The Tale of Holly How [Large Print] [Hardcover]

Susan Wittig Albert (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 19, 2005

Book 2 in The Cottage Tales of Beatrix Potter

Everyone in the sleepy village of Sawrey, Beatrix Potter's new home, has a good word to say about local shepherd Ben Hornby. Unfortunately, old Ben has had nothing but trouble this year. His barn burnt down and his cows died. Then Beatrix finds him dead in the meadow and suspects foul play. But there's no evidence, and anyway, who would have done such a thing?

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Starred Review. As in 2004's The Tale of Hill Top Farm, Albert skillfully blends fact and fiction in her second Beatrix Potter tale set in the quaint English Lake District village of Near Sawrey. Beatrix is in the midst of renovating Hill Top Farm when she discovers the body of Ben Hornby, a local sheep owner who has recently had more than his share of bad luck. She suspects foul play and joins the local constable and real-life solicitor William Heelis in investigating the cause of Hornby's demise. Still reeling from the sudden death of her fiancé, Beatrix becomes more involved with her fellow villagers, in particular 11-year-old Caroline, who lives with her grandmother, Lady Longforth. Vivid descriptions of Sawrey and its environs, attractive human characters and unobtrusive animals with delightful personalities combine to create a mystery that's a stellar tribute to the famous children's author. As charming as the "little books" themselves, this is sure to delight Beatrix Potter fans and cozy lovers everywhere. (July 5)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From School Library Journal

Adult/High School–In this second entry in a delightful and cozy mystery series, Albert hits her stride. Miss Potter is starting to make a life for herself, both on her farm and in the villages of Far and Near Sawrey. She's acquired a herd of Herdwick sheep, is remodeling the farmhouse, and is slowly recovering from the death of her fiancé. Nefarious and curious events begin to happen: the body of a local shepherd is found at the base of a cliff; a pair of badgers is missing, presumably to be used in an illegal badger-baiting fight; and rich Lady Longford is putting forward her own candidate to teach in the Sawrey School. The animals (who can talk to one another) have been joined by the redoubtable Professor Galileo Newton Owl and the stalwart Bosworth Badger XVII, hotelier and genealogist of the badger clan. The plot moves swiftly and surely, with deft characterizations and comic charm, culminating in a rally of Big Folk and animals to save the innocent and punish the guilty. As in the first Cottage Tale, Albert has included research resources, recipes, a glossary, a map, an author's note, and a particularly helpful cast of characters. Teens will enjoy this small gem of a mystery revolving around the sweet Miss Potter, her neighbors, and the charming creatures she holds dear.–Jane Halsall, McHenry Public Library District, IL
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 447 pages
• Publisher: Wheeler Publishing; 1 edition (October 19, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1587248336
• ISBN-13: 978-1587248337
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.7 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.3 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (26 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,134,680 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

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Finally: Beatrix Potter books for adults!, August 12, 2005

By 

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

This review is from: The Tale of Holly How (Cottage Tales of Beatrix Potter Mysteries) (Hardcover)

This second title in the Cottage Tales series is just as charming as the first, "The Tale of Hill Top Farm." Set in England's Lake District in the early 1900s, each episode centers on the pastoral lifestyle found in Near and Far Sawrey. But even in a rural landscape, bad things can happen. Children's author Beatrix Potter, now a farm owner and part-time Lake District resident, helps to solve the mysteries that confound the people of her new hometown. She's aided by animals -- her own pets, the other domesticated animals of the community, and the wild ones who live nearby. The result is the kind of book Potter herself might have written for adults, if she had had the time and inclination.

After reading the first book, I realized I didn't know much about Beatrix and her children's books, so I read "Beatrix Potter: Artist, Storyteller, and Countrywoman" by Judy Taylor. (Another book that I highly recommend.) Now I can see that Susan Wittig Albert is tackling and mastering three tasks at once: weaving a ficticious mystery; setting it closely against biographical and historical fact; and sprinkling the story with the kind of animal insight and "dialogue" found in Potter's original tales. The result is a wonderful and engaging narrative that is simply a joy a read. Yes, it's "cozy," but it's also more comfortable and familiar than others of that genre.

Though she's been gone for more than 60 years, Beatrix Potter's spirit lives today: not only in the reprints of her own work, but also in this new series by Albert. How lucky for us!

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars stories for adults!, October 8, 2005

By 

Elizabeth Slater (North Florida) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: The Tale of Holly How (Cottage Tales of Beatrix Potter Mysteries) (Hardcover)

2nd in the series featuring Beatrix Potter and her pets, this story returns to Swaney, England, where Beatrix has purchased Hill Top Farm with the proceeds of her children's books, much to the dismay of her parents. Hill Top is under renovations when the body of Ben Hornby, a local sheep farmer, is discovered. Beatrix involves herself in the investigation, along with the local police and solicitor, despite her depression from the death of her fiance. I love the way the mysteries intertwine - between the humans and the animals - unbeknownst to the humans, of course. These are definitely cozies - well-written and entertaining stories that I look forward to each time, in all three of the series the author writes.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Perfect Story, August 6, 2006

By 

E. T. Greer "Just LOVE books" (Virginia, USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Tale of Holly How (The Cottage Tales of Beatrix P) (Mass Market Paperback)

The Cottage Tales, all three to date, are wonderful, beautifully researched, exciting, detailed, well-written, and a pure JOY to read. I have been familiar since childhood with all of Beatrix Potter's books, her home, her biography, have visited her farms in the UK, and own first editions of the actual Tales and the accompanying figurines. The Cottage Tales by Albert complement these books perfectly in every way. Susan Wittig Albert has struck the perfect tone in creating this magical and satisfying series. The animals are so fun! The characters speak the dialects so well. Everything is PERFECT. I love these three books and am recommending them to everyone I know. I cannot wait to see the new one!