What do you think?
Rate this book
Benbow Smith #1
Fool Errant
“You mustn’t go to Meade House. I’ve heard…”
Ambrose Minstrel, the inventor, is undoubtedly eccentric. But even his oddities cannot account for the strange events at Meade House. Young Hugo Ross, Minstrel’s new secretary, feels that all the dark happenings centre somehow on himself – cryptic remarks and veiled glances between Minstrel and his assistant, stealthy footsteps in the dead of night, the offer of a small fortune for the worthless field glasses. And then there is the unknown girl who had called from the dark, the rest of her statement swallowed by the night? But in spite of all his caution, Hugo Ross is drawn into a despicable plot involving government intrigue and espionage. With his own life on the line, how much is he willing to risk for his country?
Fool Errant was originally published in 1929, and introduced the eccentric, elderly series character of Benbow Smith. This new edition features an introduction by crime fiction historian Curtis Evans.
“When I pick up a book by Patricia Wentworth I think, now to enjoy myself – and I always do.” Mary Dell, Daily Mirror
Ambrose Minstrel, the inventor, is undoubtedly eccentric. But even his oddities cannot account for the strange events at Meade House. Young Hugo Ross, Minstrel’s new secretary, feels that all the dark happenings centre somehow on himself – cryptic remarks and veiled glances between Minstrel and his assistant, stealthy footsteps in the dead of night, the offer of a small fortune for the worthless field glasses. And then there is the unknown girl who had called from the dark, the rest of her statement swallowed by the night? But in spite of all his caution, Hugo Ross is drawn into a despicable plot involving government intrigue and espionage. With his own life on the line, how much is he willing to risk for his country?
Fool Errant was originally published in 1929, and introduced the eccentric, elderly series character of Benbow Smith. This new edition features an introduction by crime fiction historian Curtis Evans.
“When I pick up a book by Patricia Wentworth I think, now to enjoy myself – and I always do.” Mary Dell, Daily Mirror
320 pages, Hardcover
First published June 1, 1929
200 people are currently reading
223 people want to read
About the author
Patricia Wentworth
199 books528 followersPatricia Wentworth--born Dora Amy Elles--was a British crime fiction writer.
She was educated privately and at Blackheath High School in London. After the death of her first husband, George F. Dillon, in 1906, she settled in Camberley, Surrey. She married George Oliver Turnbull in 1920 and they had one daughter.
She wrote a series of 32 classic-style whodunnits featuring Miss Silver, the first of which was published in 1928, and the last in 1961, the year of her death.
Miss Silver, a retired governess-turned private detective, is sometimes compared to Jane Marple, the elderly detective created by Agatha Christie. She works closely with Scotland Yard, especially Inspector Frank Abbott and is fond of quoting the poet Tennyson.
Wentworth also wrote 34 books outside of that series.
She was educated privately and at Blackheath High School in London. After the death of her first husband, George F. Dillon, in 1906, she settled in Camberley, Surrey. She married George Oliver Turnbull in 1920 and they had one daughter.
She wrote a series of 32 classic-style whodunnits featuring Miss Silver, the first of which was published in 1928, and the last in 1961, the year of her death.
Miss Silver, a retired governess-turned private detective, is sometimes compared to Jane Marple, the elderly detective created by Agatha Christie. She works closely with Scotland Yard, especially Inspector Frank Abbott and is fond of quoting the poet Tennyson.
Wentworth also wrote 34 books outside of that series.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 49 reviews
Read
August 27, 2019Oh now this is more like it. Absolutely cracking 1920s thriller as a diffident young man gets a post as secretary in a mysterious house and all sorts of shenanigans ensure. Terrifically engaging, I was glued to the book for the duration. Wentworth really is a cut above the rest.
The heroine can be pretty annoying in a 'silly little woman' way at times (the internalised misogyny of the great Golden Age women crime writers is truly a spectacle), but in fairness, this is mostly while the hero has failed to tell her what's going on, and she ends up being plot-crucial and acting with great sense, so points for that. A pleasure.
