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The Fire Within
A romantic treasure from the beloved author of the Miss Silver Mystery seriesA grande dame of British crime, Patricia Wentworth is best known as the creator of Miss Maud Silver, the Tennyson-quoting schoolteacher whose second career as a private detective is just as unlikely as it is thrilling. With a prim, unassuming demeanor that belies her fierce intelligence, Miss Silver is never more formidable than when she’s rescuing true love from wanton villainy.Love is an essential ingredient in the Miss Silver Mysteries, and the thread that connects Wentworth’s early romances to her world-famous crime series. In this tale of the heart, a passionate young woman and her married sister compete for the affections of a handsome doctor. With a dash of mysticism and a hint of murder, The Fire Within is a compelling love story in its own right and a revealing glimpse into the genesis of the indomitable Miss Silver. This ebook has been professionally proofread to ensure accuracy and readability on all devices.
101 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 1913
105 people are currently reading
150 people want to read
About the author
Patricia Wentworth
165 books524 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.
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
July 22, 2025
I picked this up under the impression that it was a classic mystery. And at first, it seemed like it would be.
Old Edward is rather a nasty old man who is dying of (probably - it's never said outright) cancer. He has little other than contempt for his brother's son, also named Edward; he much prefers Edward's childhood companion David, now Old Edward's doctor. His wards are sisters Mary and Elizabeth. Mary is recently married to Edward, but David has never got over being in love with her. Elizabeth is in love with David, but it's unrequited; her friend Agneta's brother Louis nurses a similarly unrequited love for Elizabeth. There's also another woman, the widow of the doctor whose practice David took over, who has her eye on David as well.
David, out of principle, refuses to let Old Edward leave him any legacy, so it's mostly willed to the younger Edward, with some provision for Elizabeth.
And then David is called because Old Edward has taken a turn, and is close to death. The old man tells him, "I was fine until I drank from that cup. Edward brought it to me." David tests the dregs in Old Edward's home chemistry lab; there's a huge dose of arsenic.
And then Mary asks him, for her sake, because he once said he'd do anything for her, to just sign the death certificate so there won't be an inquest. Against everything he believes in, and believing that he's becoming an accessory to murder in so doing, he does so, unable to resist his appeal - and it breaks him.
Spoiler tags from here on.
The passages dealing with Elizabeth's mystical consciousness reminded me very much of Charles Williams. And after setting everything up for potential tragedy, even an actual murder, the author pulls off what I call the Glorious Ending, where someone acts so much out of love that it completely transforms the outcome.
The author's prose, without being showy or complicated, is expressive and intelligent. There are a lot of (unattributed) poetry quotations at the heads of chapters; I think many of them may be Tennyson, who was the favourite poet of the author's later detective character Miss Silver, but I don't know Tennyson well enough to be certain.
The human relationships are a good deal deeper than you get in a standard classic mystery, because they're the focus of the story. It's definitely a novel, properly so called, and in its way it's a romance, though it's an unusual one. It's not my usual reading, but I enjoyed it considerably, and was gripped by it to the extent that, reading it on the train, I had some difficulty staying aware of which stations we were passing through so I could get off at the right time.
I'll definitely be looking for more from this author. Happily, she's remained popular enough that I can get a lot of her books, mainly the Miss Silver series, from the library.
Old Edward is rather a nasty old man who is dying of (probably - it's never said outright) cancer. He has little other than contempt for his brother's son, also named Edward; he much prefers Edward's childhood companion David, now Old Edward's doctor. His wards are sisters Mary and Elizabeth. Mary is recently married to Edward, but David has never got over being in love with her. Elizabeth is in love with David, but it's unrequited; her friend Agneta's brother Louis nurses a similarly unrequited love for Elizabeth. There's also another woman, the widow of the doctor whose practice David took over, who has her eye on David as well.
David, out of principle, refuses to let Old Edward leave him any legacy, so it's mostly willed to the younger Edward, with some provision for Elizabeth.
And then David is called because Old Edward has taken a turn, and is close to death. The old man tells him, "I was fine until I drank from that cup. Edward brought it to me." David tests the dregs in Old Edward's home chemistry lab; there's a huge dose of arsenic.
