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Remains to Be Seen
When Philippa Lyle, newly engaged, returns home from Canada to visit old friends and family, she finds sleepy hometown in rural England much changed and she unexpectedly renews a friendship with Ward Rowallen, the heir to the crumbling manor house on the hill.
Engaging story about a girl returning home to England for a month before getting married and moving to Canada to live, only to find her old neighborhood being systematically dug up to uncover some amazing ancient Roman ruins, and the neighborhood folks she had grown up with adjusting in their own ways. The plot is complicated by her falling in love with her old playmate, who owns the estate where the ruins were discovered, before her fiance joins her in England to find out exactly where HE stands. The characters are well-defined and interesting, and the story wraps up well and very satisfactorily.
Engaging story about a girl returning home to England for a month before getting married and moving to Canada to live, only to find her old neighborhood being systematically dug up to uncover some amazing ancient Roman ruins, and the neighborhood folks she had grown up with adjusting in their own ways. The plot is complicated by her falling in love with her old playmate, who owns the estate where the ruins were discovered, before her fiance joins her in England to find out exactly where HE stands. The characters are well-defined and interesting, and the story wraps up well and very satisfactorily.
Hardcover
First published January 1, 1983
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About the author
Elizabeth Cadell
103 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.
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
August 14, 2014
Really 2.5 stars.
There is a little (tiny) mystery in this book and that's the only reason I bumped it to a 3 instead of a 2 in the rating. I really don't recommend it to anyone, and certainly not as a place to start with Cadell. I believe I prefer her earlier works as they have (so far) been winners.
Some of my disappointments with this book:
The Roman ruins were MIA. Yes, they were mentioned but that was about it.
The annoying interruptions in the conversations. I don't believe a single conversation took place without someone jumping in and interrupting the speaker. It just happened too much!
The heroine was not very interesting and too wishy-washy.
I recommend reading Elizabeth Cadell, just not this one.
There is a little (tiny) mystery in this book and that's the only reason I bumped it to a 3 instead of a 2 in the rating. I really don't recommend it to anyone, and certainly not as a place to start with Cadell. I believe I prefer her earlier works as they have (so far) been winners.
Some of my disappointments with this book:
The Roman ruins were MIA. Yes, they were mentioned but that was about it.
The annoying interruptions in the conversations. I don't believe a single conversation took place without someone jumping in and interrupting the speaker. It just happened too much!
The heroine was not very interesting and too wishy-washy.
I recommend reading Elizabeth Cadell, just not this one.
July 31, 2016
Cadell is another one of those writers I used to read all the time, had her on the List and everything, and haven't read in years. I admit I grabbed Remains to be Seen in an eleventh-hour attempt to hit my 2012 Goodreads Challenge goal, because it was a fairly short quick read. (It worked.) It's been long enough that I don't remember if this is a good exemplar of Cadell's work; I kind of hope not.
Not that it's a bad book; I enjoyed it. The synopsis: Philippa Lyle left her tight-knit English community two years ago to visit her father in Canada; not long ago she wrote home that she was looking forward to getting back, and then wrote again to shock everyone by saying she was engaged. Now she's back, largely to say goodbye before she moves permanently to Canada, and her fiancé (Dudley, poor dear) will be along in a few weeks to meet her mother and bring her back, and that will be that. While Philippa was away, her neighborhood has undergone some drastic changes: her old friend, the "boy next door" who also happens to be the local lord, discovered an artifact which – thanks to his hard work – has led to an intensive archaeological dig which is on the verge of growing so large it will displace some of their neighbors.
The friend, Ward, has flung himself into the project, working to bring the village up to a standard to suit all the scientists and tourists the dig is bringing in, raising the quality of available dining and accommodation choices and so on. Before long he has recruited Philippa to assist. And Philippa is a little surprised to find that almost as soon as she re-enters her circle of friends, it's as though she never left – and she begins to realize how very hard it will be to leave again. Indecision begins to set in, with its good friend dread.
Meanwhile, there is a side story about one of Philippa's friends; the family home was left to her by her mother, but now her father is living in it with a nasty new wife and refuses to leave. But Philippa stumbles on a bit of information which may be useful in … convincing step-mama it's a good idea to get out. The whole subplot is handled quietly, by both Philippa and the author; very little is spelled out entirely, which is actually very nice. In addition, there's a third small storyline which starts small only to dominate the end of the book; it was somewhat contrived, but entertaining in a wish-fulfillment sort of way.