ETA I bought the rereleased edition published by Dean Street Press and the Kobo formatting goes calamitously wrong at a crucial moment. Just a warning, have alerted publisher.
The heroine can be pretty annoying in a 'silly little woman' way at times (the internalised misogyny of the great Golden Age women crime writers is truly a spectacle), but in fairness, this is mostly while the hero has failed to tell her what's going on, and she ends up being plot-crucial and acting with great sense, so points for that. A pleasure.
ETA I bought the rereleased edition published by Dean Street Press and the Kobo formatting goes calamitously wrong at a crucial moment. Just a warning, have alerted publisher.
April 6, 2016
I received an e-ARC of this novel through NetGalley and Open Road Integrated Media.
I became a fan of the writing of Patricia Wentworth when I ran across my first Miss Maud Silver book in a used bookstore many years ago. I fanatically collected each one of them and periodically sit down and devour one just for the heck of it. Miss Silver and Miss Marple "speak" to me and I thoroughly enjoy each one, even if the individual books may have a few problems here and there.
I was very surprised to find there is another series of Wentworth books which I had never heard of featuring a character with the improbable sounding name of Mr. Benbow Collingwood Horatio Smith. Thankfully the series is just called the Benbow Smith series. Mr. Smith evidently has something to do with a British government office although those things were presented to the reader with a nod and a wink so you have to take his connections by faith alone. Our young hero is Hugo Ross and he is desperate for a job. He gets word from a friend that an eccentric inventor is looking for a secretary so he goes down to the country near this inventor's house the night before so he can be the first on the scene to interview for the job. While walking down the totally dark lane he literally bumps into a young girl who is running away from the relative she is currently living with. Improbably as it sounds (both here and in the story) they are immediately attracted to each other even though they can't see each other in the dark and he doesn't even know her name. (This meeting-in-the-dark-and-falling-in-love is a recurring theme in Patricia Wentworth novels.) Fast forward to the next day and Hugo is hired for the secretary position. The inventor is such a nutjob that Hugo falls back on playing the part of being almost a simpleton with a stammer evident in times of stress in order to avoid clashes with his new employer so he can keep his job. However, Hugo is definitely not a simpleton and he can't help but begin to be uncomfortable with some unusual things that keep happening. Making a trip to London finds Hugo telling his troubles to Mr. Smith who fathoms (by osmosis?) that something is very wrong in the world of the great inventor. A phone call to the War Office is in order.
As I've already said, I am a huge fan of this author so I am more likely to overlook some deficiencies in plotting than a brand new reader might be. Even I found myself thoroughly wishing the feather headed love of Hugo's life could have her dialog cut at least in half. Unfortunately she is absolutely essential to the plot so we will just have to put up with her. The portions of the story regarding the stolen aeroplane plans was intricately plotted and filled with tension so I can honestly say I enjoyed the story. This is Book #1 in the Benbow Smith series and I have every intention of reading the remaining novels. Originally published in 1929, this story requires readers to readjust their concepts of fictional mysteries, but all in all I think it was great escapist reading. This book also includes the first three chapters in another Benbow Smith novel, "Danger Calling".
I became a fan of the writing of Patricia Wentworth when I ran across my first Miss Maud Silver book in a used bookstore many years ago. I fanatically collected each one of them and periodically sit down and devour one just for the heck of it. Miss Silver and Miss Marple "speak" to me and I thoroughly enjoy each one, even if the individual books may have a few problems here and there.
