What do you think?
Rate this book
The Corner Shop
Available for the first time on Kindle!
Lucille Abbey runs her London secretarial agency with utmost efficiency. When, therefore, a certain Professor Hallam rejects three girls sent by her to apply for the post of his secretary and they each pronounce him “impossible”, Lucille herself sets out to interview the Professor at his home in Hampshire. He is, she finds, eccentric—even impossible; but he represents a challenge and, what is more, an excuse to delay what promises to be a trying holiday in Paris. She stays on to tame and to organize him—a less formidable task than she had imagined; in fact, she grows fond of him. But the atmosphere is somewhat disturbed first by the arrival of a debonair French art expert in search of paintings left to the Professor by his mother, and the next by a hysterical girl on the track of her runaway fiancé. The paintings have unaccountably disappeared; the mystery is still unsolved by the time Lucille’s work for the Professor comes to an end and she has to set off for Paris. At her aunt’s shop in the Rue des Dames, the arrival there of the indomitable art expert, the hysterical girl, the Professor, and a persistent suitor to boot, throw Lucille’s normally orderly life into complete upheaval.
*Note, these titles contain the original, unabridged, text exactly as the author first wrote it. Many later editions of Elizabeth Cadell's works were heavily abridged or changed. We hope you enjoy the re-issue of these timeless books. Watch for more to come in the near future!
Cover Design by Nikita Garets
Lucille Abbey runs her London secretarial agency with utmost efficiency. When, therefore, a certain Professor Hallam rejects three girls sent by her to apply for the post of his secretary and they each pronounce him “impossible”, Lucille herself sets out to interview the Professor at his home in Hampshire. He is, she finds, eccentric—even impossible; but he represents a challenge and, what is more, an excuse to delay what promises to be a trying holiday in Paris. She stays on to tame and to organize him—a less formidable task than she had imagined; in fact, she grows fond of him. But the atmosphere is somewhat disturbed first by the arrival of a debonair French art expert in search of paintings left to the Professor by his mother, and the next by a hysterical girl on the track of her runaway fiancé. The paintings have unaccountably disappeared; the mystery is still unsolved by the time Lucille’s work for the Professor comes to an end and she has to set off for Paris. At her aunt’s shop in the Rue des Dames, the arrival there of the indomitable art expert, the hysterical girl, the Professor, and a persistent suitor to boot, throw Lucille’s normally orderly life into complete upheaval.
*Note, these titles contain the original, unabridged, text exactly as the author first wrote it. Many later editions of Elizabeth Cadell's works were heavily abridged or changed. We hope you enjoy the re-issue of these timeless books. Watch for more to come in the near future!
Cover Design by Nikita Garets
255 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1966
313 people are currently reading
854 people want to read
About the author
Elizabeth Cadell
102 books118 followersViolet Elizabeth Vandyke was born on 10 November 1903 in Calcutta, British Raj, daughter of British parents, Elizabeth Lynch and Frederick Reginald Vandyke, a colonial officer. During the Great War she studied music in London, but refused a musical career and returned to India where she married in 1928 Henry Dunlop Raymond Mallock Cadell, and they had a son and daughter. After she was widowed ten years later, she returned to England.
Elizabeth wrote her first book 'My Dear Aunt Flora' during the Second World War in 1946, there after producing another 51 light-hearted, humourous and romantic books which won her a faithful readership in England and America. In addition to England and India, many of her books are set in Spain, France, and Portugal. She finally settled in Portugal, where her married daughter still lived.
She died on 9 October 1989, aged eighty-five.
Elizabeth wrote her first book 'My Dear Aunt Flora' during the Second World War in 1946, there after producing another 51 light-hearted, humourous and romantic books which won her a faithful readership in England and America. In addition to England and India, many of her books are set in Spain, France, and Portugal. She finally settled in Portugal, where her married daughter still lived.
She died on 9 October 1989, aged eighty-five.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 155 reviews
September 12, 2016
A charming mystery-romantic comedy with an impossible plot. Total strangers who have something to do with the weirdly convoluted central mystery keep bumping into each other in the English countryside and in Paris but I just went with it because I loved the heroine, Lucille Abbey, and the dotty, impossible Professor she goes to work for. The Professor washes his own sox and goes around being crotchety and absent-minded. Lucille is a no-nonsense career woman who values her independence and knows how fend for herself. I kept rooting for Lucille to ditch the pompous boring country club guy she was sort of engaged to and .
Even though The Corner Shop is set in England in the 1960s it feels tremendously dated--but I was quite in the mood for just that.
Content rating: G--a clean read.
Even though The Corner Shop is set in England in the 1960s it feels tremendously dated--but I was quite in the mood for just that.
Content rating: G--a clean read.
August 18, 2020
This is one of the ways Goodreads is such a mitzvah in my life. I have no recollection whose recommendation of this book led me to put it on my wish list, but it is a title I never would have heard about outside of this site. And now I have a treasured new retro author to pursue.
