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 compound noun knight-errant(always hyphenated, pluralized as knights-errant) dates from medieval literature and refers to a knight who roves the countryside engaging in adventures. Examples From Middle English erraunt [ and other forms ] , [1] from Anglo-Norman erraunt, from Old French errant, the present participle of errer ( “ to walk (to); to wander (to); ( figuratively) to travel, voyage ” ), and then: [2] 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. Arrant means complete or absolute. Errant means (1) roving, or (2) straying from the proper course. Arrant was originally a variant of errant,but it long ago developed a meaning of its own. It has negative connotations, usually modifyingnegative nouns (e.g., arrant fool, arrant nonsense). errant, adj. (and n.)”, in OED Online ⁠, Oxford, Oxfordshire: Oxford University Press, March 2022; “ errant, adj.”, in Lexico, Dictionary.com; Oxford University Press, 2019–2022.Excellent. Everyone says Hughes is very Vancian, and it's true, but he's different, too. The biggest difference is that the characters are a little more fleshed out. This is my second non-Miss Silver novel by Wentworth, with my first being Silence in Court (1945) and one of the main things this second read has taught me is that Wentworth is a much more creative writer when she is not tied down by the character of Miss Silver. Furthermore, I think in the beginning of the novel Wentworth shows brief moments of a much more literary, possibly even modernist writing style. But in all in all this is a thriller, a genre which actually marries well with Wentworth’s writing skills and penchant for including romance. Further events follow, with the sinister plot against Ross unfolding rapidly. The tension builds up as the day of the “theft” arrives. Wentworth is adept at continually surprising the reader in the final section of the novel leaving the reader wondering if Ross will be triumphant or whether he will be ultimately enveloped by the machinations against him. Things do not go to plan for either side and Ross has the additional task of saving the woman he loves, as this being a Wentworth novel, there must be a love interest. 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? Forgotten the title or the author of a book? Our BookSleuth is specially designed for you. Visit BookSleuth

As the two main characters travel Old Earth, we are introduced to many strange and wonderous towns, cities and especially societies, and the pair never fail to get into some kind of trouble. The fun is watching them try and get out of it! Desperate for employment, Hugo ignores her warning and takes the job. He’s barely moved into Meade House when a message from Loveday Leigh is hand-delivered: He must leave immediately and burn the letter. When they finally meet again at Waterloo Station, Loveday is not the mysterious woman Hugo remembers. Odd happenings continue, and he enlists the help of the esteemed Benbow Smith, an enigmatic figure connected to London’s Foreign Office. Soon Hugo is caught up in an undercover plot involving governmental intrigue, industrial espionage, and stolen military secrets. With his own life on the line, how much is he willing to risk for his country? On a dark, foggy night, Hugo Ross encounters a beautiful woman. She claims to be running away and begs Hugo not to tell anyone that he’s seen her. Before boarding her train, she warns him not to take the job he’s applying for: secretary to eccentric inventor Ambrose Minstrel. The train pulls away, and the stunning stranger is gone. 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!crossexaminingcrime: We have the love interest, though thankfully the woman although a bit of twerp is bearable. Ultimately she redeems herself at the end, as during the middle of the book I think both me and Ross wanted to slap her, as she finds him too dictatorial when he advises sensible decisions e.g. Let’s not make lots of noise to attract the bad guys’ attentions. […] 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. A week after Chandler's version was released in the UK, English singer Billy Fury released his own version, titled "Do You Really Love Me Too (Fool's Errand)", as a single, which peaked at number 13 on the Record Retailer Top 50. [5] Release and reception [ edit ] Out of the two I have read Silence in Court is the most puzzle like. Fool Errant is definitely a thriller, so if you are looking for a puzzle focused story, you’re not going to find it there. Wentworth’s writing style seems more creative and she seems more willing to try new things out in her non-Miss Silver books, which I have enjoyed and she does tell a good story. I think it depends on what you want to get out of reading these books.

Really enjoyed the story. It does follow the common "quest" format in fantasy but still offers lots of humor and randomness with all the wit and sarcasm you'd expect in a world built on The Dying Earth. A bigger complaint, though also less important, were the names for the characters. I found them quite odd and other than suggesting an "otherness," which shouldn't have been since I believe this is a "future earth" setting, they didn't seem to have any sort of thought out basis. Maybe Matt would be able to suggest some though.At each of these stops Filidor runs into trouble with the monomaniacal natives where he has a hazardous and bizarre adventure. Even traveling between the towns turns out to be full of risks. Throw in an evil wizard that wants the box that Filidor is supposed to deliver to the Archon.

Cover versions of What Am I Gonna Do written by Neil Sedaka, Howard Greenfield | SecondHandSongs". secondhandsongs.com . Retrieved 2021-08-27. Do You Really Love Me Too" is a song written by Mark Barkan and Ben Raleigh and first released by American pop singer Barbara Chandler as the flip side to "I Live to Love" in October 1963. [3] Originally called "Fool's Errand", it was renamed "Do You Really Love Me Too" on the UK release of the single in December 1963. [4] Billy Fury version [ edit ] Paul Brians(2009),“ arrant/errant”, in Common Errors in English Usage, 2nd edition, Wilsonville, Or.: William, James & Company, →ISBN. 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.Filidor, nephew and sole remaining heir of the Archon, has been kind of a dandy. He is at a club partying with his superficial friends when he gets a summons to see the Archon. It's a dwarf that has carried the message who recognizes that Filidor will try to squirm his way out of the meeting and won't let him out of his sight. They go to Binch to find they've just missed him, the same thing at Ektop, Zeel and Jasp. Political intrigue and industrial espionage are brewing in Britain’s Foreign Office in this thriller from the author of the Miss Silver Mysteries 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.