I was very surprised to find there is another series of Wentworth books which I had never heard of featuring a character with the improbable sounding name of Mr. Benbow Collingwood Horatio Smith. Thankfully the series is just called the Benbow Smith series. Mr. Smith evidently has something to do with a British government office although those things were presented to the reader with a nod and a wink so you have to take his connections by faith alone. Our young hero is Hugo Ross and he is desperate for a job. He gets word from a friend that an eccentric inventor is looking for a secretary so he goes down to the country near this inventor's house the night before so he can be the first on the scene to interview for the job. While walking down the totally dark lane he literally bumps into a young girl who is running away from the relative she is currently living with. Improbably as it sounds (both here and in the story) they are immediately attracted to each other even though they can't see each other in the dark and he doesn't even know her name. (This meeting-in-the-dark-and-falling-in-love is a recurring theme in Patricia Wentworth novels.) Fast forward to the next day and Hugo is hired for the secretary position. The inventor is such a nutjob that Hugo falls back on playing the part of being almost a simpleton with a stammer evident in times of stress in order to avoid clashes with his new employer so he can keep his job. However, Hugo is definitely not a simpleton and he can't help but begin to be uncomfortable with some unusual things that keep happening. Making a trip to London finds Hugo telling his troubles to Mr. Smith who fathoms (by osmosis?) that something is very wrong in the world of the great inventor. A phone call to the War Office is in order.
As I've already said, I am a huge fan of this author so I am more likely to overlook some deficiencies in plotting than a brand new reader might be. Even I found myself thoroughly wishing the feather headed love of Hugo's life could have her dialog cut at least in half. Unfortunately she is absolutely essential to the plot so we will just have to put up with her. The portions of the story regarding the stolen aeroplane plans was intricately plotted and filled with tension so I can honestly say I enjoyed the story. This is Book #1 in the Benbow Smith series and I have every intention of reading the remaining novels. Originally published in 1929, this story requires readers to readjust their concepts of fictional mysteries, but all in all I think it was great escapist reading. This book also includes the first three chapters in another Benbow Smith novel, "Danger Calling".
August 31, 2017
Good thriller, much better than her earlier The Annam Jewel. It is one of the 'innocent gets caught up with villians' type books such as Mary Stewart and Helen MacInnes wrote, only the innocent this time is a man instead of a girl. Nature gave Hugo Ross the appearance of a fresh, innocent, gullible boy; luckily for him, he was smarter than he looked and goes to Benbow Smith for advice. I do love this kind of story!
November 11, 2022
First in the Benbow Brown series, this book has an espionage theme, an intrepid hero and a ditzy heroine. My review:
http://perfectretort.blogspot.com/202...
http://perfectretort.blogspot.com/202...
May 5, 2023
Golly, this was a smashing bit of intrigue. It had a brave young hero who was nowhere as stupid as he looked. The heroine came through because she was too plucky for words. When handsome meets pretty in a dark lane in the middle of the middle of the night, he gallantly escorts her to her train.
Next, he takes up a position as secretary to a surly, eccentric genius, only to find himself in the middle of dark doings...yes, it's espionage!
I really love these books from between the wars. Well, I'm not crazy about the casual racism, sexism, and xenophobia, but the core of the story is corny genius. Hugo alternates between blushing and stammering like an ingenue and doing the right thing because, dash it all, he's an English gentleman.
The villains come from Central Casting. Someone phoned Baddies R Us and requested one evil scientist, one dark and dangerous brute, and a red-headed Bolshie. Fantastic!
The brave young Loveday and the vampish Madame de Lara are the two poles of womanhood in these espionage novels. Loveday is pure and childlike, prone to mad acts of bravery followed by weeping on Hugo's manly shoulder. She nearly gets sold into white slavery due to trusting the wrong people. I mean, reely. Madame de Lara is a vamp, a scamp, and a bit of a tramp. She is not so much evil as greedy.
Although this is the first in a Benbow Smith series, he gets approx 20 pages of dialogue most of which include a cockatoo named Ananias. Not sure what the hell that was about. Well Christie gave Poirot an egg shaped head and fancy moustaches, so Wentworth can certainly provide her genius with a pink talking bird...
Next, he takes up a position as secretary to a surly, eccentric genius, only to find himself in the middle of dark doings...yes, it's espionage!
I really love these books from between the wars. Well, I'm not crazy about the casual racism, sexism, and xenophobia, but the core of the story is corny genius. Hugo alternates between blushing and stammering like an ingenue and doing the right thing because, dash it all, he's an English gentleman.
The villains come from Central Casting. Someone phoned Baddies R Us and requested one evil scientist, one dark and dangerous brute, and a red-headed Bolshie. Fantastic!
