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The Cottage Tales of Beatrix Potter #2
The Tale of Holly How
Everyone in Sawrey likes Ben Hornby. So when Beatrix finds the shepherd dead in the meadow and suspects foul play, she wonders who would have done such a thing. A trio of village cats has an idea: When Ben breathed his last, his sheep must have seen his killer before scattering. So they set out to find the far-flung flock. Although she’s distracted by duties at the farm and the sad plight of a young girl, Beatrix must get to the bottom of this. As the stories intertwine, Beatrix and the creatures realize that, to solve this case, all of Sawrey, both the two- and four-legged inhabitants, must work together...
303 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published July 5, 2005
About the author
Susan Wittig Albert
101 books2,327 followersSusan is the author/co-author of biographical/historical fiction, mysteries, and nonfiction. Now in her 80s and continuing to write, she says that retirement is not (yet) an option. She publishes under her own imprint. Here are her latest books.
A PLAIN VANILLA MURDER, #27 in the long-running China Bayles/Pecan Springs series.
Two Pecan Springs novella trilogies: The Crystal Cave Trilogy (featuring Ruby Wilcox): noBODY, SomeBODY Else, and Out of BODY; and The Enterprise Trilogy (featuring Jessica Nelson): DEADLINES, FAULTLINES, and FIRELINES.
THE DARLING DAHLIAS AND THE POINSETTIA PUZZLE #8 in the Darling Dahlias series, set in the early 1930s in fictional Darling AL
THE GENERAL'S WOMEN. Kay, Mamie, and Ike--the wartime romance that won a war but could have derailed a presidency.
LOVING ELEANOR: A novel about the intimate 30-year friendship of Eleanor Roosevelt and Lorena Hickok, based on their letters
A WILDER ROSE: the true story of Rose Wilder Lane, who transformed her mother from a farm wife and occasional writer to a literary icon
THE TALE OF CASTLE COTTAGE, #8 in the Cottage Tales of Beatrix Potter
DEATH ON THE LIZARD, the 12th and last (2006) of the Robin Paige series, by Susan and Bill Albert
TOGETHER, ALONE: A MEMOIR OF MARRIAGE AND PLACE
AN EXTRAORDINARY YEAR OF ORDINARY DAYS
WORK OF HER OWN: A WOMAN'S GUIDE TO RIGHT LIVELIHOOD
WRITING FROM LIFE: TELLING YOUR SOUL'S STORY
A PLAIN VANILLA MURDER, #27 in the long-running China Bayles/Pecan Springs series.
Two Pecan Springs novella trilogies: The Crystal Cave Trilogy (featuring Ruby Wilcox): noBODY, SomeBODY Else, and Out of BODY; and The Enterprise Trilogy (featuring Jessica Nelson): DEADLINES, FAULTLINES, and FIRELINES.
THE DARLING DAHLIAS AND THE POINSETTIA PUZZLE #8 in the Darling Dahlias series, set in the early 1930s in fictional Darling AL
THE GENERAL'S WOMEN. Kay, Mamie, and Ike--the wartime romance that won a war but could have derailed a presidency.
LOVING ELEANOR: A novel about the intimate 30-year friendship of Eleanor Roosevelt and Lorena Hickok, based on their letters
A WILDER ROSE: the true story of Rose Wilder Lane, who transformed her mother from a farm wife and occasional writer to a literary icon
THE TALE OF CASTLE COTTAGE, #8 in the Cottage Tales of Beatrix Potter
DEATH ON THE LIZARD, the 12th and last (2006) of the Robin Paige series, by Susan and Bill Albert
TOGETHER, ALONE: A MEMOIR OF MARRIAGE AND PLACE
AN EXTRAORDINARY YEAR OF ORDINARY DAYS
WORK OF HER OWN: A WOMAN'S GUIDE TO RIGHT LIVELIHOOD
WRITING FROM LIFE: TELLING YOUR SOUL'S STORY
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 220 reviews
August 31, 2016
I am really enjoying this series. They are definitely fairytale for adults. Just a good escape from life's woes.
September 29, 2022
* I take my writing seriously and consider comments the reward. Please do not leave “like button” clicks, until you are accompanying them with remarks for me. *
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.
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.