Cadell keeps things moving. It's not a terribly long novel – 190 pages in my edition – and quite a bit happens. There's a natural feel to the plot (apart from the contrived bit) and characters, and the dialogue is meant to feel natural as well, I believe; it follows what are probably fairly realistic speech patterns, with people interrupting each other and trailing off in mid-thought and so on. The problem with this is that it's constant. If anyone interrupted me as consistently as these folks do each other on nearly every page, I'd lose my mind. Ellipses are spattered over each page like sprinkles on a cupcake. I'm as fond of ellipses as anyone, but it becomes a wee bit ridiculous.
Characterization is vivid, though more like pastel sketches than detailed portraits; Philippa's friends, her neighbors, her mother, Philippa herself: a flash of physical description, character traits established in broad strokes, background roughed in. It's in keeping with the brisk pace of the book; in the end, the characters could probably be picked out of a lineup, but not out of a crowd.
Actually, that's probably a pretty good description of the book as a whole. Enjoyable enough, and well-written enough, to stand out on a shelf of contemporary romance-leaning novels (it is completely "clean" in terms of sexual content, so I hesitate to call it a romance novel in today's climate), but not necessarily something to stand out in the library as a whole. Not one of Cadell's very best, if I recall others correctly. I hope I do.
Not that it's a bad book; I enjoyed it. The synopsis: Philippa Lyle left her tight-knit English community two years ago to visit her father in Canada; not long ago she wrote home that she was looking forward to getting back, and then wrote again to shock everyone by saying she was engaged. Now she's back, largely to say goodbye before she moves permanently to Canada, and her fiancé (Dudley, poor dear) will be along in a few weeks to meet her mother and bring her back, and that will be that. While Philippa was away, her neighborhood has undergone some drastic changes: her old friend, the "boy next door" who also happens to be the local lord, discovered an artifact which – thanks to his hard work – has led to an intensive archaeological dig which is on the verge of growing so large it will displace some of their neighbors.
The friend, Ward, has flung himself into the project, working to bring the village up to a standard to suit all the scientists and tourists the dig is bringing in, raising the quality of available dining and accommodation choices and so on. Before long he has recruited Philippa to assist. And Philippa is a little surprised to find that almost as soon as she re-enters her circle of friends, it's as though she never left – and she begins to realize how very hard it will be to leave again. Indecision begins to set in, with its good friend dread.
Meanwhile, there is a side story about one of Philippa's friends; the family home was left to her by her mother, but now her father is living in it with a nasty new wife and refuses to leave. But Philippa stumbles on a bit of information which may be useful in … convincing step-mama it's a good idea to get out. The whole subplot is handled quietly, by both Philippa and the author; very little is spelled out entirely, which is actually very nice. In addition, there's a third small storyline which starts small only to dominate the end of the book; it was somewhat contrived, but entertaining in a wish-fulfillment sort of way.
Cadell keeps things moving. It's not a terribly long novel – 190 pages in my edition – and quite a bit happens. There's a natural feel to the plot (apart from the contrived bit) and characters, and the dialogue is meant to feel natural as well, I believe; it follows what are probably fairly realistic speech patterns, with people interrupting each other and trailing off in mid-thought and so on. The problem with this is that it's constant. If anyone interrupted me as consistently as these folks do each other on nearly every page, I'd lose my mind. Ellipses are spattered over each page like sprinkles on a cupcake. I'm as fond of ellipses as anyone, but it becomes a wee bit ridiculous.
Characterization is vivid, though more like pastel sketches than detailed portraits; Philippa's friends, her neighbors, her mother, Philippa herself: a flash of physical description, character traits established in broad strokes, background roughed in. It's in keeping with the brisk pace of the book; in the end, the characters could probably be picked out of a lineup, but not out of a crowd.
Actually, that's probably a pretty good description of the book as a whole. Enjoyable enough, and well-written enough, to stand out on a shelf of contemporary romance-leaning novels (it is completely "clean" in terms of sexual content, so I hesitate to call it a romance novel in today's climate), but not necessarily something to stand out in the library as a whole. Not one of Cadell's very best, if I recall others correctly. I hope I do.
January 6, 2015
I'm putting this one aside, two-thirds of the way in. The characters never seemed real to me, the plot moved at a glacial pace and the whole premise of the book had me completely confused.