This book was written in the 1960s but feels a little more 1950s. It tells the tale of Lucille Abbey, a buttoned-up, efficient young woman (beautiful, of course) who runs a private secretarial firm in London. She is divorced, though we learn little about her marriage and its disillusionments; her focus is on her career. She has sent three of her secretaries to a new client in the countryside and is mystified that all three have quit the job in a day, so she resolves to go see the client to sort things out for herself. And that's about the last efficient, businesslike thing she does in the entire book.
After some slapstick and misunderstandings, she winds up taking the job in the countryside herself, helping an obsessive, impolite professor sort through his deceased father's final academic project. After several weeks she finishes the job and is ready to move on to Paris, where she is supposed to be minding her aunt's shop while her aunt takes a vacation. But before she leaves the professor's house, she becomes involved in a mystery regarding some paintings belonging to the professor's mother, and that mystery pursues her to Paris.
At this point the story really picks up steam, amusement, and vivid characters. There's the stodgy stockbroker to whom Lucille is almost engaged, the art dealer who has embroiled her in the mystery, a random lively English girl who takes her up with a vengeance, and a random lachrymose English girl who does the same. Under pressure from all of them, Lucille finds her well-ordered life spinning out of control--and she surprises herself by being quite happy about it.
The dialogue is clever and the action wacky and improbable, and I had a blast. The mystery is ridiculous but the psychological underpinnings of the characters were solid enough to carry me along for the fun. Everyone had reasons to be sad but they met the world with a joie de vivre that was irresistible. And there was the sort of understated, old-fashioned British romance that is just my cup of tea. Next time I need a complete escape, it will be into the happy world of Elizabeth Cadell (who was, fortunately, prolific).
This book was written in the 1960s but feels a little more 1950s. It tells the tale of Lucille Abbey, a buttoned-up, efficient young woman (beautiful, of course) who runs a private secretarial firm in London. She is divorced, though we learn little about her marriage and its disillusionments; her focus is on her career. She has sent three of her secretaries to a new client in the countryside and is mystified that all three have quit the job in a day, so she resolves to go see the client to sort things out for herself. And that's about the last efficient, businesslike thing she does in the entire book.
After some slapstick and misunderstandings, she winds up taking the job in the countryside herself, helping an obsessive, impolite professor sort through his deceased father's final academic project. After several weeks she finishes the job and is ready to move on to Paris, where she is supposed to be minding her aunt's shop while her aunt takes a vacation. But before she leaves the professor's house, she becomes involved in a mystery regarding some paintings belonging to the professor's mother, and that mystery pursues her to Paris.
At this point the story really picks up steam, amusement, and vivid characters. There's the stodgy stockbroker to whom Lucille is almost engaged, the art dealer who has embroiled her in the mystery, a random lively English girl who takes her up with a vengeance, and a random lachrymose English girl who does the same. Under pressure from all of them, Lucille finds her well-ordered life spinning out of control--and she surprises herself by being quite happy about it.
The dialogue is clever and the action wacky and improbable, and I had a blast. The mystery is ridiculous but the psychological underpinnings of the characters were solid enough to carry me along for the fun. Everyone had reasons to be sad but they met the world with a joie de vivre that was irresistible. And there was the sort of understated, old-fashioned British romance that is just my cup of tea. Next time I need a complete escape, it will be into the happy world of Elizabeth Cadell (who was, fortunately, prolific).
April 27, 2025
Elizabeth Cadell was a prolific writer of frothy romantic comedies from--oh, the 1940s or so into the 1970s. For those who prefer to keep the bedroom door firmly closed, Cadell is a worthwhile find. The settings are modern and mostly English, with occasional forays into France and Portugal. Although long out of print, her books can be found in some civic libraries and are worth checking into and out.
The heroine of The Corner Shop is Lucille Abbey, the beautiful and all-business owner of a secretarial agency. When three of her employees throw in the towel on a seemingly innocuous job for a distant professor, Lucille decides to handle it personally, as much to avoid her would-be fiance as to protect the sterling reputation of her business. The personalities are deftly sketched with a light touch, the dialogue is sure, the plot ricochets from London to remote Hampshire to Paris, with stolen goods, dodgy relatives, a glittering seahorse brooch, and a certain corner shop each playing their part in this amusing romp.
The heroine of The Corner Shop is Lucille Abbey, the beautiful and all-business owner of a secretarial agency. When three of her employees throw in the towel on a seemingly innocuous job for a distant professor, Lucille decides to handle it personally, as much to avoid her would-be fiance as to protect the sterling reputation of her business. The personalities are deftly sketched with a light touch, the dialogue is sure, the plot ricochets from London to remote Hampshire to Paris, with stolen goods, dodgy relatives, a glittering seahorse brooch, and a certain corner shop each playing their part in this amusing romp.
