AUTHOR: Harwin, Patricia
TITLE: Arson and Old Lace
DATE READ: 06/16/14
RATING: 4.5/B+
GENRE/PUB DATE/PUBLISHER/# OF PGS: Mystery/2004/Simon &Shuster/278 pgs
SERIES/STAND-ALONE: #1 in The Far Wychwood series
TIME/PLACE: 2004/Far Wychwood and English village near Oxford
CHARACTERS: Catherine Penny -- retired librarian

FIRST LINES: " I pulled the car in close to the hedgerow and turned the key, and that amazing silence came down. It was the silence I had been wanting for more than a year, since my husband had left me, since I'd decided my only hope of peace lay in the ancient rhythms of an English village."
COMMENTS: Catherine Penny is originally from Ohio but had lived in NYC for most of her adult life -- married, mother of one daughter and a librarian. All that has changed -- she is retired, her daughter is now married and a mother and living in Oxford, UK; and her husband left her for younger woman. She decides a change is due and moves to the small village of Far Wychwood, more affordable than Oxford but close enough to be near her daughter and babysit her grandson. Catherine loves her home and village. Her elderly neighbor is living on his own but his health is failing and she goes over to help when she sees smoke. He is rather irascible and muddled and his ramblings are confusing but clear in the fact that he is not appreciative of her concern. Despite him not wanting help Catherine is persistent in finding out where his family is and why they are not around. There is a daughter who has mysteriously vanished many years ago and then a son who insists the father is fine and doesn't need any help. A second sighting of smoke at her neighbors -- only this time Catherine is too late to the rescue -- her neighbor is on the floor, lifeless -- she notices a dent in his head that appears to have been there prior to the fall on the floor so murder rather than an accident. At first, Catherine appears the nosy American and is not to be believed by most until the authorities do agree w/ her observations and pursue the investigation as a homicide rather than an accidental death. I enjoyed this debut & look forward to the 2nd book, only wish there were more. ( )

This is a first book in a series and it is a great one. Catherine Penny, recently divorced, has retired from her job as a librarian in the States and moved to a village in England to be closer to her daughter and only grandson.

Her new cottage has only one neighbor, a 90-something man who appears neglected and very afraid. When Catherine tries to help him she is sometimes welcome (of sorts) and often rebuffed and even attacked.

When the old man is killed Catherine can't resist trying to find out who, and why.

This is a complicated story with many twists and turns. Catherine is a nice person with a bit of a nosy attitude but she means well. She makes some good friends in the book and seems to reach some peace with her sometimes all-knowing daughter.

So far there are only two books in the series and I'll be starting the next one as soon as I finish writing this! ( )

You know how much I love finding a new series to enjoy. I definitely found one in ARSON AND OLD LACE. Catherine Penny is a feisty lead character who I grew to admire. She is in her 60s and pulls up roots from her life in New York City after her husband of a chunk of years leaves her for another, younger, woman. Catherine moves to England to be near her daughter who has married an Englishman and had Catherine's grandson.

Catherine is a lot nicer than I would be if the crotchety old neighbor treated me the way he treated her when she goes over to help when she sees smoke coming from his house and puts out the fire and fixes his dinner for him. And continues to do so until she gets fed up, but kind of still looks over him afterwards.

Then she looks into the suspicious death by fire and gets into hot water when she starts digging too deep into the death that no one thinks is worth investigating. Her daughter already thinks there's something wrong with her and the police detective neighbor is gently irritated with her.

She does make some friends pretty much immediately which I thought was pretty nifty. The village is fairly typical for an English village as seen in other English mysteries. Not sure if it's stereotyping, but it's what I tend to expect and love when I read English mysteries, especially English cozies.

I will be on the lookout for the next in the series, SLAYING IS SUCH SWEET SORROW, so I can see how Catherine gets through the visit from her ex and his 'Barbie' he left her for.

Five can't wait to see what happens in this bucolic village beans..... ( )

This was a good cozy mystery with interesting characters. I liked how Catherine sought the truth in the death of her neighbor and I look forward to reading the next book in the series, Slaying is Such Sweet Sorrow. ( )