August 7, 2023
4.5 stars. I’ve been on a great reading run lately. This series has become a favorite. If you’re looking for a cozy mystery with interesting characters and some magical realism, this one is a fine example. I’m also enjoying the audiobook versions, which are all well-narrated by the same person.
The death is off to the side, there is no explicit violence or sex, and I really love the recurring characters. The main character is Beatrix Potter, and the series is loosely based on her life. She helps solve the mystery, and the village animal characters also help. The animals understand the humans and each other, and have their own lives and challenges, some of which we see. The humans don’t understand the animals, but Beatrix, the artist and naturalist, is closer to them than most, and understands them best.
It may sound a bit woo woo but it really works. I’m finding this series just perfect for 3am waking, I can skip back a few tracks and it’s a gentle way to fall back asleep. Nothing is too dramatic to keep me awake, but the village and the recurring characters are that kind of gentle feeling like the nighttime stories on headspace lol. There are now two recurring young adult characters, who are my favorite of the bunch.
My library system doesn’t own the third book in this series on CD (which I need in order to transfer books to my MP3 player now that overdrive has been discontinued), but thanks to my daughter, who alerted me to the existence of WorldCat, I was able to find the cd book in nearby state systems. My local library was able to borrow it for me for free - I didn’t even have to pay postage (although before placing the request, they said I might), so that was a nice bonus! This series is also available on Hoopla and Libby.
A highly recommended series and volume, and I will have to try this author’s other series as well.
The death is off to the side, there is no explicit violence or sex, and I really love the recurring characters. The main character is Beatrix Potter, and the series is loosely based on her life. She helps solve the mystery, and the village animal characters also help. The animals understand the humans and each other, and have their own lives and challenges, some of which we see. The humans don’t understand the animals, but Beatrix, the artist and naturalist, is closer to them than most, and understands them best.
It may sound a bit woo woo but it really works. I’m finding this series just perfect for 3am waking, I can skip back a few tracks and it’s a gentle way to fall back asleep. Nothing is too dramatic to keep me awake, but the village and the recurring characters are that kind of gentle feeling like the nighttime stories on headspace lol. There are now two recurring young adult characters, who are my favorite of the bunch.
My library system doesn’t own the third book in this series on CD (which I need in order to transfer books to my MP3 player now that overdrive has been discontinued), but thanks to my daughter, who alerted me to the existence of WorldCat, I was able to find the cd book in nearby state systems. My local library was able to borrow it for me for free - I didn’t even have to pay postage (although before placing the request, they said I might), so that was a nice bonus! This series is also available on Hoopla and Libby.
A highly recommended series and volume, and I will have to try this author’s other series as well.
June 3, 2024
I really enjoyed this one, better than the first one. Very cozy and charming. The talking animals are very entertaining!
September 8, 2019
Not as enjoyable as the first, even though there were badgers in this one. The mystery took too long to become apparent and wrapped up too quickly. The characters were a bit sickly sweet in this one, too, but I expect I’ll continue with the series at some point.
September 25, 2020
2020 bk 317. The second story - and it was delightful. I originally posted the review for Book #3. to book #2. If you are a lover of Potter, Edwardian times, and Britain - this is an excellent book.
March 21, 2023
This series is utterly charming ❤️
March 14, 2008
I wish I could give this book six stars instead of five. I actually like this one better than THE TALE OF HILLTOP FARM, which is saying something. The fun of this series is the delightful cast of characters and richness of the narrative.
The odd thing is I don't usually go for quaint, but this series wins me over very quickly, making me see and smell the world of Beatrix's Potter's farm and small town in England. What I really like about this book in particular is the character of Caroline. She's a strong-willed child who's in a terrible situation, orphaned and forced to live with her grandmother who obviously isn't thrilled with having a girl about the place.
This book also has a much stronger storyline when it comes to the mysteries, with lots of tension and potential danger for Caroline.
Another thing that I enjoy is that it breaks me out of my comfort zone on three different things I don't normally like in a book. One, it's a historical, something I don't normally read, but I loved Beatrix Potter as a child, so I wanted to see how Albert would recreate her world. Two, it's got multiple points of view, something that can be very confusing. However, it's done very well here and I can't imagine being able to tell this story any other way. Limiting the view to Beatrix just wouldn't have the same effect of showing all the relationships and interconnection in the town. Third, and most importantly, as an adult I rarely read stories where the animals are given voices, but in this series it works very well. If the humans could just hear the animals, life would be so much easier for everyone but the reader.
Bottomline, I love this series and plan to check out the rest.
The odd thing is I don't usually go for quaint, but this series wins me over very quickly, making me see and smell the world of Beatrix's Potter's farm and small town in England. What I really like about this book in particular is the character of Caroline. She's a strong-willed child who's in a terrible situation, orphaned and forced to live with her grandmother who obviously isn't thrilled with having a girl about the place.
This book also has a much stronger storyline when it comes to the mysteries, with lots of tension and potential danger for Caroline.
Another thing that I enjoy is that it breaks me out of my comfort zone on three different things I don't normally like in a book. One, it's a historical, something I don't normally read, but I loved Beatrix Potter as a child, so I wanted to see how Albert would recreate her world. Two, it's got multiple points of view, something that can be very confusing. However, it's done very well here and I can't imagine being able to tell this story any other way. Limiting the view to Beatrix just wouldn't have the same effect of showing all the relationships and interconnection in the town. Third, and most importantly, as an adult I rarely read stories where the animals are given voices, but in this series it works very well. If the humans could just hear the animals, life would be so much easier for everyone but the reader.
Bottomline, I love this series and plan to check out the rest.
April 8, 2022
This quick, comfort read was the April selection for one of my book discussion groups. It's the second in a series set in England's Lake District and featuring Beatrix Potter. It was pretty light on mystery but well written and appealing I'm sure for fans of the cozy mystery genre. I didn't mind taking the time to read it because factual information about Potter's life on her farm was interspersed, but I did have trouble getting past the talking animals.
September 26, 2018
The second of these I've read, and I enjoyed it as much as the first. I especially like the Beatrix Potter/Narnia style treatment of animals.
It does suffer from American words, rather than English ones, even though its set in England, and 1906 England at that, like fall instead of autumn, contractor instead of builder and "muffin", which I don't think was referring to what we call a muffin.
It does suffer from American words, rather than English ones, even though its set in England, and 1906 England at that, like fall instead of autumn, contractor instead of builder and "muffin", which I don't think was referring to what we call a muffin.
July 23, 2014
This series is such a delight. Light and fun and of course it takes place in a village I would love to live in!
February 26, 2021
Repeat late-night listen.
I still prefer the first book more than this one, the addition of Miss Martine as one of my least appreciated characters in this series helps this lose a star:
I enjoyed having one of the secondary characters as a migrant from a sheep station in New Zealand: her grandmother is a product of her age and social class – the culture shock is felt by both of them.
Sadly, the old lady’s snobbery and dislike of lowly commoners put that child’s life at risk.
Just have to add: I love the names of the animals in these books.
Extra: Badger Baiting.
Brit Trip locations: Near Sawrey and Far Sawrey, Cumbria, England
I still prefer the first book more than this one, the addition of Miss Martine as one of my least appreciated characters in this series helps this lose a star:
I enjoyed having one of the secondary characters as a migrant from a sheep station in New Zealand: her grandmother is a product of her age and social class – the culture shock is felt by both of them.
Sadly, the old lady’s snobbery and dislike of lowly commoners put that child’s life at risk.
Just have to add: I love the names of the animals in these books.
Extra: Badger Baiting.
Brit Trip locations: Near Sawrey and Far Sawrey, Cumbria, England
March 2, 2022
a change of pace, written as if from a calmer, less crowded world -- the world of "Between the Lakes" in 1906. The second in a series of many, it turns out. In this book, as in the first in the series, I found myself initially impatient with the pace . . . until realizing that it's truly a pace I prefer, where animals communicate across species boundaries, and only the humans are unable to understand. After decades of living with one female cat at a time, I begin to think I understand at least a little of what she has to tell me, and the author develops this interesting schism deliciously. How much happier we, and this planet, would be, if we hadn't lost our comprehension of other creatures! The book is a welcome change of pace, even if wholly fictional in this fast moving world we inhabit. I look forward to the third book in the series, intending to read it aloud at tea time.
January 7, 2023
I really enjoy this series.
October 25, 2023
A darling, sweet, cozy read. If you love Beatrix Potter, cottagecore aesthetic, country living, animals, and tea, this is an lovely little read.