And then Mary asks him, for her sake, because he once said he'd do anything for her, to just sign the death certificate so there won't be an inquest. Against everything he believes in, and believing that he's becoming an accessory to murder in so doing, he does so, unable to resist his appeal - and it breaks him.
Spoiler tags from here on.
The passages dealing with Elizabeth's mystical consciousness reminded me very much of Charles Williams. And after setting everything up for potential tragedy, even an actual murder, the author pulls off what I call the Glorious Ending, where someone acts so much out of love that it completely transforms the outcome.
The author's prose, without being showy or complicated, is expressive and intelligent. There are a lot of (unattributed) poetry quotations at the heads of chapters; I think many of them may be Tennyson, who was the favourite poet of the author's later detective character Miss Silver, but I don't know Tennyson well enough to be certain.
The human relationships are a good deal deeper than you get in a standard classic mystery, because they're the focus of the story. It's definitely a novel, properly so called, and in its way it's a romance, though it's an unusual one. It's not my usual reading, but I enjoyed it considerably, and was gripped by it to the extent that, reading it on the train, I had some difficulty staying aware of which stations we were passing through so I could get off at the right time.
I'll definitely be looking for more from this author. Happily, she's remained popular enough that I can get a lot of her books, mainly the Miss Silver series, from the library.
November 29, 2015
This author is usually suggested for Christie mystery fans. Whats amazing is, this 'non-mystery' book was a lot like Agatha Christie's as well. There is a book called While The Light Lasts where there are stories with vague mysterious dreamy happenings...This is a lot like that.
Maybe there is a genre for that. I don't know what it is. It is neither a romance, not a mystery nor a horror story. This is one of her earlier books and it shows.
I thought something would come of it - when Uncle Edward dies in mysterious circumstances. Nothing did. The characters themselves are too dull. Mary, his niece-by-marriage is irritating. Edward her husband is the'typical' forgetful scientist. Liz, Mary's sister is irritating in another way - being so patient and 'nice' and long-suffering.
I would rather stick to my knitting - Patricia Wentworth's delightful Miss Silver series. Atleast it has better developed characters.
Maybe there is a genre for that. I don't know what it is. It is neither a romance, not a mystery nor a horror story. This is one of her earlier books and it shows.
I thought something would come of it - when Uncle Edward dies in mysterious circumstances. Nothing did. The characters themselves are too dull. Mary, his niece-by-marriage is irritating. Edward her husband is the'typical' forgetful scientist. Liz, Mary's sister is irritating in another way - being so patient and 'nice' and long-suffering.
I would rather stick to my knitting - Patricia Wentworth's delightful Miss Silver series. Atleast it has better developed characters.
June 5, 2021
Mystery bookworm
What starts out like a mystery turns into a romance novel with rich spiritual overtones. David is breaking down, not sleeping, guilt ridden and love sick. He is in love with Mary who is married. Mary's sister Elizabeth is in love with David. The deep companionship they shared in the past is what is needed now to bring him back to wholeness. Through a dream, David comes to realize who it is he truly loves. A little bit of Jane Austen and a good share of the Divine Love.
What starts out like a mystery turns into a romance novel with rich spiritual overtones. David is breaking down, not sleeping, guilt ridden and love sick. He is in love with Mary who is married. Mary's sister Elizabeth is in love with David. The deep companionship they shared in the past is what is needed now to bring him back to wholeness. Through a dream, David comes to realize who it is he truly loves. A little bit of Jane Austen and a good share of the Divine Love.
August 12, 2015
This was a real departure from Patricia Wentworth's mystery novels starring Miss Maud Silver which I have become rather addicted to of late. It's a very sweet and gentle love story almost bordering on fantasy. I didn't "love it" but it was interesting and set in the early part of the 20th century which is an era that I like to read about very much. Not sure what I could compare it too, but if you like a touch of the fanciful, then you will love this.
December 12, 2019
Awful.
As much I love Ms Wentworth, this book was not in any way a foreshadowing of her subsequent works. There is much angst and no humor and an incredibly silly plot that must have strained belief even in 1913. It is also burdened with philosophical ramblings that suggest the characters were utilizing dubious patent medicines. A waste of 99 cents.
