Arson and Old Lace: A Far Wychwood Mystery [Large Print] [Hardcover]

Patricia Harwin (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 6, 2005

"You're a librarian, not a detective," Catherine Penny's daughter reminds her. Catherine, suddenly single in her sixties, is leaving behind New York City and a failed marriage for a lovely 17th-century cottage in the idyllic English village of Far Wychwood. But behind the town's quaint stone walls and lace-curtained windows lurk dark secrets and whispers of witchcraft. And when her crusty neighbor dies in a tragic fire, Catherine alone suspects arson.

Editorial Reviews

Review

A delightful mystery....Catherine reminds me of Christie's Miss Marple with an American twist. Inviting, intimate, intriguing...quite simply fun. -- Old Book Barn Gazette --This text refers to the Mass Market Paperback edition.

About the Author

PATRICIA HARWIN is the author of the national bestseller Arson and Old Lace, the first novel in her acclaimed Far Wychwood mystery series. Like her heroine Catherine Penny, she is a librarian. She lives with her husband in Rockville, Maryland, where she is hard at work on the next Far Wychwood mystery. --This text refers to the Mass Market Paperback edition.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 360 pages
• Publisher: Wheeler Publishing; 1 edition (October 6, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1597220876
• ISBN-13: 978-1597220873
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.4 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (31 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #115,062 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #21 in Books > Large Print > Mystery & Thrillers
  • #48 in Books > Large Print > Literature & Fiction

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

37 of 37 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Harwin is well on her way to being a favorite author of mine, March 26, 2004

By 

M. C. Crammer (Decatur, GA USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

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This review is from: Arson and Old Lace (Far Wychwood Mysteries, No. 1) (Mass Market Paperback)

That's high prize given that she's only published this one book, but this book was excellent. After 50 pages or so, I couldn't put it down.

I suspect that the author was writing with her tongue firmly in cheek -- having fun with all the conventions of the English Cozy Mystery (including the rustic gardener whose English is almost incomprehensible because of a heavy rural accent and the manor house), and yet she has a vicar who confounds all the conventions of the "cozy" -- he's young, abrasive, and doesn't fit in. He wants to tear down the old church and build a modern worship center!

The plot involves an older American woman, Catherine Penny, who has moved to a picturesque cottage in the Cotswolds following her divorce. She has a daughter and grandchild in England, and after her husband's betrayal, feels the need to start over somewhere new. The picturesque cottage is marred only by a decrepit cottage across the road, inhabited by the hermit-like and cantankerous George Crocker -- who Catherine insists upon trying to help. Meanwhile, she gets to know all the stock characters of the English cozy, including the people who live in the manor house and the woman who runs the village shop.

She has hardly begun to settle in before there is a murder -- she has difficulty convincing anyone that murder has taken place because murders aren't supposed to happen in this little village. She sets out (driven by a sense of justice?) to discover who the killer is. Meanwhile, she's trying to care for her daughter's toddler, and butting heads with her daughter in the process -- so Catherine's personal life is intertwined with her detective work. I also was surprised by the ending -- totally -- something that doesn't happen very often -- and yet it all made sense (no holes in this plot!)

This book quickly developed into a real page turner, because it is well written and carefully plotted -- and because you care for and like Catherine. I can hardly wait until the next book to come out, but will have to wait for over a year!

33 of 33 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful English cozy!, March 12, 2004

By A Customer

This review is from: Arson and Old Lace (Far Wychwood Mysteries, No. 1) (Mass Market Paperback)

I enjoyed this book very much. It has all the best aspects of an English cozy: a good mystery that keeps you guessing, very enjoyable characters living in a quaint village setting, and of course wonderful descriptions of the beautiful English countryside. I felt like I was taking a trip to the Cotswolds everytime I picked it up. I also enjoyed how the author wrapped everything up nicely in the end. I look forward to reading many more books in this series. I just wish I didn't have to wait so long for the next one!

21 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars an excellent debut, January 25, 2004

By 

tregatt (Portland, Oregon) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Arson and Old Lace (Far Wychwood Mysteries, No. 1) (Mass Market Paperback)

This is the first installment in a brand new series by a new authour (Patricia Harwin), and what a thoroughly enjoyable read "Arson and Old Lace" proved to be! Set in a small little village just outside Oxford (Far Wychwood), "Arson and Old Lace" fits comfortably within the parameters of what an English "cozy" should be. Patricia Harwin obviously knows exactly what ingredients should go into an English "cozy," as well as what to add/change so that "Arson and Old Lace" manages (and rightly so) to come across as something fresh and vibrant. I enjoyed reading this mystery novel immensely and am feeling really both disappointed and impatient since I will have to wait a whole year in order to be able to read the next Catherine Penny mystery novel.

Bitter, angry and saddened by her sudden divorce, sixty-something Catherine Penny has decided to leave her old life in New York City behind her and move into a charming little 17th century cottage at Far Wychwood, near Oxford. Of course Catherine won't be really all alone since her daughter, Emily, and her family lives there as well. Determined to put the memory of her failed marriage and her ex-husband, Quinn, behind her, the very notion of moving to another country definitely had its appeal. But Catherine is little prepared for the odd characters that she encountered in her new home. People like her immediate neighbour, senile old George Crocker, who seems to have been left to cope with things all by himself by both his family and the village; or the zealot-like new vicar, Ian Laribee, who seems intent on removing all signs of the village church's historical past. Fortunately most of the villagers seem to be nice and welcoming, and Catherine soon begins to feel that her decision to immigrate was the right one.

That is until old George Crocker is found dead in his burning cottage. Thanks to Catherine, the police quickly discover enough evidence to conclude that George was murdered. You'd think that having convinced the police that old George had been murdered would have been enough for Catherine, but Catherine finds that she has a burning urge to discover for herself who had murdered George and why. But in a village that goes back hundreds of years and where the villagers all seem to have roots that also go back as long, Catherine just might dig up more than she has bargained for...

I love English "cozies" and it was a real treat to discover "Arson and Old Lace." The story was a good one, dealing evenly with how Catherine tries to cope with her hurt over the breakup of her marriage; the difficulties she faces with her daughter, Emily; how she adapts to life in Far Wychwood, and how she keeps finding herself deeply involved in trying to unmask George's murderer. The pacing was even and fairly swift -- nothing got bogged down -- and there was enough plot twists and red herring suspects so that mystery buffs shouldn't feel too shortchanged. "Arson and Old Lace" is wonderful first installment in a brand new series that is worth recommending that everyone buy/read and keep an eye out for future installments. This truly was an excellent buy and read.