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The Mistress of Alderley
"People who think of village mysteries as being sweet and simple must never have read one of Robert Barnard's subversive little gems."― New York Times Well-known actress Caroline Fawley has given up her successful stage and television career for love and life at Alderley, an elegant country home "bought" for her by her married "friend," international business titan Marius Fleetwood. Despite the inquisitive villagers, Caroline is happy and the world is good...until a mysterious young man backpacking through the countryside arrives at the door. He says his name is Peter Bagshaw, but Caroline can't help noticing his physical resemblance to Marius. Is he Marius' son? What else has Marius hidden from Caroline? Who is Marius anyway? Is everything about him a lie? Then a murder occurs....
240 pages, Paperback
First published September 1, 2000
About the author
Robert Barnard
207 books89 followersAka Bernard Bastable.
Robert Barnard (born 23 November 1936) was an English crime writer, critic and lecturer.
Born in Essex, Barnard was educated at the Royal Grammar School in Colchester and at Balliol College in Oxford. His first crime novel, A Little Local Murder, was published in 1976. The novel was written while he was a lecturer at University of Tromsø in Norway. He has gone on to write more than 40 other books and numerous short stories.
Barnard has said that his favourite crime writer is Agatha Christie. In 1980 he published a critique of her work titled A Talent to Deceive: An Appreciation of Agatha Christie.
Barnard was awarded the Cartier Diamond Dagger in 2003 by the Crime Writers Association for a lifetime of achievement.
Under the pseudonym Bernard Bastable, Robert Barnard has published one standalone novel and three alternate history books starring Wolfgang Mozart as a detective, he having survived to old age.
Barnard lived with his wife Louise in Yorkshire.
Series:
* Perry Trethowan
* Charlie Peace
Robert Barnard (born 23 November 1936) was an English crime writer, critic and lecturer.
Born in Essex, Barnard was educated at the Royal Grammar School in Colchester and at Balliol College in Oxford. His first crime novel, A Little Local Murder, was published in 1976. The novel was written while he was a lecturer at University of Tromsø in Norway. He has gone on to write more than 40 other books and numerous short stories.
Barnard has said that his favourite crime writer is Agatha Christie. In 1980 he published a critique of her work titled A Talent to Deceive: An Appreciation of Agatha Christie.
Barnard was awarded the Cartier Diamond Dagger in 2003 by the Crime Writers Association for a lifetime of achievement.
Under the pseudonym Bernard Bastable, Robert Barnard has published one standalone novel and three alternate history books starring Wolfgang Mozart as a detective, he having survived to old age.
Barnard lived with his wife Louise in Yorkshire.
Series:
* Perry Trethowan
* Charlie Peace
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Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews
February 1, 2024
This is my first Robert Barnard book, and I enjoyed it immensely.
It's half satire, murder-mystery, and
family drama. Some parts made me laugh out loud. 😁
In the novel, actress Caroline Fawley left her acting career to be the mistress of real-estate mogul Marius Fleetwood. He puts Caroline and her children up in an estate called Alderley. Caroline is perfectly happy with the arrangement as she has already been married twice, and it didn't suit her.
Marriage is a disaster zone I don't intend to stay in a third time..
Caroline has two children from her first marriage (Alex and Stella) and a daughter from her second marriage (Olivia), who is an opera singer.
On the night of Olivia's opera performance, Marius turns up dead during intermission.
Who would want to kill Marius Fleetwood?
Detectives Mike Oddie and Charlie Peace certainly have a long cast of suspects to filter through, for the longer they dig into Marius' past, the more they find out that he wasn't the man he appeared to be.
*Great novel! Will definitely look out for more books by this author.* 🧐
It's half satire, murder-mystery, and
family drama. Some parts made me laugh out loud. 😁
In the novel, actress Caroline Fawley left her acting career to be the mistress of real-estate mogul Marius Fleetwood. He puts Caroline and her children up in an estate called Alderley. Caroline is perfectly happy with the arrangement as she has already been married twice, and it didn't suit her.
Marriage is a disaster zone I don't intend to stay in a third time..
Caroline has two children from her first marriage (Alex and Stella) and a daughter from her second marriage (Olivia), who is an opera singer.
On the night of Olivia's opera performance, Marius turns up dead during intermission.
Who would want to kill Marius Fleetwood?
Detectives Mike Oddie and Charlie Peace certainly have a long cast of suspects to filter through, for the longer they dig into Marius' past, the more they find out that he wasn't the man he appeared to be.
*Great novel! Will definitely look out for more books by this author.* 🧐
June 15, 2014
A little slow to start. Not bad, but not great. It was a quick read.
May 13, 2020
Caroline Fawley has found the love of her life, and has left her acting career to live in the elegant country house her lover, Marius Fleetwood, has bought for her. His marriage isn't too much of a hindrance, since he spends nearly every weekend with her and her two teenagers, and often is able to extend his visits. He is obviously madly in love with her too, and she is happier than she has ever been, so things are going well until she begins to realize that Marius may have other children than the two he has fathered with his wife. And then he is murdered--stabbed to death on the street while Caroline is attending her eldest daughter's opera performance. Charlie Peace, as usual, spends time getting to know everyone, and he is good at getting the truth out of even a teenage girl. As one character says, "Watch Peace. He's sharp."
April 14, 2018
Quaint. Cozy. Social satire.
Story: Caroline is a retired stage actress, now living as a pampered mistress in the stately country home in Alderley provided by her lover, Marius. She lives with her son and two daughters and is aided by a housekeeper. Her situation is the talk of the small town and the juxtaposition of her lifestyle and those of the villagers is large.
