous moments contained in the text. This is the first book I have read of Simon Brett - it will not be the last as I have made a note of his name to read more of his books. I recommend and encourage you to read Mrs Pargeter’s Patio, I think you find, as I did, a thoroughly enjoyable read. Many thanks to Severn Books and NetGalley for allowing me to read this book.

This was my first Mrs Pargeter book and I will certainly be looking up the earlier books because this was a cosy delight. I found Mrs Pargeter highly entertaining as she (knowingly?) overlooks her dead husband's criminal activities whilst undertaking the solving of a crime. Aided and abetted by those closest to her dead husband, she uncovers the mystery of the dead body under her patio. An excellent murder mystery and I didn't see the twist at the end so very enjoyable.

**Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and author for the opportunity to read an advanced e-copy of this book. All opinions are my own **

Mrs Pargeter lives in a lovely mansion near Chigwell in Essex. Her late husband arranged to have it built for her. Imagine her surprise when she steps out onto the patio one day and the slab collapses to reveal a human skull with a bullet hole in it. Her first thought is not to phone the police, but to consult her late husbands little black book for advice.
And so begins a quest not only to find the identity of the person buried underneath her patio, but also to find the missing father of her young gardener. Somehow or another things get entwined and as she discovers the identity of the body, she also finds out things about her husband.
A short but entertaining book.

Mrs Pargeter is having a coffee on her patio when a paving slab cracks revealing a skull.
As usual Mrs P decides to investigate before involving the police and of course her trusty companions get involved as well.
Who is the victim and why is it under her patio?

Mrs Pargeter and her merry band of the friends and confederates of her late revered husband are back again to entertain and delight in this welcome addition to Simon Brett’s series.

The detection elements are never too taxing and the writing is full of joys such as this:-
“And the premises that had once housed the Hot Honey Club were now home to a restaurant for food faddists called Gray’s Allergy..”

As ever the mix of easy reading and familiar characters behaving in familiar ways is unbeatable. I have enjoyed all my encounters with the sharp-witted Melita and this was no exception.

Thank you to NetGalley and Severn House for the digital review copy.

What a brilliant book! Absolutely loved it. I really liked the characters, I thought the plot flowed well. It’s written in the third person and the writing style is warm and friendly. I definitely recommend this for any fan of cosy mysteries. Thank you #netgalley

A ‘cosy murder mystery’ along the lines of Agatha Raisin or Thursday Murder Club. It was a light , fairly entertaining read, though it felt a bit anachronistic- set in present day, but written in a style more in keeping with the 1940s or 50s. In particular the use of daft nicknames for all the characters seemed very old-fashioned.
It was a bit ‘twee’ for me, and I found the humour- though there was plenty- didn’t quite hit the mark. The characters were a bit stereotypic, too.
As I said, quite entertaining but it did not leave me wanting to read more by this author.

Mrs. Pargeter’s patio is the 9th instalment of the Mrs. Pargeter mystery series by beloved Diamond Dagger award-winning author Simon Brett.

Mrs. Pargeter, a middle-aged widow, makes a grisly discovery while enjoying her morning coffee in her mansion in Chigwell – a human skull was hidden underneath her patio. Instead of calling the police, she enlists the help of her beloved late husband Mr. Pargeter’s friends and ‘business associates’. Together, they investigate the suspicious death, they try to uncover the identity of the victim and who buried it under her patio. However, the clock is ticking, as the police will soon suspect the late Mr. Pargeter of the murder, something Mrs. Pargeter must prevent at all cost.

In a fast-paced, but amusing plot, with many twists and surprises, the unlikely team have to solve the murder while hiding their investigation and unconventional methods from the police.

I particularly enjoyed the funny and well-developed characters, with very fitting names for their professions.
An enjoyable read, recommended to all cosy murder mystery lovers.

Thanks to NetGalley, Severn House and Simon Brett for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I would like to thank Netgalley and Severn House Publishers for an advance copy of Mrs Pargeter, the ninth novel to feature the eponymous Melita Pargeter, widow of “businessman” Lionel, set in and around London.

Mrs Pargeter is astonished to stumble on a broken paving stone on her patio and discover a human skull with a hole in its forehead. Bearing in mind Mr Pargeter’s axiom that the police are seriously overworked it’s best not to bother them unnecessarily she calls upon two of his “business associates”, PI Truffler Mason and chauffeur, Gary, to find out the body’s identity and who put it under her patio, before the late Mr Pargeter’s reputation is sullied.

I thoroughly enjoyed Mrs Pargeter’s Patio, which is another fun read with a complicated web of characters and relationships. I was glued to the pages, and while I maybe didn’t laugh out loud I certainly chuckled, frequently.

The novel starts, for those who haven’t read the previous novels, with the unlikely premise that Mr Pargeter kept a strict division between work and home, giving Mrs Pargeter plausible ignorance of the full range of his activities. An ignorance she maintains constantly, ably abetted by his associates who honour her innocence, even when she is making full use of his little black book of contacts. I imagine that the author has loads of fun inventing names and backstories for these contacts, like Concrete Jacket, the builder whose jobs don’t always finish on time due to him being unavoidably detained.