The brave young Loveday and the vampish Madame de Lara are the two poles of womanhood in these espionage novels. Loveday is pure and childlike, prone to mad acts of bravery followed by weeping on Hugo's manly shoulder. She nearly gets sold into white slavery due to trusting the wrong people. I mean, reely. Madame de Lara is a vamp, a scamp, and a bit of a tramp. She is not so much evil as greedy.
Although this is the first in a Benbow Smith series, he gets approx 20 pages of dialogue most of which include a cockatoo named Ananias. Not sure what the hell that was about. Well Christie gave Poirot an egg shaped head and fancy moustaches, so Wentworth can certainly provide her genius with a pink talking bird...
Read
November 20, 2017This is one of Wentworth's non Miss Silver stories - more an espionage adventure than a mystery. Benbow Smith appears only marginally as a bookish spymaster type. Quite readable, but unlikely to re-read.
May 25, 2023
Wentworth is justifiably famous as one of the grande dames of the classic British murder mysteries. This however is not a mystery but a thriller, and simply does not stand the test of time. Technically, neither the omniscient POV nor the constant head-hopping works well for a contemporary reader. More importantly, the class-based and unmistakably misogynistic milieu is rather cringe-worthy to a modern audience, and especially a North American one. And finally, the plot is overly Byzantine and not really believable. So, it is readable, but not engaging.
March 26, 2022
Not my favorite Wentworth (I'm partial to the Miss Silvers) but..... The lead ingenue character is cursed by the name "Loveday" so what can she be but a semi-total ding-dong. I spent a lot of her scenes wanting to give her a sound shaking.
Lots of narrative here but all ends well. I don't think that was a spoiler, was it?
Lots of narrative here but all ends well. I don't think that was a spoiler, was it?
July 10, 2023
Absolute torture; I almost didn’t finish it but decided to skim through and get it done. Good grief.
February 21, 2023
This may be a Golden Age book, but the book itself is perhaps bronze, or tin. Successive illogical happenings, the flightiest girl ever, a hero cast in the bumbling-but-ultimately-triumphant Brit mold, a fake femme fatale, and an untenable plot leave you with the impression that what you're reading is more a comic book than anything else.
The book opens with our young man in search of a job he has been told about. In order to be first in line, he arrives at the de rigueur country house in the dead of an utterly black night. It's cold, he has no place to stay, and can find no friendly haystack to sleep in. He resorts to running up and down the lane in order to stay warm, and in doing so he literally runs into a young-sounding woman. The night is sooo black that they are rendered incapable of seeing each other at all! Despite this, the duo seek out the train station so the girl can "run away". In the course of their conversing, he mentions the potential job, and she responds, "No. you mustn't!". She goes to the train, he returns to the house, they still don't know what the other looks like, and we know there is something "wrong" with the house. Ugh. This is probably the most rickety opening I've ever read.
Not recommended.
The book opens with our young man in search of a job he has been told about. In order to be first in line, he arrives at the de rigueur country house in the dead of an utterly black night. It's cold, he has no place to stay, and can find no friendly haystack to sleep in. He resorts to running up and down the lane in order to stay warm, and in doing so he literally runs into a young-sounding woman. The night is sooo black that they are rendered incapable of seeing each other at all! Despite this, the duo seek out the train station so the girl can "run away". In the course of their conversing, he mentions the potential job, and she responds, "No. you mustn't!". She goes to the train, he returns to the house, they still don't know what the other looks like, and we know there is something "wrong" with the house. Ugh. This is probably the most rickety opening I've ever read.
Not recommended.
May 15, 2019
Any Wentworth book is worth reading, but this is not one of her best. After reading and rereading the Miss Silver novels, I am reading the other solos or short series. Fool Errant features Benbow Smith in one of two spy thrillers. Smith plays a brief role and despite a host of eccentricities hardly matches Albert Campion. The main character is a naive young British man who finds himself in the midst of a plot against England. Wentworth manages the suspense well and produces frightening scenes with a John Buchan-early Alfred Hitchcock feel. The biggest weakness is the impossibly silly young female lead, Loveday. The young man falls immediately in love with her. She shows initiative at points, but undercuts it by pausing to play out love scenes when the situation is most dire. One star off for Loveday’s flaws, another for weakness in the plot. Still fun for Wentworth completists.