March 7, 2023
I remember reading Elizabeth Cadell with a great deal of nostalgia. I recently finished re-reading her Waynes of Wood Mount series, and that pretty much satisfied my urge to revisit Cadell's thoroughly English old-timey romances but for a blog I ran across which glowingly reviewed this one. I actually happened to run across this title while looking for another book in my library and decided to re-read it. What a delight. The characters were deftly sketched, and the romance with the unusual love interest was so sweet and charming. The mystery filled out the plot nicely. This is my favorite title by Cadell, as far as I can remember. The only thing I found less than satisfactory was the planned resolution to two secondary characters' futures. It was awkward and just wrong. I hope it works out.
https://rebekahsreadingsandwatchings....
https://rebekahsreadingsandwatchings....
May 12, 2014
A novel about a woman who helps a grumbling professor catalogue his late mother’s possessions, and in doing so manages to change the trajectory of her own life. 1966.
Full review (and other recommendations!) at Another look book
A solid 4-star read. It's short and reads rather like a romantic comedy play, but the characters are rich and unexpected. Favorite line: "a man with a long pointed nose who washed his own socks every night and hung them on the window sill to dry." Swoon! I'm smitten.
Full review (and other recommendations!) at Another look book
A solid 4-star read. It's short and reads rather like a romantic comedy play, but the characters are rich and unexpected. Favorite line: "a man with a long pointed nose who washed his own socks every night and hung them on the window sill to dry." Swoon! I'm smitten.
May 3, 2025
This was my second Elizabeth Cadell novel and I am quickly becoming a fan of her light and frothy, yet still filled with complex characters and storylines, novels. While there is a lot of convenient coincidences in this book, I was enjoying the story and characters far too much to care! Now I need to decide which of her books to read next!
Read
July 13, 2018The smug, insufferable owner of a secretarial agency encounters a client who is a smug, insufferable university professor, and then…. Well, actually I don’t know because I simply couldn’t get through this book. I have adored every other Elizabeth Cadell book — sweet 1950s romances regardless of when they were published — but I couldn’t stomach this one.
July 12, 2016
Elizabeth Cadell’s books kept popping up on lists of recommendations, and when I did my research I was disappointed to learn that they were all out of print, because they sounded lovely. But luck was with me: I spotted a very pretty edition of her 1966 novel ‘The Corner Shop’ and I pounced.
I quickly found myself very taken with the heroine, with a wonderful adventure, and with a fine romance.
Lucille Abbey was an attractive young divorcee, and she was the owner of a successful secretarial agency. She was bright, capable, confident, charming, and adept at dealing with whatever difficulties life might throw her way.
On her way to her annual holiday – a busman’s holiday, looking after her aunt’s little shop in Paris – she made a detour to sort out a little business problem. Lucille had sent three of her most capable secretaries to carry out a seemingly simple job at a professor’s country home, and all three had given up, so Lucille decided that she would have to deal with the situation personally.
Lucille realised that the professor was oblivious to practicalities, but she explained, clearly, charmingly, and firmly, what she needed and why she needed it, and she got the job done. By the time she was finished Lucille and the professor were getting on beautifully, and both were enjoying the novelty of having a bright, quick-thinking, sparring partner.
There were one or two mysteries that Lucille couldn’t solve – the mystery of the lady visitor who was sure that her missing china was at the professors house, and the mystery of the professors’ mothers missing paintings, that seemed to be attracting an extraordinary amount of interest – but her job was done, and it was time for her to be off to Paris.
Lucille found that things had changed since her last visit. He aunt had acquired a new, bigger shop, and was planning to move after her holiday. Lucille had already suspected that her aunt wasn’t as hard-up as she had always claimed, and that she could have easily paid for someone to look after the shop while she was away. But there was a touch of the workaholic about Lucille, and that didn’t have too much in her life outside work. She was wonderful, but she was fallible.
And then the plot got very complicated. There were dubious goings-on in the new shop. There was an unexplained gift – a glittering starfish brooch. And it seemed that they mysteries of the paintings and the china had come to Paris too. The professor wasn’t far behind. Coincidences abounded!
There was a lot of running around in Paris then, and the plots got very tangled. At times it seemed a bit of a mess, but it was a very entertaining mess.
The personalities are deftly sketched with a light touch, the dialogue sparkled, and the story read beautifully. It was fun!
But I do wish it had stayed in England, because things fell apart in Paris. It stretched credulity too far when all of the plot strands converged there. There were possibilities that were unexplored, and there were characters who had potential that were allowed to slip away.
The mysteries were all tied up in the end, but the knot was rather untidy; it was a resolution but it wasn’t quite right. The romance, on the other hand, played out exactly as I had expected and exactly as I wanted.