June 21, 2017
In this second tale of life in the village, Bearix Potter is beginning to fit in better because of her kind manner and quiet ways. The villagers don’t know what to make of her determination to run her farm by herself though, but they like the fact that she is attempting to build up a herd of local sheep which are in danger of dying out. When she goes to look over some sheep she has bought, she finds the body of the elderly shepherd and it appears that he has been murdered.
At the same time, she is struggling to build an addition to her farm so that she can keep on the family who have worked the farm for so long and yet give her the privacy of her own home. Working with the local builder is a daunting task, but Beatrix is proving to be tougher than she looks.
In the village a crisis has arisen when the job of head teacher is vacant and the hiring of a new head is suddenly called into question. Everyone favors the primary teacher, but the lady of the manor has suddenly brought in a new candidate with much better credentials. Something seems wrong about him though and it is not just his credentials. The Lady’s personal assistant seems to be wielding more and more power and things just smell funny to Beatrix.
This is a delightful book to just sit back and read or, even better, listen to as an audiobook. The people are engaging and the animals keep up enough chatter to push the plot ahead and sometimes get through to their owners.
At the same time, she is struggling to build an addition to her farm so that she can keep on the family who have worked the farm for so long and yet give her the privacy of her own home. Working with the local builder is a daunting task, but Beatrix is proving to be tougher than she looks.
In the village a crisis has arisen when the job of head teacher is vacant and the hiring of a new head is suddenly called into question. Everyone favors the primary teacher, but the lady of the manor has suddenly brought in a new candidate with much better credentials. Something seems wrong about him though and it is not just his credentials. The Lady’s personal assistant seems to be wielding more and more power and things just smell funny to Beatrix.
This is a delightful book to just sit back and read or, even better, listen to as an audiobook. The people are engaging and the animals keep up enough chatter to push the plot ahead and sometimes get through to their owners.
December 29, 2016
Book 2 of the Cottage Tales of Beatrix Potter series. It picks up about a year after Hill Top Farm leaves off and revisits the villages of Near and Far Sawrey and the inhabitants we previously met, along with a few new ones.
We get to know Lady Longford better, as well as her granddaughter, Caroline, and her companion, Miss Martine. Will Heelis, a solicitor from Hawkshead, is a rather important character (and will be even more so later, as anyone who knows about Miss Potter's life can tell you).
I was completely charmed by Bosworth Badger and The Brockery Inn and its myriad of animal lodgers.
Miss Potter finds Ben Hornby dead; she had purchased some sheep from him and had gone to fetch them. She finds two clues that lead to the arrest of his assailant. The other mystery involves badger-baiting which is both cruel and illegal. The scene where the animals (and Captain Woodcock, Justice of the Peace, and the local Constable, and Will Heelis) storm the baiting scene behind the hotel in Far Sawrey was particularly memorable!
All ends happily for humans and animals!
We get to know Lady Longford better, as well as her granddaughter, Caroline, and her companion, Miss Martine. Will Heelis, a solicitor from Hawkshead, is a rather important character (and will be even more so later, as anyone who knows about Miss Potter's life can tell you).
I was completely charmed by Bosworth Badger and The Brockery Inn and its myriad of animal lodgers.
Miss Potter finds Ben Hornby dead; she had purchased some sheep from him and had gone to fetch them. She finds two clues that lead to the arrest of his assailant. The other mystery involves badger-baiting which is both cruel and illegal. The scene where the animals (and Captain Woodcock, Justice of the Peace, and the local Constable, and Will Heelis) storm the baiting scene behind the hotel in Far Sawrey was particularly memorable!
All ends happily for humans and animals!
September 28, 2018
I stumbled across this series by chance at my local library. I have currently read the first two books of the series. I am so glad I found this series. It is a work of fiction loosely based on the time of Beatrix Potter's life after she purchased Hilltop Farm in Near Sawry located in the lake district of England. The town is populated with both real and fictional characters. The book also has a healthy dose of fantasy in the form of talking animals. Since Miss Potter in addition to being an author of children's books based on animals, was also a naturalist and intrigued by all of God's creatures. As a lover of Wind in the Willows, these books are right up my alley. You come to know and love the various villagers of Near Sawry and life in a small rural English town during the early 20th century. The first 2 books involved mysteries but I'm not sure if this will be the case in the following books.
May 5, 2010
Oh boy, how I love this series. It is such a gentle, charming, wonderfully written mystery series. Just a wee bit of fantasy since the animals talk amongst themselves and the reader is in on the conversations and their own investigation.
