New in the delightful series that's "a most ingenious blend of fact and fiction."* In the second Cottage Tales mystery, Miss Beatrix Potter has won over human and animal hearts alike in her new home, the sleepy village of Sawrey, England. Here, everyone-- of both human and animal persuasion--has a good word to say about local shepherd Ben Hornby. But one day, Beatrix finds him dead in the meadow, and suspects foul play.
The Tale of Holly How
and over one million other books are available for Amazon Kindle. Learn more
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Book Description
Product Details
Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?
|
Product Description
From Publishers Weekly
Starred Review. As in 2004's The Tale of Hill Top Farm, Albert skillfully blends fact and fiction in her second Beatrix Potter tale set in the quaint English Lake District village of Near Sawrey. Beatrix is in the midst of renovating Hill Top Farm when she discovers the body of Ben Hornby, a local sheep owner who has recently had more than his share of bad luck. She suspects foul play and joins the local constable and real-life solicitor William Heelis in investigating the cause of Hornby's demise. Still reeling from the sudden death of her fiancé, Beatrix becomes more involved with her fellow villagers, in particular 11-year-old Caroline, who lives with her grandmother, Lady Longforth. Vivid descriptions of Sawrey and its environs, attractive human characters and unobtrusive animals with delightful personalities combine to create a mystery that's a stellar tribute to the famous children's author. As charming as the "little books" themselves, this is sure to delight Beatrix Potter fans and cozy lovers everywhere. (July 5)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
From School Library Journal
Adult/High School–In this second entry in a delightful and cozy mystery series, Albert hits her stride. Miss Potter is starting to make a life for herself, both on her farm and in the villages of Far and Near Sawrey. She's acquired a herd of Herdwick sheep, is remodeling the farmhouse, and is slowly recovering from the death of her fiancé. Nefarious and curious events begin to happen: the body of a local shepherd is found at the base of a cliff; a pair of badgers is missing, presumably to be used in an illegal badger-baiting fight; and rich Lady Longford is putting forward her own candidate to teach in the Sawrey School. The animals (who can talk to one another) have been joined by the redoubtable Professor Galileo Newton Owl and the stalwart Bosworth Badger XVII, hotelier and genealogist of the badger clan. The plot moves swiftly and surely, with deft characterizations and comic charm, culminating in a rally of Big Folk and animals to save the innocent and punish the guilty. As in the first Cottage Tale, Albert has included research resources, recipes, a glossary, a map, an author's note, and a particularly helpful cast of characters. Teens will enjoy this small gem of a mystery revolving around the sweet Miss Potter, her neighbors, and the charming creatures she holds dear.–Jane Halsall, McHenry Public Library District, IL
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Inside This Book
(Learn More)
First Sentence
It was high summer in the Lake District. Read the first page
Front Cover | Copyright | Excerpt | Back Cover
It was high summer in the Lake District. Read the first page
Explore More
Concordance
Browse Sample PagesConcordance
Front Cover | Copyright | Excerpt | Back Cover
Customer Reviews
Most helpful customer reviews
By Carolyn
TOP 500 REVIEWER
Format:Mass Market Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
Learning about Beatrice Potter in "The Tale Of Hill Top Cottage" and having enjoyed her personality in the early 1900s re-enactment of her life, I was happy to tune in more. I never care for the early parts of any story where people are dubious about the protagonist achieving something. Novel #2 has gotten past the question of a single, London city woman running a farm. We watch her grow involved with Sawrey villagers and enjoy all she is building.
Calm feminism is strong, for another newcomer is Sarah Barwick. She inherited the kitty Tabitha's former house, from which she establishes a bakery. She is assertive, plain-spoken, rides a bicycle, and is the earliest female wearer of slacks. An important addition in this series is Caroline, foreign Granddaughter of the village's dour grand dame, whose parents passed away in New Zealand. The cottage tales incorporate the theme of altering societal expectations as past-century women show all they can be.
The mystery this novel contains is very good, harsher than the first. There's a suspicious death rather than missing property and even an issue of animal rights, in the face of `badger-baiting'; which is of course illegal. Each title features a different home or region in the village and as you progress, you are quite familiar with Near & Far Sawrey, its families, and pets.