The Corner Shop has it’s faults, but for all of that it is a lovely light read, full of entertainment, intrigue, romance, and charming characters.
I shall definitely be on the look-out for more of Elizabeth Cadell’s books!
I quickly found myself very taken with the heroine, with a wonderful adventure, and with a fine romance.
Lucille Abbey was an attractive young divorcee, and she was the owner of a successful secretarial agency. She was bright, capable, confident, charming, and adept at dealing with whatever difficulties life might throw her way.
On her way to her annual holiday – a busman’s holiday, looking after her aunt’s little shop in Paris – she made a detour to sort out a little business problem. Lucille had sent three of her most capable secretaries to carry out a seemingly simple job at a professor’s country home, and all three had given up, so Lucille decided that she would have to deal with the situation personally.
Lucille realised that the professor was oblivious to practicalities, but she explained, clearly, charmingly, and firmly, what she needed and why she needed it, and she got the job done. By the time she was finished Lucille and the professor were getting on beautifully, and both were enjoying the novelty of having a bright, quick-thinking, sparring partner.
There were one or two mysteries that Lucille couldn’t solve – the mystery of the lady visitor who was sure that her missing china was at the professors house, and the mystery of the professors’ mothers missing paintings, that seemed to be attracting an extraordinary amount of interest – but her job was done, and it was time for her to be off to Paris.
Lucille found that things had changed since her last visit. He aunt had acquired a new, bigger shop, and was planning to move after her holiday. Lucille had already suspected that her aunt wasn’t as hard-up as she had always claimed, and that she could have easily paid for someone to look after the shop while she was away. But there was a touch of the workaholic about Lucille, and that didn’t have too much in her life outside work. She was wonderful, but she was fallible.
And then the plot got very complicated. There were dubious goings-on in the new shop. There was an unexplained gift – a glittering starfish brooch. And it seemed that they mysteries of the paintings and the china had come to Paris too. The professor wasn’t far behind. Coincidences abounded!
There was a lot of running around in Paris then, and the plots got very tangled. At times it seemed a bit of a mess, but it was a very entertaining mess.
The personalities are deftly sketched with a light touch, the dialogue sparkled, and the story read beautifully. It was fun!
But I do wish it had stayed in England, because things fell apart in Paris. It stretched credulity too far when all of the plot strands converged there. There were possibilities that were unexplored, and there were characters who had potential that were allowed to slip away.
The mysteries were all tied up in the end, but the knot was rather untidy; it was a resolution but it wasn’t quite right. The romance, on the other hand, played out exactly as I had expected and exactly as I wanted.
The Corner Shop has it’s faults, but for all of that it is a lovely light read, full of entertainment, intrigue, romance, and charming characters.
I shall definitely be on the look-out for more of Elizabeth Cadell’s books!
September 25, 2014
I fell in love with Elizabeth Cadell when I was in junior high school. I have read nearly all her books. This is by far my favorite, and I read it at least once a year. I won't discuss the plot since other reviewers do that, but do want to say that I think this would make a really cute romantic movie and wish Nora Ephron were still here to make it! Cadell's books are mostly all available online, but some of the earlier editions are very pricy. I was lucky enough to be able to find a lot of them years ago at our annual library book sales - no luck with that, anymore!
June 2, 2023
Charming, quirky story - I can’t stop smiling as I think about it. My favorite part was Lucille the heroine; she’s beautiful, efficient, runs her own secretarial agency in London.
At the beginning of the story, she is on the train, going to investigate a client, Professor Hallam. Three of her best secretaries have been unable to complete an assignment with him, saying the client, the job, the accommodation provided, were all impossible! Lucille wants to see for herself what is going on; from the moment she arrives at the station in the middle of nowhere, one farcical situation after another occurs, and it’s quite entertaining! He is quirky and outspoken, the “cottage provided” is a dump, but Lucille in her efficient way gets everything under control, and begins to enjoy herself.
While there, she also gets pulled into a mystery concerning missing paintings. When Lucille leaves the assignment to head to Paris for her annual holiday - spent running her aunt’s shop while she vacations in the country - the mystery follows her, along with her stuffed-shirt almost fiancé, Malcolm. She also acquires some interesting new friends, watering-pot Barbara (she seemed rather pathetic and annoying), and outspoken, self-assured Diana (her, I liked). Diana’s encounters with poor old Malcolm were hilarious, my favorite scenes!
Anyway, the plot is fantastic and farcical but fun, and Lucille’s romantic life is sorted out satisfactorily! I enjoyed this introduction to Barbara Cadell, and would read more.
At the beginning of the story, she is on the train, going to investigate a client, Professor Hallam. Three of her best secretaries have been unable to complete an assignment with him, saying the client, the job, the accommodation provided, were all impossible! Lucille wants to see for herself what is going on; from the moment she arrives at the station in the middle of nowhere, one farcical situation after another occurs, and it’s quite entertaining! He is quirky and outspoken, the “cottage provided” is a dump, but Lucille in her efficient way gets everything under control, and begins to enjoy herself.