October 19, 2017
Early Bird Books Deal | More complicated than Wentworth's books usually were, but still pretty standard fare for her. | Really, most of the author's books are 2 star quality, but they fulfill the need I have for them, so I bump them all up to 3 stars. Stock characters, two-dimensional antagonists, no real suspense, romance that isn't romantic, we're just not talking great literature here. Sometimes, though, I just want a book that I can escape in for an hour and a half, and in which I know nothing really terrible is going to happen: any murder victim is likely to deserve it, and the killer won't be someone I'm attached to. There's no killing here, just an espionage McGuffin ("the plans", "the secret processes", "the formula"), but otherwise it's what one expects.
January 2, 2022
Our hero, Hugo Ross, is not as stupid as he comes across to the people he encounters. in fact he is extremely intelligent, and there is not a gullible bone in his body. His lady-love, with the fascinating if improbable given name of Loveday, however is silly and self-centered, can't keep to the point of a conversation, yet has flashes of inspiration when the situation calls for it. Wentworth is practicing for greatness to come, but she is not quite there yet. This situation is intriguing: a mad scientist, spies, plans for a great war-time invention (though it is referred to as a submarine, it is actually some kind of plane), and many consipiracies. Benbow Smith really figures only briefly and spends far too much time talking to his rude parrot.
March 22, 2020
Patricia Wentworth's classic mystery stories are a bit of a cultivated taste, but I am hooked. They tend to be gentle romances as much as period mysteries, but I love spending time in her world.
The girl always finds her Prince.
The evil is ferreted out.
And, the sleuth is someone so eccentric that I just keep turning the pages and wanting more.
I have read many of Wentworth's "Miss Silver mysteries" and this was my first encounter with Benboe Smith. He is in some ways the puppeteer, but he is given very little presence in the book. That makes him a very alluring character to me. I thoroughly enjoyed this introduction to a new series by Wentworth. Now, on to Volume II
The girl always finds her Prince.
The evil is ferreted out.
And, the sleuth is someone so eccentric that I just keep turning the pages and wanting more.
I have read many of Wentworth's "Miss Silver mysteries" and this was my first encounter with Benboe Smith. He is in some ways the puppeteer, but he is given very little presence in the book. That makes him a very alluring character to me. I thoroughly enjoyed this introduction to a new series by Wentworth. Now, on to Volume II
May 28, 2023
Spy Thriller
In this mystery, A young man, desperate for work, takes a job as a live in secretary with what appears to be a very capable but mad scientist. The scientist's assistant is strange in his behavior too. It begins to look like treason is afoot with he as secretary being set up to take the fall instead of the real perpetrators. Trying to stop it, the secretary meets the woman of his dreams and action ensues. I gave this a 4 rating because it takes too long to get to the point sometimes.
In this mystery, A young man, desperate for work, takes a job as a live in secretary with what appears to be a very capable but mad scientist. The scientist's assistant is strange in his behavior too. It begins to look like treason is afoot with he as secretary being set up to take the fall instead of the real perpetrators. Trying to stop it, the secretary meets the woman of his dreams and action ensues. I gave this a 4 rating because it takes too long to get to the point sometimes.
June 6, 2023
(3.5 rounded up)- This was a spy book, with a plot I am sure I have seen before - a smarter-than-he-looks young man is hired as a low level secretary, to be the fall guy when a brilliant English aeronautical designer wants to sell his plans to the Russians. Oh- and the spy intrigue is twisted around a sweet love story. This was written in 1926, so it probably wasn't the first book with this plot, but certainly it most have been one of the earlier ones? I don't know, but it was a light, entertaining read.
August 8, 2018
A bit sillier than most of Wentworth's books (or at least, those that I've read)--this is a sort of spy/mystery story in which a young man stumbles into a plot and calls on a mere acquaintance who just happens to be Someone with the government (20 years later and it would be MI6). He decides to play along with the plot to help out the Government. A lovely ditz and a femme fatale are deeply involved.