There is an archeological dig that has unearthed some Roman ruins on the outskirts of an English village. It was never clear to me who actually owned the land and who was in charge of the dig. A great many people are being seriously inconvenienced and even dispossessed as a result of this archeological juggernaut. Meanwhile, other people seem to think it's a great opportunity to turn a sleepy village into a tourist trap...if only they could get a spiffy hair stylist to relocate and if they could get the local Chinese and Indian restaurants to go up-scale. Meanwhile our (theoretical) heroine and hero bustle about minding everyone's business and being in love or maybe not in love. But who cares.
Far too many boring people who seem to be primarily in need of a good British Land Law specialist. Sadly, the only lawyer who shows up is Canadian.
A snoozer.
There is an archeological dig that has unearthed some Roman ruins on the outskirts of an English village. It was never clear to me who actually owned the land and who was in charge of the dig. A great many people are being seriously inconvenienced and even dispossessed as a result of this archeological juggernaut. Meanwhile, other people seem to think it's a great opportunity to turn a sleepy village into a tourist trap...if only they could get a spiffy hair stylist to relocate and if they could get the local Chinese and Indian restaurants to go up-scale. Meanwhile our (theoretical) heroine and hero bustle about minding everyone's business and being in love or maybe not in love. But who cares.
Far too many boring people who seem to be primarily in need of a good British Land Law specialist. Sadly, the only lawyer who shows up is Canadian.
A snoozer.
November 17, 2015
Since I couldn’t get my hands on any novels by D. E. Stevenson, I decided to read something by Elizabeth Cadell. I had read a number of her books years ago (not sure which ones), and remembered the two authors styles as being quite similar.
I don’t think “Remains To Be Seen” was necessarily the best choice. Yes, it had a D.E.S. vibe, and I WAS thoroughly enjoying it – right up to the hugely disappointing ending. I normally NEVER discuss endings in my reviews without adding a spoiler alert, but I am going to here because it colored my perception of the entire story. It was weak, weak, weak.
I can recommend this author, but not necessarily this book. Ms. Cadell has written better ones than this.
I don’t think “Remains To Be Seen” was necessarily the best choice. Yes, it had a D.E.S. vibe, and I WAS thoroughly enjoying it – right up to the hugely disappointing ending. I normally NEVER discuss endings in my reviews without adding a spoiler alert, but I am going to here because it colored my perception of the entire story. It was weak, weak, weak.
I can recommend this author, but not necessarily this book. Ms. Cadell has written better ones than this.
November 25, 2012
I have never read an Elizabeth Cadell book before, and I was hoping to find another author comparable to D.E. Stevenson. Not so. That's probably a good thing since our library weeded out all her books a couple years ago and I have to inter-library loan them. I had a hard time really caring about the characters, and it didn't give me that purely English feel when I read it.
October 21, 2014
I love this book. I'd read it before but wanted to read it again. Lovely, old-fashioned story set in England. Romance, a bit of mystery, and interesting characters. The book takes you into the character's lives and shares their memories of growing up together in a small close-knit community experiencing major upheavals now. It's a quick read and just a fun book. Will read it again in a few years!
November 19, 2012
Another one of Ms Cadell's with an odd ending...one in which the rejected lover rides away.."..to his lonely life." The End.
Strange ending for a love story.
Strange ending for a love story.
December 26, 2024
Reading
Remains to be Seen
was as interesting as watching paint dry.
A clump of kids grows up in rural England in an area called "The Ridge". The golden girl (Philippa) leaves for Canada to see her father and spends two years away. After getting engaged to Dudley, she decides to revisit her mum and spend six weeks with friends (Ward, Denise, Reid) back in England.
Ruins were found on The Ridge and an architectural dig has taken over the discussions, economy, and lamentations by the time of Philippa's return. Her buddy Ward enlists her to help roust the sleepy town, boost enthusiasm, and improve restaurant options and accommodations with so much afoot related to the dig - including visiting sightseers.
While Ward certainly gives Philippa things to do and perhaps a sense of purpose, he has the personality of a wet noodle. In any case, Philippa decides to throw over her fiance for this reliable bumpkin.
It was not a tough read but definitely an oddity!