There are two mysteries going on in the book, each is resolved nicely. I kind of had an idea on whodunnit on one mystery, but I kept reading as the story is just so wonderfully told. And there was the other mystery going on and I didn't figure it out.
I am looking forward to the next in the series, THE TALE OF HAWTHORNE HOUSE, when it comes up either on Mt Git'r'Read or RecordedBooks. Ideally, I'll listen to as many as I can, especially if Virginia Leishman continues to narrate. She has a lovely voice and is perfect for the voice of Beatrix and all of the characters.
Five English countryside beans.....
There are two mysteries going on in the book, each is resolved nicely. I kind of had an idea on whodunnit on one mystery, but I kept reading as the story is just so wonderfully told. And there was the other mystery going on and I didn't figure it out.
I am looking forward to the next in the series, THE TALE OF HAWTHORNE HOUSE, when it comes up either on Mt Git'r'Read or RecordedBooks. Ideally, I'll listen to as many as I can, especially if Virginia Leishman continues to narrate. She has a lovely voice and is perfect for the voice of Beatrix and all of the characters.
Five English countryside beans.....
March 2, 2009
I really do like this historical thread of Wittig Albert's Beatrix Potter. It was very engaging to read and you don't have to start with the first book (I know I didn't). If you start somewhere other than book 1, you can easily catch on to what is happening since it is explained on how it happen in the first place (book 1). The sluething that is done by Miss Potter is independent from each book in the series. What I really liked was, at the end of the book, there are recipes from that time period to set out and try.
August 24, 2012
This is another delightful installment in the Beatrix Potter mystery series. Reminiscent of Dr. Doolittle with the talking animals, it adds a tiny bit of fantasy to it. This is the second mystery she solved. For those who like less gore in their mysteries, this is a light one for you. There's a lot of drama in Beatrix's world, even for the ladyship too in her own home, when there's talk of a new head teacher. Three events happen in Holly How around the same time. An easy and delightful read.
September 22, 2013
The conversations between Badgers and Dogs and Guinea Pigs got a little tedious but otherwise I liked this little murder mystery starring Beatrix Potter in her English country farm. Now I want to read a biography about Beatrix. Fortunately there is a short bibliography at the end of this book that told me which one I should read.
This is also #2 in a series so I shall look for #1 as well!
This is also #2 in a series so I shall look for #1 as well!
July 16, 2020
Chapters: 36
Pages: 287
First let me begin this review by saying that I read this book back in 2014. However, after I read a book, I always try to write out my feelings on the story when I finish. Sometimes, I’m moved to write a great deal to type up later. Other times, I just feel up to writing a very basic review. I never intended for it to take me six YEARS to get it on my GoodReads account, but it has. Obviously, by now, I don’t really remember much about the story, though sometimes my notes help jog my memory. So, if the following review doesn’t really say much or deal too much with the story or plot, that’s probably because I wasn’t moved by one or the other or both to write more than I did. However, such as it is I give to you.
My Review: Another good mystery—simple but entertaining, especially with the unique use of the animal kingdom. This book/series, thus far, reads as if it’s a cartoon for adults: One can imagine the story as if Miss Potter drew the series herself and allowed it to be set to animation. There are the adults going about their lives in the Big Folks’ world while the animals interact in their own world (in which they talk as humans), and when the two worlds intermix, the adults hear the animals talking but as we hear animals talk in real life: barks, meows, caws, moos, etc.
Mrs. Albert gives a personality to each animal and carries it off well for each: aloof and independent for cats (a bit snobbish, too), friendly and competitive for dogs, erudite for Professor Owl, brave for Bosworth Badger, and on and on. Having had dogs, cats, hamsters, guinea pigs, birds, a rat (my cousin’s)—all my life lived around animals, domestic and wildlife (birds, squirrels, racoons, skunks, and possums)—I find this a fun read but not “bubblegum” cutesy.
The one part I glossed over was the badger-baiting scene in which an abused-to-be-made-mean dog is put into a ring with a female badger (and, in this case, her female baby), and money is placed down to see which will come out on top: the dog or the badger(s). I doubt Mrs. Albert went into much detail, but I also didn’t want to take the chance. My grandmother read a modern book in which a dog fight was actually described, and it depressed her for DAYS after (it was SO hard for her to get the monstrous images out of her mind—especially since it involved pit bulls, and we happened to have pits at the time and LOVED them BIG TIME (just about the sweetest, loyalist, and most-protective-of-their-people dogs in the world)), so I didn’t want to be put in the same position, which is why I skipped over the scene.