While there, she also gets pulled into a mystery concerning missing paintings. When Lucille leaves the assignment to head to Paris for her annual holiday - spent running her aunt’s shop while she vacations in the country - the mystery follows her, along with her stuffed-shirt almost fiancé, Malcolm. She also acquires some interesting new friends, watering-pot Barbara (she seemed rather pathetic and annoying), and outspoken, self-assured Diana (her, I liked). Diana’s encounters with poor old Malcolm were hilarious, my favorite scenes!
Anyway, the plot is fantastic and farcical but fun, and Lucille’s romantic life is sorted out satisfactorily! I enjoyed this introduction to Barbara Cadell, and would read more.
August 12, 2025
So odd…but also so delightful. 😂
November 21, 2023
The plot (mystery) was totally unbelievable - way too much of coincidences.
Nonetheless, the novel was wonderfully enjoyable and witty. And the love story was really original, Professor Hallam was so sweetly un-romantic ;-)
I have to try more by the author.
Nonetheless, the novel was wonderfully enjoyable and witty. And the love story was really original, Professor Hallam was so sweetly un-romantic ;-)
I have to try more by the author.
May 4, 2016
What a lovely little gem from 1966...
I'd never heard of Elizabeth Cadell but searching more about D.E. Stevenson, I discovered this author's name as well as a few others. This English lady, born and bred in India, and who lived in England and the Med, penned over fifty novels! Although her books are not exactly easy to find, four of them have been made available digitally.
The Corner Shop is a light read, mixing comedy, romance and mystery. Mrs Lucille Abbey, divorced lady of 28, owner of a secretarial agency, decides to find out why three of her best secretaries find it impossible to work for a Professor Hallam. Not only is the academic your typical curmudgeon but the country home is also in a state less than desirable. You can see it already - hilarious jousting scenes between the two! There is more. Lucille has to look after her aunt's shop while this one is away on her yearly holiday (most of the action takes place in Paris), and she is having doubts about marrying her pompous fiancé. Add to this the theft of paintings, china, jewellery, and an array of colourful characters. I loved it. The story is 'simple' and I guess you can see where it is going easily enough, some aspects tasting strongly of theatre, but Cadell does it very well. I especially enjoyed the dialogues and burst out laughing several times! Lucille's behaviour in the train at the beginning is priceless, or the larger-than-life Diana Bannerman pushing her way everywhere. Having said this, there are also little nuggets of depth, for instance Lucille's thoughts on marrying Mr Donne: She would not lead a life of her own; she would lead his life. Already she could—if she let herself go—be drawn along, carried along, borne on the fast-moving stream. It was like religion, she thought. Once you could sweep aside your doubts, once you could give yourself up, you had no further worry; the whole thing was taken care of. The whole thing went along, and you went with it…All she had to do was marry him and slip into his groove and the machinery would go on running smoothly.
2016 is proving to be a year of literary discovery, especially of the early 20th century. Who would have thought that just re-reading Miss Pettigrew in January would lead me down such a road? First the amazing Persephone Books catalogue (plenty there!), leading to other independent publishers (Greyladies for instance), and now a GR challenge focusing on Women Writers through the centuries! I'm hooked on unearthing 'forgotten" women writers :O)
I'd never heard of Elizabeth Cadell but searching more about D.E. Stevenson, I discovered this author's name as well as a few others. This English lady, born and bred in India, and who lived in England and the Med, penned over fifty novels! Although her books are not exactly easy to find, four of them have been made available digitally.
The Corner Shop is a light read, mixing comedy, romance and mystery. Mrs Lucille Abbey, divorced lady of 28, owner of a secretarial agency, decides to find out why three of her best secretaries find it impossible to work for a Professor Hallam. Not only is the academic your typical curmudgeon but the country home is also in a state less than desirable. You can see it already - hilarious jousting scenes between the two! There is more. Lucille has to look after her aunt's shop while this one is away on her yearly holiday (most of the action takes place in Paris), and she is having doubts about marrying her pompous fiancé. Add to this the theft of paintings, china, jewellery, and an array of colourful characters. I loved it. The story is 'simple' and I guess you can see where it is going easily enough, some aspects tasting strongly of theatre, but Cadell does it very well. I especially enjoyed the dialogues and burst out laughing several times! Lucille's behaviour in the train at the beginning is priceless, or the larger-than-life Diana Bannerman pushing her way everywhere. Having said this, there are also little nuggets of depth, for instance Lucille's thoughts on marrying Mr Donne: She would not lead a life of her own; she would lead his life. Already she could—if she let herself go—be drawn along, carried along, borne on the fast-moving stream. It was like religion, she thought. Once you could sweep aside your doubts, once you could give yourself up, you had no further worry; the whole thing was taken care of. The whole thing went along, and you went with it…All she had to do was marry him and slip into his groove and the machinery would go on running smoothly.