A clump of kids grows up in rural England in an area called "The Ridge". The golden girl (Philippa) leaves for Canada to see her father and spends two years away. After getting engaged to Dudley, she decides to revisit her mum and spend six weeks with friends (Ward, Denise, Reid) back in England.
Ruins were found on The Ridge and an architectural dig has taken over the discussions, economy, and lamentations by the time of Philippa's return. Her buddy Ward enlists her to help roust the sleepy town, boost enthusiasm, and improve restaurant options and accommodations with so much afoot related to the dig - including visiting sightseers.
While Ward certainly gives Philippa things to do and perhaps a sense of purpose, he has the personality of a wet noodle. In any case, Philippa decides to throw over her fiance for this reliable bumpkin.
It was not a tough read but definitely an oddity!
May 27, 2025
Sì, di EC ho letto libri più 'strutturati', più complessi: questo ha una trama che definire 'esile' è già troppo. Ma la suggestione della campagna inglese degli anni '60, con quei piccoli grumi di case dislocati nei possedimenti che un tempo appartenevano al 'manor' nobiliare, quelle comunità pettegole dove tutti si conoscono e condividono gli stessi ambienti... ne hanno fatto, per me, una lettura più che godibile.
E negli scambi di battute, nei rapporti camerateschi, nei nascenti amori dei giovani del posto ho riconosciuto (con grande nostalgia) quella fresca 'insouciance' che ha colorato la mia adolescenza, quando si poteva passare un pomeriggio in due, stesi al sole sull'erba o su una spiaggia a parlare di nulla, assaporando la semplice felicità di star bene insieme.
E negli scambi di battute, nei rapporti camerateschi, nei nascenti amori dei giovani del posto ho riconosciuto (con grande nostalgia) quella fresca 'insouciance' che ha colorato la mia adolescenza, quando si poteva passare un pomeriggio in due, stesi al sole sull'erba o su una spiaggia a parlare di nulla, assaporando la semplice felicità di star bene insieme.
July 20, 2020
The write-up of this story on the Dear Author blog made me think it might be a book I'd enjoy, described as a romance with a touch of mystery. And I did like the story of the engaged Philippa Lyle coming back to England and falling in love with an old friend. I really didn't love the ending but felt later like maybe I should have expected it from a 1980s English novel. The rest of the story was okay and the character development was fine but I really didn't love the... tepid-ness of the last few pages.
August 11, 2018
In many ways, this is the same story that Cadell tells in most of her books--girl engaged to unsuitable man meets (or becomes reacquainted with) suitable one, etc. However, I still enjoyed the book, particularly because of the Roman remains subplot, since I personally find British Roman history fascinating. Also, I did like that the unsuitable fiance plot has a slight variation this time. 3 1/2 stars.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 29, 2024
How does she do it!
A light hearted love story that kept me spellbound. I don’t like love stories. Chicklit. But Elizabeth Cadell manages to keep me interested from beginning to end. Where, oh where does she find all the handsome, romantic, erudite men! … not to mention the idyllic English villages … Dream time, but delightful.
A light hearted love story that kept me spellbound. I don’t like love stories. Chicklit. But Elizabeth Cadell manages to keep me interested from beginning to end. Where, oh where does she find all the handsome, romantic, erudite men! … not to mention the idyllic English villages … Dream time, but delightful.
August 15, 2018
Ugh. I had to brush my teeth after this sticky-sweet romance. The genre may be supporting the entire publishing industry, but I still find these chastely twee stories bring on a terminal case of narcolepsy.
November 6, 2019
I love sweet, old-fashioned romance and this was so good. The ending was a little more abrupt than I like, but overall very good.
October 31, 2023
It happens all the time in England. A treasure trove of Roman ruins is discovered in a quiet town in the countryside. Childhood friends are brought together. The nature of the town is changing, but two little old ladies hold the fates of all the principals in their hands when they discover a link to a centuries-old murder. And, who will Phillipa marry?
May 21, 2023
A sweet, lovely story
I enjoyed this sweet and clean romance from Cadell. The setting was particularly interesting and I enjoyed the idea of fixing up the town. Not much happens in the book, but it's a gentle story about nice people. I would have liked an epilogue, though. The ending seemed abrupt.
I enjoyed this sweet and clean romance from Cadell. The setting was particularly interesting and I enjoyed the idea of fixing up the town. Not much happens in the book, but it's a gentle story about nice people. I would have liked an epilogue, though. The ending seemed abrupt.
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews