Helpful Score: 7
This is the first in a new mystery series. Catherine Penny is a sixtyish, newly divorced New York librarian who retires and moves to England to be near her daughter and grandson and is looking forward to the quiet life in the English village of Far Wychwood near Oxford. She buys a 17th century cottage but finds she's got more than she bargained for with nosy village neighbors, a crazy old man in the cottage across the way and conflicts in child rearing methods with her psychotherapist daughter. I enjoyed this opening book in the series very much and think it holds great promise. I like the main character, who is a feisty sixty year old, whose love of books and a practical nature comes through loud and clear.
Helpful Score: 5
This is the first of the Far Wychwood Mysteries series. I plan toget the second one. I really enjoyed this book. I'm not usually an English Mystery fan, but the main character is an American Grandmother who moves to England after her divorce to be closer to her only daugher and family. I enjoyed the characters and their interactions.
Helpful Score: 2
This was a good cozy mystery with interesting characters. I liked how Catherine sought the truth in the death of her neighbor and I look forward to reading the next book in the series, Slaying is Such Sweet Sorrow.
Helpful Score: 2
Catherine Penny, a retired librarian from America, has moved to a quaint English village, Far Wychwood, leaving her ex-husband and new playmate in New York to be nearer her daughter and grandson in England. Her future
quickly encloses her in tales of witchcraft as she tries to rescue her new neighbor George Crocker from his burning house! Then the villagers take her in, but she is determined to solve the mystery of the fire and the old man's death. Another Mrs. Marple, she continues her search for discovery of the truth! A very good cozy English mystery!!
quickly encloses her in tales of witchcraft as she tries to rescue her new neighbor George Crocker from his burning house! Then the villagers take her in, but she is determined to solve the mystery of the fire and the old man's death. Another Mrs. Marple, she continues her search for discovery of the truth! A very good cozy English mystery!!
Helpful Score: 2
Light with a heroine you like in spite of her realistic flaws.
Helpful Score: 1
Arson & Old Lace is Patricia Harwin's first novel so far as I know and she has brought with it a return to one of my favourite genres "Had-I-but-known" made so famous during the Golden Age by the likes of Mignon G Eberhardt etc. This is an unputdownable of the first order with both likeable and dislikeable characters that make you want to find out what is going to happen next. A brief resume sounds like you may have read it already but don't be fooled there is enough new material to warrant a read from anybody who enjoys a good cozy. I can't wait for the next in the series
Helpful Score: 1
Entertaining cozy. Catherine Penney, a sixty-something American woman, moves into a small English village, determined to replace her old life and a failed marriage with the soothing quiet of rural life. No sooner does she arrive than her neighbor's cottage catches on fire and an extra skeleton turns up in the church yard!
Helpful Score: 1
First book in a new series. Easy reading. Good mystery.
Helpful Score: 1
One of the best cozy series I have ever read!
The heroine is a retired American librarian who moves to an English village to be close to her daughter, grandson and son-in-law after her husband leaves her for another woman. The nasty old man who lives across the way from the cottage she's bought sight unseen perishes in a fire, and Catherine is the only one who knows it's murder.
Smashing characterization, interesting plot and lovely venue!
The heroine is a retired American librarian who moves to an English village to be close to her daughter, grandson and son-in-law after her husband leaves her for another woman. The nasty old man who lives across the way from the cottage she's bought sight unseen perishes in a fire, and Catherine is the only one who knows it's murder.
Smashing characterization, interesting plot and lovely venue!
Helpful Score: 1
Catherine Penny has decided to change her life and move from the U. S. to an English cottage in Far Wychwood, England, after a nasty divorce so she can be closer to her daughter. Suddenly single in her sixties, Catherine her neighbor dies in a tragic fire that she suspects was arson. Ignored by the police and lacking hard evidence, Catherine leaves no stone unturned to solve the mystery, which she not only does, she also solves the mystery of the rumor of "witches" in the area. She may not be Miss Marple, yet, but her knack for uncovering the truth is about to take Far Wychwood by storm!
If you like Miss Silver and Miss Marple, you're gonna love Miss Penny!!
If you like Miss Silver and Miss Marple, you're gonna love Miss Penny!!
Helpful Score: 1
This is a very good book. Highly recommend it. Don't recommend its sequel.
This is the first book in the "Far Wychwood" mystery series, as an American women returns to England to live.
Brenda W. (Brendasbooks) -
I loved this author's writing and the story. Very descriptive of her life and mystery in Far Wychwood, England. I've only found one other book by her which is a shame, i could see this series going on for a bit.
An American woman, an English town, a whole lot of trouble. Divorced New Yord gramma, Catherine Penney, moves to Far Wychwood to be close to her daughter and grandson. When curmudgeonly neighbor George Crocker dies in a tragic fire, Catherine is the only one who suspects arson. Putting her own life in danger as well as that of her 16 month old grandson, Catherine manages to uncover the truth and unmask lies and murder that go back over 50 years.
"You're a librarian, not a detective," Catherine Penny's daughter reminds her. But Catherine, suddenly single in her sixties, finds it easy to slip into sleauthing mode when she leaves behind New York City and a failed marriage for a lovely 17th century cottage in the idyllic English village of Far Wychwood.
The first in a series. Set in England and very cozy.
This is the first of the Wychwood Mysteries. Catherine Penny is a 60ish American, transplanted to what should be a quiet village in England. Murder wakes up the sleep village and Catherine is drawn into the mystery. She is an able protagonist and I'm looking forward to more Wychwood mysteries.
Truly enjoyed this first novel. I immediately ordered the next one. Loaned to a friend and she finished it in one night and wanted to know if I had another.
Great book- a bit too long due to too many pages about her daughter,etc, but a very good mystery with lots of questions...and every little tidbit gets neatly tied up in the end!