2016 is proving to be a year of literary discovery, especially of the early 20th century. Who would have thought that just re-reading Miss Pettigrew in January would lead me down such a road? First the amazing Persephone Books catalogue (plenty there!), leading to other independent publishers (Greyladies for instance), and now a GR challenge focusing on Women Writers through the centuries! I'm hooked on unearthing 'forgotten" women writers :O)
July 7, 2022
So, I was going to rate this three stars, but I've rated it four. Mainly because I read it in the last month, when I was barely finishing anything, and I finished this.
Also, one of my issues was slightly dated gender roles (mainly I felt the Professor was a little too, well, unsympathetic as a character and dismissive), but also, this was published in the 60s, so that's probably forgiveable.
And also, this book has a weird sort of charm. I remember it really fondly. It was an easy read, when I needed a fairly easy read.
I mean, sure, the plot of the last 30-40 pages, the resolution of the mystery element, and the sheer number of coincidences surrounding the connections between the people who all randomly pop up in Paris is well, perhaps a bit of a stretch, perhaps a bit bonkers. But something being slightly ridiculous has never stopped me from enjoying it before (sometimes it can be a bonus).
Also, the romantic declaration is surprisingly well done. So I'm prepared to forgive a lot.
Basically, I can see why Cadell was such a popular author. Even if I don't love all the character work, there's an underlying charm to the story.
Also, one of my issues was slightly dated gender roles (mainly I felt the Professor was a little too, well, unsympathetic as a character and dismissive), but also, this was published in the 60s, so that's probably forgiveable.
And also, this book has a weird sort of charm. I remember it really fondly. It was an easy read, when I needed a fairly easy read.
I mean, sure, the plot of the last 30-40 pages, the resolution of the mystery element, and the sheer number of coincidences surrounding the connections between the people who all randomly pop up in Paris is well, perhaps a bit of a stretch, perhaps a bit bonkers. But something being slightly ridiculous has never stopped me from enjoying it before (sometimes it can be a bonus).
Also, the romantic declaration is surprisingly well done. So I'm prepared to forgive a lot.
Basically, I can see why Cadell was such a popular author. Even if I don't love all the character work, there's an underlying charm to the story.
August 14, 2024
I love Elizabeth Cadell books. Fun, quirky characters and interesting stories. The Corner Shop is the story of Lucille Abbey and Professor Hallam. Lucille runs a secretarial agency. She sends three different secretaries to assist Professor Hallam and they each return claiming that he is impossible to work with. Lucille decides to go meet with the professor to see if she can fix the problem. He is flighty and unorganized and she understands why all the previous secretaries couldn’t work with him. She, however recognizes his genius and appreciates how his mind works. Seeing this as a challenge, Lucille agrees to stay and work with the professor herself. Now add into the mix a French art expert, a missing painting, and Lucille’s aunt’s shop in Paris for a great story.
September 13, 2021
This was an absolutely charming story. A book I had a hard time putting down. The writing was fresh, witty, and light.
Lucille Abbey owns a successful secretarial agency. When a slew of secretaries have been dismissed by a surly professor housed up in the countryside, she takes it upon herself to investigate. Though a divorcee, Lucille retains the title of Mrs. and conducts herself in a professional manner. Her business reputation is paramount, but she’s also got a second ulterior motive to traveling to the countryside. She’s about to be imminent engaged to a wealthy man. A man who checks off her boxes for comfort and security... albeit with a bit of a heavy hand, dependence on his mother, and the wish to live in the country as a gentleman. Chic and a city dweller, Lucille knows what her heart wants but wealth/security are hard to turn down. To buy some time, she takes a dusty, exhausting train ride to meet the professor.
What ensues is a hilarious story of two people perfectly suited but stubbornly independent. Missing paintings brings the pair together in Paris.. along with Lucille Abbey’s fiancée. This was a perfect, quirky fun read that kept a smile on my face.
Lucille Abbey owns a successful secretarial agency. When a slew of secretaries have been dismissed by a surly professor housed up in the countryside, she takes it upon herself to investigate. Though a divorcee, Lucille retains the title of Mrs. and conducts herself in a professional manner. Her business reputation is paramount, but she’s also got a second ulterior motive to traveling to the countryside. She’s about to be imminent engaged to a wealthy man. A man who checks off her boxes for comfort and security... albeit with a bit of a heavy hand, dependence on his mother, and the wish to live in the country as a gentleman. Chic and a city dweller, Lucille knows what her heart wants but wealth/security are hard to turn down. To buy some time, she takes a dusty, exhausting train ride to meet the professor.