As much I love Ms Wentworth, this book was not in any way a foreshadowing of her subsequent works. There is much angst and no humor and an incredibly silly plot that must have strained belief even in 1913. It is also burdened with philosophical ramblings that suggest the characters were utilizing dubious patent medicines. A waste of 99 cents.
June 2, 2011
Probably more like 1.5. I was expecting this to be a mystery since most of the Patricia Wentworth books I've read have been her light hearted Miss Silver stories (which are quite good, although fluff reading). This is a drama. The main characters were a little idiotic.
January 16, 2019
Not my fave. Very prosy, somewhat philosophical, but overall fascinating portrayal of people. Good, but I prefer her murder mysteries. This was like Jane Austen meets Wilkie Collins and throw in some Anthony Trollope for good measure, with a dash of extra poetry.
Want to read
August 1, 2020Free download available at InternetArchive
March 28, 2019
Does the fire within burn the tongue in cheek?
At least I hope Wentworth had her tongue lodged firmly in her cheek when she wrote this entirely silly mishmash of a novel, but I wouldn't bet on it. The story started out as a murder mystery which was soon resolved, became a question of moral dilemma, and ended up being about somnambulist sex.
I'm not pulling your leg, that really is the gist of it.
The murder mystery was by far the best part, very much in the vein of Agatha Christie involving an inheritance, arsenic, possible suspects and gossipy neighbours. Unfortunately Wentworth didn't specialise in whodunits at the outset of her career (this is one of her earliest published efforts) so the mystery soon morphed into a romance, after which things went rapidly downhill.
The second part focused on David Blake's unrequited love for the feather-headed Mary, which led him to betray his honour as a doctor. He suffered what can best be described gas a breakdown, but in all honesty I don't really know what the hell was wrong with him. During all this time Elizabeth, Mary's elder sister, had been holding her own a torch for him.
And so onto the final revelation, by way of some wafty claptrap about dreams, hypnotism, Ancient Egypt(?) and David's amatory midnight strolls. Will love conquer all, or does sex while sleepwalking not really count?
Now there's a question.
2
At least I hope Wentworth had her tongue lodged firmly in her cheek when she wrote this entirely silly mishmash of a novel, but I wouldn't bet on it. The story started out as a murder mystery which was soon resolved, became a question of moral dilemma, and ended up being about somnambulist sex.
I'm not pulling your leg, that really is the gist of it.
The murder mystery was by far the best part, very much in the vein of Agatha Christie involving an inheritance, arsenic, possible suspects and gossipy neighbours. Unfortunately Wentworth didn't specialise in whodunits at the outset of her career (this is one of her earliest published efforts) so the mystery soon morphed into a romance, after which things went rapidly downhill.
The second part focused on David Blake's unrequited love for the feather-headed Mary, which led him to betray his honour as a doctor. He suffered what can best be described gas a breakdown, but in all honesty I don't really know what the hell was wrong with him. During all this time Elizabeth, Mary's elder sister, had been holding her own a torch for him.
And so onto the final revelation, by way of some wafty claptrap about dreams, hypnotism, Ancient Egypt(?) and David's amatory midnight strolls. Will love conquer all, or does sex while sleepwalking not really count?
Now there's a question.
2
April 12, 2023
Stupid and weird. Her mysteries are MUCH better.
November 12, 2025
NEVER marry someone because you think you can save them.
July 25, 2020
Wow - the only Patricia Wentworth I had read was the Miss Silver novels (which I like a lot.) There is a mystery of a kind at the center of this book, but the dramatic turn of the two main characters just wore me out after a while. I finished the book, but it wouldn't have had to be a lot longer for me to have thrown in the towel and put it down.
October 6, 2010
This was really a rather queer book; her mysteries are definitely much better. On the other hand it was a free e-book, so at least I didn't waste any money on it.
October 15, 2023
Melodramatic, totally different style of writing compared with Patricia Wentworth's later books, with one of the silliest, strangest plots I've ever read.
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews