The Tale of Briar Bank (The Cottage Tales of Beatrix P) [Hardcover]

Susan Wittig Albert (Author)

Book Description

Series: The Cottage Tales of Beatrix P | Publication Date: September 30, 2008

Beloved children’s author Beatrix Potter, wearing the hat of amateur sleuth, returns in this delightful series “with legs—and tails.”(Publishers Weekly)

Near Sawrey, the seat of Miss Potter’s country home, is abuzz—Mr. Wickstead has died under a tree limb. The villagers are certain that his death had to do with a treasure he dug up last spring. But why was he in the wood on a frigid night? And what of the claw marks on the limb? And what was that treasure? As per usual, the town’s animals know more than the Big Folk. And only Pickles, Wickstead’s fox terrier, knows exactly what happened.

Meanwhile, Miss Potter wonders: can she acknowledge her fondness for Mr. Heelis and remain loyal to the memory of her fiancé? She has no time to muse, what with helping the denizens of Sawrey, human and animal—and the little matter of murder.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

At the start of Albert's delightful fifth cottage tale (after 2007's The Tale of Hawthorn House), Beatrix Potter, dismayed by the frosty atmosphere at home in London with her demanding parents, returns to Hill Top Farm in the Lake District, where she gets caught in a blizzard. As she catches up on local gossip, Beatrix learns of the demise of a longtime resident, Hugh Wickstead, killed by a falling tree limb in the woods. Was Hugh the victim of a curse after he unearthed ancient treasure? Of course, the animals have their own stories to tell, and Beatrix turns to them for help in the investigation. Familiar creatures pop up along the way, including Pickles, a fox terrier that belonged to Hugh and may hold the secret to his master's death. As Beatrix reconnects with village life, her 1909 book, The Tale of Ginger and Pickles, begins to take shape. Readers will delight in Albert's special blend of fact and fiction. (Oct.)
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From Booklist

*Starred Review* This whimsical, amiable, enchanting, gentle, and charming tale is the fifth (and best) in Sharon Wittig Albert’s series featuring Miss Beatrix Potter. It succeeds on many levels and for many audiences. Readers should not expect a traditional mystery as there is no murder; instead, there is a series of intrigues to be untangled by the tactful Miss Potter. The puzzles include the death of the antiquarian Hugh Wickstead (killed by a falling treetop), a fireball burning down a barn, the mysterious appearance of a long-lost sister of Mr. Wickstead, and a missing treasure. This is also a fantasy, with talking animals and dragons who seem to know more about the puzzles than any of the humans. In true old-fashioned style, the narrator is omniscient and regularly tells the reader information to which the book’s characters are not privy. This technique was used by Potter herself in her little tales and by Baum in the Oz books. There is also a real-life romance beginning to flourish between the two “real” characters, Beatrix Potter and her solicitor, Will Heelis. On yet another level, this is an engaging historical novel imparting much information about the life of Beatrix Potter in December 1909 in the village of Near Sawrey in the Lake District of England. Readers who begin with the open mind of a child will be well rewarded. --Judy Coon

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 320 pages
• Publisher: Berkley Hardcover; First Edition edition (September 30, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0425223612
• ISBN-13: 978-0425223611
• Product Dimensions: 8.1 x 5.2 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (20 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #720,615 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

My husband Bill and I live on 31 acres in the Hill Country of Central Texas, and have longhorn cows, sheep, geese, as well as the wild things that roam the meadows and woods. Our best buddies are our three dogs (Zach, Lady, and Toro) and our cat, Shadow. I'm a passionate gardener and am concerned about issues of global warming and energy depletion. You can find out more about the way I live in my new memoir, Together, Alone: A Memoir of Marriage and Place.

I've been writing professionally for nearly 25 years, after a stint in higher education as a faculty member and administrator. When I first started writing full time, I worked in the Nancy Drew and Hardy Boys series--yep, you got it: I am both Carolyn Keene and Franklin W. Dixon! (How cool is that?) In the years I was writing young adult novels, with Bill or by myself, I wrote over sixty books. In addition, Bill and I wrote a series of Victorian/Edwardian mysteries together, as Robin Paige.