What ensues is a hilarious story of two people perfectly suited but stubbornly independent. Missing paintings brings the pair together in Paris.. along with Lucille Abbey’s fiancée. This was a perfect, quirky fun read that kept a smile on my face.
June 20, 2023
Another lovely, lively story from Cadell.
This one features a grumpy professor, a young business woman, a disgruntled fiance, an art dealer, and two young women, each the victim of a thief. Somehow Cadell weaves them together in a very satisfactory way so that (almost) everyone gets a happy ending.
This one features a grumpy professor, a young business woman, a disgruntled fiance, an art dealer, and two young women, each the victim of a thief. Somehow Cadell weaves them together in a very satisfactory way so that (almost) everyone gets a happy ending.
July 31, 2023
Amusing story about some missing paintings, missing China, and a missing brooch. Various characters are searching for these things, mostly in Paris. Highly enjoyable complicated plot with some delightful characters and of course a dash of romance.
March 30, 2023
3.5 stars A sweet but tart romance/mystery-not the usual run-of-the-mill type.
September 29, 2016
Sure, there are coincidences galore, but this book is great fun nonetheless. Plus, it contains one sentence that has stuck with me for forty years, ever since I read this book for the first time in high school. Here's our hero attending church with the heroine:
"He sang all the hymns with revivalist fervour and a total disregard for pitch."
If you like humor and clever wordplay along with your (chaste) romances, treat yourself to Elizabeth Cadell's books. She wrote dozens, and they're newly available in electronic format.
You're welcome. ;-)
"He sang all the hymns with revivalist fervour and a total disregard for pitch."
If you like humor and clever wordplay along with your (chaste) romances, treat yourself to Elizabeth Cadell's books. She wrote dozens, and they're newly available in electronic format.
You're welcome. ;-)
February 9, 2017
Mysterious fun
My first time reading Cadell, I had no idea what to expect but a light romantic read. I found it romantic but not in a flowerly gushy way but a well thought out mystery that I was surprised at the outcome and not run of the mill kind but a fun word play with lots of interesting characters and observations on life. I look forward to reading her again when I am in the mood for light & fun fair.
My first time reading Cadell, I had no idea what to expect but a light romantic read. I found it romantic but not in a flowerly gushy way but a well thought out mystery that I was surprised at the outcome and not run of the mill kind but a fun word play with lots of interesting characters and observations on life. I look forward to reading her again when I am in the mood for light & fun fair.
March 18, 2023
Missing paintings, missing jewels, stolen china: what is it, or rather who is it, that connects these? The professor will find the solution, but only if he answers Lucille's summons to come to the corner shop in Paris.
“How can you sit there with all this mess round you?” she asked. The room made her shudder.
“You can’t expect me to clear up after a party I didn’t attend, can you?” the Professor asked.
“I never expect you to do anything—except for yourself.”
“How can you sit there with all this mess round you?” she asked. The room made her shudder.
“You can’t expect me to clear up after a party I didn’t attend, can you?” the Professor asked.
“I never expect you to do anything—except for yourself.”
May 9, 2016
I loved this wonderful story by Elizabeth Cadell! I loved the grumpy-but-adorable Professor, loved Lucille, loved the scenes in England as well as those in France..I can still see the main characters taking a stroll along the streets of Paris! What a happy book - a little romance with a bit of mystery thrown in for good measure, and with a satisfying ending..
April 20, 2024
4.25🌟 My first Elizabeth Cadell and her writing has won me over!
Since you can read the plot of the story in the description, I won't repeat it. But, I do have to share that this vintage novel is a light romance, adventure and mystery all rolled into one (and in the most appealing way)!
From the very first page, I was interested in Lucille's (Mrs. Abbey) situation—to find out why the secretaries in her firm could not stick to their job with the Professor. As soon as she arrives at the Professor's property, the ball starts rolling and doesn't stop until the very last page.
The plot is a lightening fast, page-turning addiction that you won't want to put down. With clever and witty characters all over the place, there's no time to become bored or lose interest in this story. I was swept away from Hill House in Hampshire, England to a little corner cosmetics shop in Paris and very happy to do so.
I cannot wait for my next Elizabeth Cadell novel! Highly recommended!
Since you can read the plot of the story in the description, I won't repeat it. But, I do have to share that this vintage novel is a light romance, adventure and mystery all rolled into one (and in the most appealing way)!
From the very first page, I was interested in Lucille's (Mrs. Abbey) situation—to find out why the secretaries in her firm could not stick to their job with the Professor. As soon as she arrives at the Professor's property, the ball starts rolling and doesn't stop until the very last page.
The plot is a lightening fast, page-turning addiction that you won't want to put down. With clever and witty characters all over the place, there's no time to become bored or lose interest in this story. I was swept away from Hill House in Hampshire, England to a little corner cosmetics shop in Paris and very happy to do so.
I cannot wait for my next Elizabeth Cadell novel! Highly recommended!