Calm feminism is strong, for another newcomer is Sarah Barwick. She inherited the kitty Tabitha's former house, from which she establishes a bakery. She is assertive, plain-spoken, rides a bicycle, and is the earliest female wearer of slacks. An important addition in this series is Caroline, foreign Granddaughter of the village's dour grand dame, whose parents passed away in New Zealand. The cottage tales incorporate the theme of altering societal expectations as past-century women show all they can be.
The mystery this novel contains is very good, harsher than the first. There's a suspicious death rather than missing property and even an issue of animal rights, in the face of `badger-baiting'; which is of course illegal. Each title features a different home or region in the village and as you progress, you are quite familiar with Near & Far Sawrey, its families, and pets.
Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta)
Amazon.com:
4.8 out of 5 stars
30 reviews
12 of 13 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
Finally: Beatrix Potter books for adults!
Aug 12 2005
By Corinne H. Smith
- Published on Amazon.com
Format:Hardcover
This second title in the Cottage Tales series is just as charming as the first, "The Tale of Hill Top Farm." Set in England's Lake District in the early 1900s, each episode centers on the pastoral lifestyle found in Near and Far Sawrey. But even in a rural landscape, bad things can happen. Children's author Beatrix Potter, now a farm owner and part-time Lake District resident, helps to solve the mysteries that confound the people of her new hometown. She's aided by animals -- her own pets, the other domesticated animals of the community, and the wild ones who live nearby. The result is the kind of book Potter herself might have written for adults, if she had had the time and inclination.
After reading the first book, I realized I didn't know much about Beatrix and her children's books, so I read "Beatrix Potter: Artist, Storyteller, and Countrywoman" by Judy Taylor. (Another book that I highly recommend.) Now I can see that Susan Wittig Albert is tackling and mastering three tasks at once: weaving a ficticious mystery; setting it closely against biographical and historical fact; and sprinkling the story with the kind of animal insight and "dialogue" found in Potter's original tales. The result is a wonderful and engaging narrative that is simply a joy a read. Yes, it's "cozy," but it's also more comfortable and familiar than others of that genre.
Though she's been gone for more than 60 years, Beatrix Potter's spirit lives today: not only in the reprints of her own work, but also in this new series by Albert. How lucky for us!
After reading the first book, I realized I didn't know much about Beatrix and her children's books, so I read "Beatrix Potter: Artist, Storyteller, and Countrywoman" by Judy Taylor. (Another book that I highly recommend.) Now I can see that Susan Wittig Albert is tackling and mastering three tasks at once: weaving a ficticious mystery; setting it closely against biographical and historical fact; and sprinkling the story with the kind of animal insight and "dialogue" found in Potter's original tales. The result is a wonderful and engaging narrative that is simply a joy a read. Yes, it's "cozy," but it's also more comfortable and familiar than others of that genre.
Though she's been gone for more than 60 years, Beatrix Potter's spirit lives today: not only in the reprints of her own work, but also in this new series by Albert. How lucky for us!
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
Perfect Story
Aug 5 2006
By E. T. Greer
- Published on Amazon.com
Format:Mass Market Paperback
The Cottage Tales, all three to date, are wonderful, beautifully researched, exciting, detailed, well-written, and a pure JOY to read. I have been familiar since childhood with all of Beatrix Potter's books, her home, her biography, have visited her farms in the UK, and own first editions of the actual Tales and the accompanying figurines. The Cottage Tales by Albert complement these books perfectly in every way. Susan Wittig Albert has struck the perfect tone in creating this magical and satisfying series. The animals are so fun! The characters speak the dialects so well. Everything is PERFECT. I love these three books and am recommending them to everyone I know. I cannot wait to see the new one!
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
stories for adults!
Oct 8 2005
By Elizabeth Slater
- Published on Amazon.com
Format:Hardcover
2nd in the series featuring Beatrix Potter and her pets, this story returns to Swaney, England, where Beatrix has purchased Hill Top Farm with the proceeds of her children's books, much to the dismay of her parents. Hill Top is under renovations when the body of Ben Hornby, a local sheep farmer, is discovered. Beatrix involves herself in the investigation, along with the local police and solicitor, despite her depression from the death of her fiance. I love the way the mysteries intertwine - between the humans and the animals - unbeknownst to the humans, of course. These are definitely cozies - well-written and entertaining stories that I look forward to each time, in all three of the series the author writes.
›
Go to Amazon.com to see all 30 reviews
4.8 out of 5 stars
Listmania!
Look for similar items by category
Feedback
Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?