Thus the chuckles come from Mrs Pargeter’s perceived innocence and the cast of associates who help her. The actual plot is more serious, apart from the odd situational scene, with a murder investigation and a missing person to find. The two investigations gradually morph into one with a most unexpected outcome that I didn’t see coming, some of it I had an idea of, but the final twist was a master stroke.

Mrs Pargeter’s Patio is a fun read that I have no hesitation in recommending.

Mrs Pargeter is back and with just as much vigour as usual. Enjoyable light crime that will make you smile.

What can I say about Mrs Pargeter’s Patio? Reader, I wept. This book is so funny, it should have a health warning.

Why mention the patio at all? Because Mrs P, the relict of Mr Pargeter (the benevolent benefactor of much of the area), unfortunately, stepped on a poorly built paving slab; and exposed a hole containing a human skull. Oh, waly, waly, waly!

The relict of the eponymous Mr Pargeter insists that Mr P never ever brought his work home with him. That is the only paper-thin excuse for the reader not pointing out that Mr P’s line of business probably saw many people trying on concrete wellingtons and slipping into oblivion (or under a patio) un-mourned. I know, I know: Mr Pargeter’s bright-eyed faith in humanity’s inherent good outshines the book’s mistaken depiction of such villains as disappointing fallible humans. However, it is the latter that resonates, rightly or wrongly.

That’s the whole point of the series: the hilarious counterpoint between Mrs Pargeter’s biased view of Mr P as a saint; and the narrative’s obvious thwack in our faces as it shows the reality. I love – that is not an exaggeration – the blatantly superficial depiction of Mr Pargeter’s concern for misguided miscreants; their propensity to slip into misdeeds; versus their earthy desire to grab a few quid unnoticed. I confess: I laughed so much, I had to mop the chair I sat on. This is a hysterically funny book – buy it while you can, because – I promise you – you will be sad when it’s gone and you don’t have your copy.

I read this book and then grabbed the rest of the series. I hope they’re as much huge fun as Mrs Pargeter’s Patio, the latest in the series that post-dates the boxed set…

#MrsPargetersPatio #NetGalley

Mrs Pargeter’s Patio is a great cosy murder mystery full of fab characters. A really fun and light hearted read for die hard cosy Murder mystery lovers.

I've read all of Simon Brett's books and just love the Mrs. Pargeter series. It's amusing but also has a lot of commentary on society. Mrs. Pargeter is so confident and appealing. We learn a bit more about her background along with the background of Mr. Pargeter's associates. can't wait for the next Simon Brett book.

The police are always very busy so it is a kindness, when you find a body under your patio, to not burden them with it, until absolutely necessary. When Mrs Pargeter finds herself in just such a situation she reaches for her late husband’s “Little Black Book” and summons Truffler Mason, former criminal but now working as a Private Detective (courtesy of Mr Pargeter’s policy of settling such people into legitimate occupations which make use of their former ‘skills’). As the investigation progresses all sorts of other former colleagues of her husband, now employed in personal businesses thanks to the same enlightened policy, and all of whom delight in Nicknames reflecting their specialism are roped in (except Gary the car supplier and driver who is only ever Gary). Simultaneous with this investigation Mrs Pargeter is also trying to find Red Rollins, the father of her gardener, Kirstie, who disappeared eleven years ago. Following the family tradition, Mrs Pargeter first met Kirstie when the latter was doing a bit of burglary at the former’s house, and had steered her into a career that she had always dreamed of but could never have achieved alone. Of course the two investigations merge into one and the whole makes a very satisfactory murder mystery.
This is the latest in the Mrs Pargeter cozy crime series, but it works perfectly well as a standalone. As ever, it is written in a droll, often hilarious, style. All of the associates of the late Mr Pargeter have their idiosyncrasies, adding to the general levity, and all conspire to keep Mrs Pargeter from realising that her beloved husband was engaged in nefarious activities. Individual scenes verge on the preposterous, but somehow they slot the clues in and the plot flows to a logical conclusion. A fast easy read and a thoroughly entertaining story.

Mrs Pargeter's Patio - Simon Brett

Mrs Pargeter walks on to her patio one morning and finds a skull under the paving slabs. Determined to find out who the body belongs to and who killed them she assembles a wide variety of people (mostly with a criminal background) to find out.

This is a quick light hearted read for when you don't really want too much to think about. I found the names of the characters amusing and the plot easy to follow if a little unbelievable.

I was surprised having not read any of the previous Mrs Pargeter novels that it was set in the modern day. To me it read as if it belonged to a different era and only the inclusion of TV, mobile phones and the internet showed it to be a modern read. Some of the characters were a little stereotypical which also let the story down.

However an acceptable read for when you want something light and amusing to read. Thanks to Netgalley for an advanced copy to review.

I do enjoy a Mrs Pargeter's mystery, they are extremely entertaining, with great characters who I really enjoy reading about.

Mrs Pargeter steps outside onto her patio after a bout of heavy rain to find one of the flagstones has split in half revealing a skeleton underneath, rather than bother the police when they are so busy (!!) she decides to have a little investigation herself with the help of some old friends.

Just a great read, nice and cozy and I have to admit, the twist at the end I did not see coming! Really well written, look forward to reading more