Summary: Beatrix Potter is back in Sawrey, dealing with the renovation of her house and trying to build up her farm by acquiring some sheep, cows, pigs, etc. life’s going well for her despite a surly contractor who doesn’t like to work for women. But life comes to an end for Ben Hornby, a nearby farmer found dead (by Beatrix and Rascal) at the bottom of a hill on his property. He was the farmer from whom Beatrix had bought her sheep, but her sheep wondered off…or were they stolen? And the latest newcomer to Sawrey isn’t enjoying her time either. Caroline Longford is granddaughter to Lady Longford, the town’s patroness, who has a bossy companion who doesn’t like Caroline (for some reason) and doesn’t have much tolerance for the girl either, but her crochet may be explained by the sudden sickness she’s fallen prey to that her doctor, Mr. butters, can’t seem to diagnose.
To top off Caroline’s bad time and Hornby’s death (later to be determined murder), there’s a string of accidents and oddities: Hornby’s cows die, his barn burned down (both prior to death), Beatrix’s sheep missing, Beatrix’s guinea pig, Tuppenny, gets lost, and a badger sett’s raided, and a mother and two babies stolen. To top it ALL off, Sawrey’s beloved Miss Nash may lose the coveted Head Teacher position due to a mysterious man named Dr. Gainwell whom no one’s met before but to whom Lady Longford gives her backing.
All of these thrown into a pot and only Beatrix (with the help of her animal friends) can make any sense and order come out of it.
Grade: A
Pages: 287
First let me begin this review by saying that I read this book back in 2014. However, after I read a book, I always try to write out my feelings on the story when I finish. Sometimes, I’m moved to write a great deal to type up later. Other times, I just feel up to writing a very basic review. I never intended for it to take me six YEARS to get it on my GoodReads account, but it has. Obviously, by now, I don’t really remember much about the story, though sometimes my notes help jog my memory. So, if the following review doesn’t really say much or deal too much with the story or plot, that’s probably because I wasn’t moved by one or the other or both to write more than I did. However, such as it is I give to you.
My Review: Another good mystery—simple but entertaining, especially with the unique use of the animal kingdom. This book/series, thus far, reads as if it’s a cartoon for adults: One can imagine the story as if Miss Potter drew the series herself and allowed it to be set to animation. There are the adults going about their lives in the Big Folks’ world while the animals interact in their own world (in which they talk as humans), and when the two worlds intermix, the adults hear the animals talking but as we hear animals talk in real life: barks, meows, caws, moos, etc.
Mrs. Albert gives a personality to each animal and carries it off well for each: aloof and independent for cats (a bit snobbish, too), friendly and competitive for dogs, erudite for Professor Owl, brave for Bosworth Badger, and on and on. Having had dogs, cats, hamsters, guinea pigs, birds, a rat (my cousin’s)—all my life lived around animals, domestic and wildlife (birds, squirrels, racoons, skunks, and possums)—I find this a fun read but not “bubblegum” cutesy.
The one part I glossed over was the badger-baiting scene in which an abused-to-be-made-mean dog is put into a ring with a female badger (and, in this case, her female baby), and money is placed down to see which will come out on top: the dog or the badger(s). I doubt Mrs. Albert went into much detail, but I also didn’t want to take the chance. My grandmother read a modern book in which a dog fight was actually described, and it depressed her for DAYS after (it was SO hard for her to get the monstrous images out of her mind—especially since it involved pit bulls, and we happened to have pits at the time and LOVED them BIG TIME (just about the sweetest, loyalist, and most-protective-of-their-people dogs in the world)), so I didn’t want to be put in the same position, which is why I skipped over the scene.