Now, I write three mystery series: the China Bayles herbal mysteries, the Cottage Tales of Beatrix Potter, and a new series (starting in July, 2010) called The Darling Dahlias, about a Southern garden club in the 1930s. Writing is not only my work, but my passion. Truly a right livelihood, and I'm grateful to have found it. I am also a member (and the founder) of the Story Circle Network, a nonprofit organization that supports women who want to write about their lives.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Another winning episode in the Cottage Tales series, October 4, 2008

By 

Corinne H. Smith (Athol, MA USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: The Tale of Briar Bank (The Cottage Tales of Beatrix P) (Hardcover)

Avid fans are now familiar with Miss Potter's retreats to her properties in the Land Between the Lakes ... and with her propensity for unraveling some of the mysteries that occur there. Here, it's December 1909, and Beatrix arrives just in time for a substantial snowfall that effectively maroons the Sawrey residents. She welcomes the fact that she's cut off from London. But a double tragedy has already taken place: Hugh Wickstead is dead, and Lady Longford's hay barn has burned down. Were both incidents accidents? Where is the Viking treasure that Wickstead supposedly found? Was he as cursed as the village gossips say he was? What is Mr. Heelis' relationship with Sarah Barwick? (Or with Miss Potter, for that matter?) And in a subplot twist that could easily be contemporary: the bank is about to foreclose on Courier Cottage, the home of the Suttons and their eight children. Can their hired girl Deidre find a way to get the veterinarian's customers to finally pay their bills?

As usual, the tale is told in omniscient style by a chatty off-screen narrator, mimicking the style found in Miss Potter's very own children's books. And again, as usual, the animals of the region take center stage. In the coziness of the underground Brockery, Bosworth Badger and his guests discuss the recent events over dinner and even make new, unexpected friends. What a pity that the humans do not follow the Badger Rules of Thumb! And what a pity that the humans never listen to what the animals have to say. We, as the ultimate eavesdroppers, have the benefit of hearing both sides.

Susan Wittig Albert continues to weave interesting storylines while maintaining the basics of historical integrity. To those who enjoy quirky mysteries that include "talking" animals: Here be good reading.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Dragons Abound, October 10, 2008

By 

Story Circle Book Reviews - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Tale of Briar Bank (The Cottage Tales of Beatrix P) (Hardcover)

A true storyteller puts your mind to work and pulls you into the story. Susan Wittig Albert is a master at this skill with her latest offering in the Cottage Tales of Beatrix Potter series. The Tale of Briar Bank is laced with local gossip and conversation. No person (or animal) is neglected; no voice is considered too small and insignificant. Each chapter draws the reader deeper into the story while we remain "safely hidden behind the penny postcard rack."

In early 1900's England, there be dragons! They are very tricky creatures and appear in varied guises. Beatrix Potter has made her escape, albeit temporary, from her dreary life in London with its resident dragon, only to find more dragons waiting in her pleasant heart-home of the Land between the Lakes. A record early snow storm grants her a brief reprieve from returning to the life her parents and society would choose for her, leaving Miss Potter in Near Sawrey with time to contemplate her heart's desires, catch up on local gossip, help out a few friends and maybe solve the mystery behind the strange rumors and unusual circumstances of the death of an antiquities collector.

A unique blend of history and mystery unfolds as the inhabitants of the small, old fashioned village go about their gossipy ways. Which eligible male was seen with one of the ladies? Is there romance in the air with more than one couple? Where is the treasure the antiquities collector was rumored to have found? Will the villagers be isolated because the ferry is broken and the roads impassable? If only the animals could talk...no,wait...they can! The Big Folk (humans) can't understand them, but the talking animals offer dimensions of the story that just aren't possible when the narrative is conveyed only through human characters. Join Beatrix Potter, the village residents and the animals of the Land Between the Lakes as they band together to solve the mystery of Briar Bank. And try to count how many dragons appear in this fun cozy that will entertain teens, adults and all Beatrix Potter fans.

by Rhonda Esakov
for Story Circle Book Reviews
reviewing books by, for, and about women

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Enchanting, October 8, 2008

By 

Sandy Rhoad "Insatiable reader" (Branchville, SC United States) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Tale of Briar Bank (The Cottage Tales of Beatrix P) (Hardcover)

How this author can transform herself into this bewitching tale and also be successful in her thoroughly modern China Bayles mysteries - is a bewilderment to me. She is successful at both. If you are an admirer (and purchaser) of all the "Tales" you don't have to be told to suspend your belief system and enter with joy. If you are incapable of shedding your frown - don't read this series. It is a charming story of human and animal involvement in a small village and in the life of the very real Beatrix Potter. I relish my time with these little books - they transport me into such a winsome world that I am distressed in completing the book. Purchase the entire set and read from the beginning. You will not be sorry. They will improve your worldly outlook.