Intrigue in the Village [Audiobook] [Audio Cassette]

Rebecca Shaw (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 4, 2003

'He is a changed man, Greta. A changed man. Those frosty blue eyes of his are not nearly so chilling as they were.' There is a mystery surrounding the invitation by Craddock Fitch to the Big House. It is billed as a celebration of his business, but as everyone in the village has been invited, it is obviously more exciting than that. When everyone is assembled, they find that it is a lavish wedding reception for two very surprising people. With these festivities over, the inhabitants of Turnham Malpas are thrown into preparations of a different nature. It is the 150th anniversary of the village school and Kate - the head teacher - is arranging a big event. There is the problem of accommodating everyone's enthusiasm as they plan a cricket match, buffet teas, maypole dancing, plays and singing on the green. But there is one problem of which she is unaware. In inviting the previous head teachers, she has asked her predecessor, little realizing that he is married to Suzy, mother of the rector's twins. When it comes to meeting their mother for the first time, the twins don't know how they will feel, and nor for that matter do their parents...

Editorial Reviews

Review

'One again Shaw magically captures the nuances of life in a very English village... Shaw's popularity is growing and there is plenty to savour here.' LANCASHIRE EVENING POST --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

About the Author

Rebecca Shaw qualified as a teacher of deaf children before raising a family. With the departure of the last of her four children she turned to writing. Pam Ferris was recently on ITV with Felicity Kendall in Rosemary and Thyme and is in the latest Harry Potter film, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban in 2004. She was also (famously and brilliantly) Ma Larkin in Darling Buds of May with Catherine Zeta-Jones and has has featured on television in The Bill, Casualty, Middlemarch, Where the Heart Is, Nicholas Nickleby, Linda Green, Darling Buds of May, Clocking Off and now Rosemary & Thyme and appeared in numerous other TV productions. On film, she co-starred with Danny De Vito in Roald Dahl's Matilda.

Product Details

• Audio Cassette
• Publisher: Orion Publishing (December 4, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0752860739
• ISBN-13: 978-0752860732
• Product Dimensions: 5.3 x 4.2 x 1.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.5 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #10,134,265 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Pleasant Read, Little Intrigue, August 22, 2005

By 

disheveledprofessor "disheveledprofessor" (the home of the Blue Angels) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Intrigue in the Village (Hardcover)

This is a pleasant read. I enjoyed the village of Turnham Malpas [Rebecca Shaw has written several novels in this setting, apparently a series]. The author has created living characters, about whom you care and about whom you enjoy reading. The novel reminds me a little of Jan Karon's novels about Mitford, without the religious underpinning.

The first half of the book is very good and has all the ingredients needed for a good yarn. But things just peter out.

4.0 out of 5 stars Good installment in the series, August 4, 2008

By 

M. Hudgens "mhleigh" (Washington, D.C.) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Intrigue in the Village (Turnham Malpas 10) (Paperback)

In this installment of the Turham Malpas series, the villagers are invited to attend a lavish party celebrating the business success of a prominent towns person. Once they get there, however, it revealed that they are actually at the wedding reception of two villagers they would never expect. Meanwhile, the village is planning another celebration - the school's 150th anniversary. The problem? All the old head teachers and their families are being invited, and a former headmaster is now married to the birth mother of the rector's adopted twins (did you catch all that?).

Quote: "No one moved: they were too stunned. A strained silence fell, which no one dared break."

This novel continues the trend of the later Turham Malpas books towards focusing on all of the ramifications of our poor decisions coming back to cause us unforeseen problems years later. A potentially blech new couple ends up working really well together, even though none of the character flaws are erased. A very good installment of this series.

4.0 out of 5 stars Good installment in the series, August 4, 2008

By 

M. Hudgens "mhleigh" (Washington, D.C.) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Intrigue in the Village (Hardcover)

In this installment of the Turham Malpas series, the villagers are invited to attend a lavish party celebrating the business success of a prominent towns person. Once they get there, however, it revealed that they are actually at the wedding reception of two villagers they would never expect. Meanwhile, the village is planning another celebration - the school's 150th anniversary. The problem? All the old head teachers and their families are being invited, and a former headmaster is now married to the birth mother of the rector's adopted twins (did you catch all that?).

Quote: "No one moved: they were too stunned. A strained silence fell, which no one dared break."

This novel continues the trend of the later Turham Malpas books towards focusing on all of the ramifications of our poor decisions coming back to cause us unforeseen problems years later. A potentially blech new couple ends up working really well together, even though none of the character flaws are erased. A very good installment of this series.