Summary: Beatrix Potter is back in Sawrey, dealing with the renovation of her house and trying to build up her farm by acquiring some sheep, cows, pigs, etc. life’s going well for her despite a surly contractor who doesn’t like to work for women. But life comes to an end for Ben Hornby, a nearby farmer found dead (by Beatrix and Rascal) at the bottom of a hill on his property. He was the farmer from whom Beatrix had bought her sheep, but her sheep wondered off…or were they stolen? And the latest newcomer to Sawrey isn’t enjoying her time either. Caroline Longford is granddaughter to Lady Longford, the town’s patroness, who has a bossy companion who doesn’t like Caroline (for some reason) and doesn’t have much tolerance for the girl either, but her crochet may be explained by the sudden sickness she’s fallen prey to that her doctor, Mr. butters, can’t seem to diagnose.
To top off Caroline’s bad time and Hornby’s death (later to be determined murder), there’s a string of accidents and oddities: Hornby’s cows die, his barn burned down (both prior to death), Beatrix’s sheep missing, Beatrix’s guinea pig, Tuppenny, gets lost, and a badger sett’s raided, and a mother and two babies stolen. To top it ALL off, Sawrey’s beloved Miss Nash may lose the coveted Head Teacher position due to a mysterious man named Dr. Gainwell whom no one’s met before but to whom Lady Longford gives her backing.
All of these thrown into a pot and only Beatrix (with the help of her animal friends) can make any sense and order come out of it.
Grade: A
July 10, 2017
As Beatrix Potter continues to work on getting Hilltop Farm--her recent purchase in the Lake District--ready to run as a farm again, life goes on in the nearby town of Sawrey for both the locals and the local animals. There's drama aplenty brewing, with old Ben Hornby found dead at the foot of Holly How, and then sheep Beatrix purchased from him gone missing. Then old Lady Longford's orphaned granddaughter Caroline, whom she had accepted with extreme reluctance, is having a miserable time at the manor thanks to her grandmother's sneaky companion Martine--she must be up to something. The local magistrate has his hands full dealing with Ben's death as well as rumors of an illegal badger baiting going on--not to mention what happens when Caroline goes missing. Meanwhile, the animals are having their own dramas, as they can talk as well as humans, but humans just don't understand them. There are the badgers at the Brockery, all of Beatrix's animals, and many more. They're not happy about the badger baiting either, but what can they do?
Honestly, if I'd known there were talking animals in this, I wouldn't have picked it up. Too twee for me, and the world here doesn't make sense. Would humans really not notice that animals wear clothes, use crockery, read books, get doctoral degrees, etc.? I just didn't buy it. And I love fantasy. I liked the description of the area, since it's a beautiful part of England, and I was happy enough to follow the stories of the humans even when the "mysteries" were pretty obvious. So...probably won't read more of the series.
Honestly, if I'd known there were talking animals in this, I wouldn't have picked it up. Too twee for me, and the world here doesn't make sense. Would humans really not notice that animals wear clothes, use crockery, read books, get doctoral degrees, etc.? I just didn't buy it. And I love fantasy. I liked the description of the area, since it's a beautiful part of England, and I was happy enough to follow the stories of the humans even when the "mysteries" were pretty obvious. So...probably won't read more of the series.
January 17, 2020
I had just finished reading a very difficult book, filled with angst and sadness and bedlam. And it had no ending at all. It just stopped in the midst of pandemonium. I needed something light, fluffy, warm and cozy. I looked through books I have gathered over the years and haven't gotten around to reading. A bargain table book I picked up many years ago caught my eye - The Cottage Tales of Beatrix Potter. What could be better? I saw that this was book 2, but took a chance and found a most delightful little story. I would say this is a book for Young Adults, but us Old Adults can read it and delight in the adventures of the dog, the sheep, the guinea pig, and ?badgers?, to name just a few. I always thought of badgers as mean, nasty, disagreeable creatures, but these badgers were quite nice. And, of course, the animals all talk (in italics) which just adds to the fun. This is a nice, cozy little mystery and everything ends happily for the good guys and the baddies get their just desserts. I now want to read more in this series and also wade into the China Bayles novels. I really enjoy Ms. Albert's style of writing.
April 17, 2023
My rating:3 .5 out of 5 stars
When I read "The Tale of Hill Top Farm," last year I wasn't very impressed, which made me think that I may not continue "The Cottage Tales of Beatrix Potter," series.
I recently decided to give this series another chance and I am glad that I did.
After reading "The Tale of Holly How," I realized that this series is one that I will enjoy when I'm in the mood for a cozy novel with an idealistic setting and cast of characters. The books will never be deep and the mysteries never complex, but that's okay!
