Village Secrets [MP3 Audio] [CD-ROM]

Rebecca Shaw (Author), Anne Cater (Reader)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 1, 2008

The village school is to get a new head, and the inhabitants of Turnham Malpas await her arrival with curiosity. At first sight, Kate Pascoe seems ideal. She's young, pretty and obviously loves her job. But when she introduces meditation classes for her ten-year-olds, and even tree-hugging, the villagers begin to think again. Then a strange malaise afflicts the whole village: lights are seen in Sykes Wood at night; a dog long dead appears to come to life, and a sudden shocking death plunges the village into a state of superstitious dread. And always at the eye of the storm is Kate Pascoe...

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Editorial Reviews

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. She lives in Dorset. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From AudioFile

Shaw's series concerns the British country village of Turnham Malpas. In this installment the school gets a new headmaster, who brings new ideas that come as a shock to some of the teachers and residents. Anne Cater creates likable and thoughtfully rendered characters from scanty material. Her excellent timing moves the story along smoothly and helps enrich thin moments in the plot. It turns out there's witchcraft afoot, and it's up to Rector Peter Harris to save the village. This Gothic touch might have been more fun without the author's obvious distaste for the "new age." Still, memorable characters and superb narration make this worth a listen. D.G. © AudioFile 2002, Portland, Maine-- Copyright © AudioFile, Portland, Maine --This text refers to the Audio Cassette edition.

Product Details

• CD-ROM
• Publisher: Soundings Audio Books (December 1, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1407901354
• ISBN-13: 978-1407901350
• Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Not as good as the rest of the series, July 2, 2008

By 

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

This review is from: Village Secrets (Turnham Malpas 05) (Paperback)

The village school is in need of a new teacher, and to fill the void Kate Pascoe is hired. Totally different from the former headmaster, Kate has new fangled ideas for how the school should be run (technology, *gasp*), which alienates her from some of the residents. However, her troubles have just begun, as she becomes embroiled in a dark side of village life.

Quote: "But someone has to get rid of these people, haven't they - and who better than me?"

I must say that while I still enjoy this series, this particular novel is one of my least favorites of the bunch. A little too much shadiness with new characters distracts focus from the story lines with the main villagers that are much more interesting. It is one of those books in a series you just read (if you're compulsive like me) because you can't skip one before moving onto the next.

3.0 out of 5 stars HUH?, July 7, 2010

By 

Morlock Rising (Santa Clara, CA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Village Secrets (Turnham Malpas 05) (Paperback)

I've read almost all of the relaxing Fairacre series by Miss Read, so I was hoping for a similar vein... Well, I'm not sure what to say. I was bored at first b/c I was used to different characters. Took another dive a month later and it started to pick up. Things got intriguing, if a bit melodramatic. Then some goofy supernatural stuff started and I went "Wow!" and became interested... Next I had this odd feeling of being stuck in a 1980's made-for-television drama, somewhat akin to K-9 & Company but hardly hilarious upon realizing how serious it was getting. Next with some of the cultural snubbing I was offended. Eventually it lead to total embarrassment on so many levels to so many groups. I'm not sure whom to feel sorry for. I have high doubts English Villagers are ever so daft, as well as any connections to black-clothed vegans and voodoo, and certainly would anticipate a country Rector to be better informed. This story seems to be one in many treatments to fiction that adopts wild soap-opera melodrama without expecting it's audience to drop it's suspension of disbelief, much less roll on the floor laughing from the foolishness. It had potential, too. If you consider yourself to be somewhat wise or intelligent and would like a goofy ride, take a turn with Village Secrets.