Miss Silver (By Patricia Wentworth) - General Quiz | Literature

Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

1. What is Miss Silver's abiding pastime or hobby?

Answer: Knitting

Miss Silver is always knitting something for great-nieces and nephews! Miss Silver is very much in the style and era of Miss Marple, whose great hobby was gardening. Sherlock Holmes, of course, retired temporarily to keep bees, and Agatha Christie's other great detective, Hercule Poirot, did the same to grow marrows.

2. Miss Silver has a great admirer in a smooth, good-looking young detective in most (if not all!) of the books. What is this young man's name?

Answer: Frank Abbott

Frank Abbott of Scotland Yard has an aristocratic background and had to go into the police force instead of reading law as he wished. He could easily have become bitter and twisted and it is hinted that only his hero-worship of Miss Silver has stopped him becoming so. Frank Crutchley was a character in the Dorothy L Sayers book 'Busman's Honeymoon' and the other two Franks are an Australian crooner (Ifield) and a character from the British sitcom 'Some Mother's Do 'Ave 'Em' (Spencer)

3. Who is the detective in the books with three daughters, Violet, Lily and Myrtle? Frank teases Miss Silver that the detective in question believes her to be a witch.

Answer: Ernest Lamb

Chief Detective Inspector Lamb is always gratified by Miss Silver's genuine interest in his daughters, but there's no doubt he finds Miss Silver intensely exasperating too! Probably because she's always right! Of his daughters, we learn enough to say that Lily is the homebody (she is mother to CDI Lamb's first grandchild), Myrtle (the youngest) works too hard (a nurse) and Lily is a bit flighty - engaged more than once! (The horror!)

4. The Oxford English Dictionary definition for this article of clothing is a woman's fur cape or woollen shawl or a ceremonial garment worn by the clergy. Miss Silver is generally described as wearing a well-worn one, especially when it's cold. What is it?

Answer: tippet

Miss Silver's dress sense is somewhat idiosyncratic, even for those days. She always puts people in mind of the Edwardian era...
I personally would have loved to see the Miss Silver books made into a period drama like the Miss Marple books, preferably also with Joan Hickson in the starring role and a gorgeous English actor, Colin Buchanan (Dalziel from "Dalziel and Pascoe") as Frank..

5. Who is the small, wiry and dark Inspector from Ledlington who features in several books and is no admirer of Miss Silver?

Answer: Inspector Crisp

Inspector Crisp is frequently described as terrier-like, but he and Miss Silver don't get on very well. In at least one book, Inspector Crisp not following Miss Silver's advice leads to someone being murdered. Imagine what the tabloids would make of that nowadays! Japp, Morse and Frost are the creations of Agatha Christie, Colin Dexter and David Melling respectively.

6. What profession did Miss Silver follow before becoming a detective?

Answer: the scholastic profession

That is how she refers to it - and in at least one book says that she disliked it intensely, although she seems to have been very good at it, according to at least one former pupil. It is mentioned what a very different life she would have had as an elderly governess, had 'providence' not seen fit to make her such a super sleuth! (I nearly made one of the wrong answers 'the world's oldest profession', but thought of how Miss Silver would have Looked at me!)

7. Who is Miss Silver's favourite poet?

Answer: Alfred, Lord Tennyson

It is very rare that we escape a book without at least one line from Miss Silver's revered Lord Tennyson and in at least one book ('Anna, Where Are You') her love for the poet enables Miss Silver to realise something very significant about one of the suspects...

8. Miss Silver has a very comfortable flat, which is often the setting for the opening scene or the denouement of the books. Which reproduction painting does NOT hang, as far as we know, on Miss Silver's walls?

Answer: The Haywain - John Constable

Millais' 'The Black Brunswicker' makes up the set. All in maple frames and all pure Victoriana! Miss Silver loves her flat, with many pictures of children who may not have been born but for her timely intervention! Useful fact of the day: Sir Edwin Landseer also modelled the lions round Nelson's column in Trafalgar Square, London

9. Chief Constable Randal March has known Miss Silver since he was eight years old. He was an only child. True or false?

Answer: False

It is mentioned several times that he had two sisters. Please, if anyone can tell me - is the Case of the Poisoned Caterpillars, that Randal and Miss Silver always go on about, in any of the books? Or is it like Holmes' Giant rat of Sumatra 'a story for which the world is not yet prepared'? All information gratefully received!

10. What is Miss Silver's first name?

Answer: Maud

Miss Silver prefers to be addressesd in the formal style, and it's only normally Frank who gets away with 'Maudie' and probably never to her face, but I'll stretch a point! If you enjoyed this quiz, and would like to see more about Miss Maud Silver (with or without Poisoned Caterpillars), please let me know!

Source: Author Quiz_Beagle

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor agony before going online.
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Miss Silver (By Patricia Wentworth) - General Quiz

I discovered Miss Silver, created by Patricia Wentworth, in the US, where she seems to be more appreciated than in her home country! If this quiz is appreciated (remember to rank it!) I'll do some on specific books...enjoy!

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