Sometimes we want to escape the stresses of real life when we read and I think the series does that.
I will say, though, that I do think that "The Tale of Holly How," is a bit more complex than the previous book in the series and for that reason I did quite enjoy it.
Not sure when I will read book 3 in "The Cottage Tales of Beatrix Potter," but it will be when I'm dreaming of a quiet life in the English countryside :)
When I read "The Tale of Hill Top Farm," last year I wasn't very impressed, which made me think that I may not continue "The Cottage Tales of Beatrix Potter," series.
I recently decided to give this series another chance and I am glad that I did.
After reading "The Tale of Holly How," I realized that this series is one that I will enjoy when I'm in the mood for a cozy novel with an idealistic setting and cast of characters. The books will never be deep and the mysteries never complex, but that's okay!
Sometimes we want to escape the stresses of real life when we read and I think the series does that.
I will say, though, that I do think that "The Tale of Holly How," is a bit more complex than the previous book in the series and for that reason I did quite enjoy it.
Not sure when I will read book 3 in "The Cottage Tales of Beatrix Potter," but it will be when I'm dreaming of a quiet life in the English countryside :)
January 12, 2022
This little gem is found at about the 7:25 mark in the audio book: “It is undeniably true that the imagination is far more powerful than knowledge. And, that it is much more important to believe in something than to know it. There is, after all, a limit to the things we can know, even if we are fortunate enough to be geniuses. But no limit, whatsoever, to the things we might imagine. And if we cannot imagine we will never know what we have yet to learn, for imagination shows us what is possible before knowledge leads us to what is true.” Which has sparked much thought and discussion. I am really enjoying the mix of human nature and whimsy. Virginia Leishman is the perfect narrator for this series.
September 10, 2024
The Tale of Holly How by Susan Wittig Albert is book 2 in The Cottage Tales of Beatrix Potter. It is a delightful, cozy mystery that features Beatrix Potter and her beloved animals when she moves to a farm in the English countryside. I love the attention to domestic details and the fact that the animals can talk (although the humans do not know that they can talk). In this book, Beatrix Potter discovers a body and believes the death was not an accident. Albert’s writing style is quaint and cozy and her characters are well developed. I also love the bits of dialogue that feature conversations about Beatrix Potter’s children’s books. If you like cozy mysteries and are a fan of Beatrix Potter, this series is for you.
September 5, 2017
I've come to the conclusion that these should be more annoying than they are. They feature talking animals, and Beatrix Potter as detective, and overall it should all be irritatingly cute. But somehow it kind of works? I always wonder if I'm going to read the next one, and then find myself vaguely curious about what happens next, because some of the characters are fun.
(The opposite is also true - some of the characters are terrible. In fact, the villains can always be spotted on the page they're introduced, because they're always so ridiculously, entirely terrible.)
But I'm probably going to read the next one...
(The opposite is also true - some of the characters are terrible. In fact, the villains can always be spotted on the page they're introduced, because they're always so ridiculously, entirely terrible.)
But I'm probably going to read the next one...
March 28, 2018
BK 2 of Cottage Tales of Beatrix Potter
Finds Beatriz Potter and her Hill Top Farmer Mr Jennings going to Holly How to look at the two Herdwick ewes and three lambs they bought and finding instead the dead body of cranky old shepherd, Ben Hornsby. Mid Potter takes her sweet guinea pig Tuppence to comfort friendless Caroline now staying with her imperious and ailing Grandmother’s Lady Longford and her conniving companion Miss Martine. Miss Potter finds a pair of Badger tongs which help convict Ben’s murderer, and put away the badger baiter of the Hill Top Farm Sett. Many of the local animals, wild and domestic, join together to thwart illegal badger baiting, and all ends well.
Finds Beatriz Potter and her Hill Top Farmer Mr Jennings going to Holly How to look at the two Herdwick ewes and three lambs they bought and finding instead the dead body of cranky old shepherd, Ben Hornsby. Mid Potter takes her sweet guinea pig Tuppence to comfort friendless Caroline now staying with her imperious and ailing Grandmother’s Lady Longford and her conniving companion Miss Martine. Miss Potter finds a pair of Badger tongs which help convict Ben’s murderer, and put away the badger baiter of the Hill Top Farm Sett. Many of the local animals, wild and domestic, join together to thwart illegal badger baiting, and all ends well.
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