October 4, 2018
Wow- I could read Patricia Wentworth all day long! I am a huge fan of her Miss Silver series, and this book did not disappoint. A young man finds himself sucked into into a bizarre mystery, which morphs into espionage and a fight for his freedom. And of course, there's also a budding romance in the works. If you like a splash of tension with your cozies, you should enjoy this!
Read
February 27, 2022Like the Miss Silver series, the purported detective in this first book of the Benbow Smith series is mostly MIA. He could, in fact, have been written out entirely without in any way diminishing the story, but such is seemingly the way of Wentworth's detective series. The novel is, however, based on an interesting premise, and holds the reader's interest till the mostly satisfying conclusion.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 29, 2024
I have never gotten around to reading a Patricia Wentworth novel before, and I am very glad that I finally did. It was a ripping yarn, fast-paced and well drawn, with good, competent, and sometimes lovely writing. The personalities of the women are very dated, and there isn’t a whole lot of depth to it, but who needs depth in a quick, pleasant read?
August 17, 2024
Cringey but Still Hard to Put Down
Every once in a while, our girl Patricia creates a female character who pinches people all the time and acts like a four year old. Pretty intolerable. That said, the story was still a beautifully written Wentworth mystery. 3 stars, everything considered.
Every once in a while, our girl Patricia creates a female character who pinches people all the time and acts like a four year old. Pretty intolerable. That said, the story was still a beautifully written Wentworth mystery. 3 stars, everything considered.
October 28, 2024
Combined Romance and Spy Adventure
This book reads like the 39 Steps with a few less chase scenes. Eerie spy adventure with a girl thrown into the mix. Nasty set of bad guys but the hero wins out in the end with wedding bells in sight. Another Benbow Smith tale with patriotic fervour.
Should suit the noncritical reader for an enjoyable interlude.
This book reads like the 39 Steps with a few less chase scenes. Eerie spy adventure with a girl thrown into the mix. Nasty set of bad guys but the hero wins out in the end with wedding bells in sight. Another Benbow Smith tale with patriotic fervour.
Should suit the noncritical reader for an enjoyable interlude.
July 19, 2018
I've been enjoying the Miss Silver series and came across this series as a set. I liked it a lot although Benbow Smith barely makes an appearance. The hero was engaging but the love interest was too silly.
April 15, 2020
Really good mystery
A really good mystery from one of the Queens of Mystery. When a scientist needs a new secretary Hugo applies, but is everything as it seems or is there a conspiracy in the air?
A really good mystery from one of the Queens of Mystery. When a scientist needs a new secretary Hugo applies, but is everything as it seems or is there a conspiracy in the air?
November 25, 2020
I really liked Hugo and enjoyed the book. However, it was a little slow at the beginning. Hugo, stutters and blushes a lot, but he is really very bright. He is hired as a secretary to a inventor, because they think he is a fool and can take the fall for stealing plans.
March 24, 2025
I would say that this was hardly memorable...it has been awhile since I read it. As I recall it was interesting and entertaining enough that I felt like finishing it. I know this is hardly high praise. I read so many mysteries from this era, they all kind of blend together.
November 11, 2025
A quick at times enjoyable read but not always
The male lead holds up. The female lead giggles and talks too much. Ms. Wentworth’s mysteries are often like cotton candy, they’re not good for you but they go down easy. A fine use of a flute here.
The male lead holds up. The female lead giggles and talks too much. Ms. Wentworth’s mysteries are often like cotton candy, they’re not good for you but they go down easy. A fine use of a flute here.
November 17, 2017
The Benbow Smith series seems to be Wentworth's foray into the spy genre. Still high quality writing from our Miss Wentworth, but a little shaky plot and characterization.
December 28, 2017
Sweet, cosy read. Love the settings. I know it's dated and a little predictable but I still found it an enjoyable read.
July 20, 2019
I’ve enjoyed all of Patricia’s books so far. However, I found this book disappointing. So glad this wasn’t my first read of her books.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 49 reviews