November 10, 2025
What an absolutely delightful book! Lucille is at the head of a successful secretary agency. On the verge of getting married again, she finds herself with an unusual assignment - three of her girls handed in their resignation after one day spent in the middle of nowhere working for a curmudgeonly professor. As she arrives to investigate what might be wrong with the position, she’s swept up in a tangle that leads her to France, true art, and love.
Oh how I loved this. It’s a whirlwind of a book, deeply cosy and funny. There was a bit of a mystery at its heart but it’s really a tale of eccentric characters trying to make the most of circumstances and finding out what they truly want and need in life through eating vast quantities of chicken and gallons of tea and wine. I don’t know how to explain it any other way. It reminded me of Barbara Pym in the best way. Elizabeth Cadell was quite prolific which makes me so incredibly happy, so many wonderful books to look forward to! 🥰🥰
Oh how I loved this. It’s a whirlwind of a book, deeply cosy and funny. There was a bit of a mystery at its heart but it’s really a tale of eccentric characters trying to make the most of circumstances and finding out what they truly want and need in life through eating vast quantities of chicken and gallons of tea and wine. I don’t know how to explain it any other way. It reminded me of Barbara Pym in the best way. Elizabeth Cadell was quite prolific which makes me so incredibly happy, so many wonderful books to look forward to! 🥰🥰
June 15, 2023
These are gentle, humorous novels. Sometimes there is also a mystery involved but they invariably have enjoyable conundrums of everyday living which must be figured out by the people in the books so that everything can come out okay in the end.
These novels are often called romances but they are much more than that. They weave everyday life, mystery, and romance with likable characters who you want to succeed. These are books for which you can often predict the story line but which you enjoy reading and rereading nonetheless. They fit into the whatever the category is where you'd find Cold Comfort Farm, Enchanted April, and Miss Buncle's Book.
This is one of my favorites. It is very similar to a screwball comedy in several situations - the Professor's home and secretarial needs, the conundrum of where the paintings went, and, above all in the combination of Lucille, Diana, a hysterical girl and the Professor as they careen around Paris. Plus, of course, there is romance.
These novels are often called romances but they are much more than that. They weave everyday life, mystery, and romance with likable characters who you want to succeed. These are books for which you can often predict the story line but which you enjoy reading and rereading nonetheless. They fit into the whatever the category is where you'd find Cold Comfort Farm, Enchanted April, and Miss Buncle's Book.
This is one of my favorites. It is very similar to a screwball comedy in several situations - the Professor's home and secretarial needs, the conundrum of where the paintings went, and, above all in the combination of Lucille, Diana, a hysterical girl and the Professor as they careen around Paris. Plus, of course, there is romance.
March 11, 2011
Start with a girl who runs an agency to hire secretaries for clients, send her on a trip to discover why three in a row have quit after one day each for a quirky professor, throw in a trip to Paris to have a working holiday at her Aunt's little shop, add an art dealer looking for valuable (or not?) paintings, someones' stolen china, a fiance who is all wrong for this girl. Voila! You have such an enjoyable read as this. Funny, insightful, thoughtful; a little mystery with lots of fun. I want to read more of this author~~~~~
January 13, 2023
This was a fun "escape read" when I had some recent tummy troubles. The copy I read was a hardbound with the softest, creamiest, ecru-ish pages. Each time I turned the page I paused and ran my finger up and down the paper.
For a book written in 1966, Cadell includes elements not usually found in this genre. The protagonist is a divorced woman in her twenties. And Lucille, our heroine, has a night of excessive adult beverages with her girlfriends. Curious.
Laughs and chuckles and neat ending.
For a book written in 1966, Cadell includes elements not usually found in this genre. The protagonist is a divorced woman in her twenties. And Lucille, our heroine, has a night of excessive adult beverages with her girlfriends. Curious.
Laughs and chuckles and neat ending.
January 3, 2022
I think you have to be in the right mood for this author because I tried her last year and couldn't see why she was so popular. This time around I thought the story was delightful.
Instead of the standard light romance, I got an intriguing mystery and hilarious dialogue with a little romance thrown in. Fluffy, yes, but way more fun than I was expecting.
P.S. One reason I avoided this author was because the covers are so cartoonish.
Instead of the standard light romance, I got an intriguing mystery and hilarious dialogue with a little romance thrown in. Fluffy, yes, but way more fun than I was expecting.
P.S. One reason I avoided this author was because the covers are so cartoonish.
April 7, 2023
I am ambivalent towards this book. The mystery is good, but barely any romance in it. The reviewer from DearAuthor.com gushed about this book, which is why I picked this one up. The writing style isn't quite what I'm used to (sort of very dry humour and droll), but I guess it's nice to mix things up occasionally. I finished it, so I guess this was a decent read. 3.5 stars??
Displaying 1 - 30 of 155 reviews