Language: This was my first Barnard book and it felt like I was reading an author who was Agatha Christie's friend who joined her for weekly coffee and chats about literature. This is a cozy mystery, so all the violence is done off stage. The first half of the book doesn't even read as a crime novel, more like a literature book on village life and social satire. The chapters are of medium length and much of the book consists of dialogue between police interviews and between friends and family. Although written in 2001, it comes across as a bit dated, with talks of computers and technology being new.
Characters: Caroline is happy and doesn't have a care in the world. She was a famous actress and now she lives in a huge country home, with her lover to see on weekends, and lots of time to just lounge around. Marius, her weekend lover, is wealthy and owns an expanding chain of supermarkets. He is married, but neither his wife nor Caroline are bothered about his weekend affairs. Other characters include the housekeeper, village neighbors with strong opinions and humorous character traits, Caroline's own son and daughters, and Marius' son, along with other side characters relating to the rest of the characters, and if course the village police. The contract of the social classes is a strong focus in this book, yet retains cozy humour or individual characters.
A quaint cozy read set in England.
Story: Caroline is a retired stage actress, now living as a pampered mistress in the stately country home in Alderley provided by her lover, Marius. She lives with her son and two daughters and is aided by a housekeeper. Her situation is the talk of the small town and the juxtaposition of her lifestyle and those of the villagers is large.
Language: This was my first Barnard book and it felt like I was reading an author who was Agatha Christie's friend who joined her for weekly coffee and chats about literature. This is a cozy mystery, so all the violence is done off stage. The first half of the book doesn't even read as a crime novel, more like a literature book on village life and social satire. The chapters are of medium length and much of the book consists of dialogue between police interviews and between friends and family. Although written in 2001, it comes across as a bit dated, with talks of computers and technology being new.
Characters: Caroline is happy and doesn't have a care in the world. She was a famous actress and now she lives in a huge country home, with her lover to see on weekends, and lots of time to just lounge around. Marius, her weekend lover, is wealthy and owns an expanding chain of supermarkets. He is married, but neither his wife nor Caroline are bothered about his weekend affairs. Other characters include the housekeeper, village neighbors with strong opinions and humorous character traits, Caroline's own son and daughters, and Marius' son, along with other side characters relating to the rest of the characters, and if course the village police. The contract of the social classes is a strong focus in this book, yet retains cozy humour or individual characters.
A quaint cozy read set in England.
February 2, 2018
Where do I start? Caroline Fawley is a retired actress with three grown children who is living in a village in a house owned by her married boyfriend, Marius Fleetwood. In the village are a bunch of busybodies who make no bones about the fact they think Marius should get a divorce and marry her. The Lord of the manor so to speak is Sir John something or other. He is a widower whose stomach constantly rumbles like a freight train and whose non-stop farts can fumigate a room.
One day Caroline is in her garden when she sees a young man walking along who looks a lot like Marius. He passes her house but she secretly hopes he'll come back...and he does. He knocks on her door and without any explanation as to what he's doing there she invites him in and asks him if he would like anything. He says a bath so after they have a cup of tea he heads upstairs, unescorted and takes one. Afterwards he, again unescorted, proceeds to do his laundry. Caroline invites him to dinner and even asks him to spend the night.
That is where I threw my hands in air and decided this book had to go to the library. I mean really, a stranger knocks on your door and because he looks like your boyfriend you give the run of your house. Donnez moi un break. RIDICULOUS!
One day Caroline is in her garden when she sees a young man walking along who looks a lot like Marius. He passes her house but she secretly hopes he'll come back...and he does. He knocks on her door and without any explanation as to what he's doing there she invites him in and asks him if he would like anything. He says a bath so after they have a cup of tea he heads upstairs, unescorted and takes one. Afterwards he, again unescorted, proceeds to do his laundry. Caroline invites him to dinner and even asks him to spend the night.
That is where I threw my hands in air and decided this book had to go to the library. I mean really, a stranger knocks on your door and because he looks like your boyfriend you give the run of your house. Donnez moi un break. RIDICULOUS!
June 21, 2020
It’s considered a cozy mystery, but it’s also a bit of a fairy tale! Famous actress Caroline Fawley (star of stage and TV) decides to give up fame and fortunate and lounge about (forever) for “love and life” at her beautiful English countryside manor! Right. In Robert Barnard’s "The Mistress of Alderley," we find that Caroline actually is finding happiness (and love) in this pastoral village—just what she wanted. The villagers even LIKE her!
Alas, there’s a serpent in that garden when a “mysterious young stranger” (good looking, of course) shows up at her door and introduces himself as Peter Bagshaw (we’re NOT making this up), who bears a striking resemblance to her friend Marius (to complicate things and retard the action: Marius had “bought” Alderley for Caroline; Marius is also married!). Is Marius keeping “secrets” from Caroline?
As this is a murder mystery—and Barnard is very good at this—first introduced to the Gazette editor in the early ‘80s by Emily Van Sweden with Death of a Mystery Writer—and the plot actually takes a lot of substance from here on, Barnard’s style prevailing. It moves fast, provides some good local color and descriptives, and holds the readers’ attention.
Alas, there’s a serpent in that garden when a “mysterious young stranger” (good looking, of course) shows up at her door and introduces himself as Peter Bagshaw (we’re NOT making this up), who bears a striking resemblance to her friend Marius (to complicate things and retard the action: Marius had “bought” Alderley for Caroline; Marius is also married!). Is Marius keeping “secrets” from Caroline?
As this is a murder mystery—and Barnard is very good at this—first introduced to the Gazette editor in the early ‘80s by Emily Van Sweden with Death of a Mystery Writer—and the plot actually takes a lot of substance from here on, Barnard’s style prevailing. It moves fast, provides some good local color and descriptives, and holds the readers’ attention.
September 18, 2022
Disappointing, since the first Barnard I read was more entertaining and less adult than this one. The mystery is well crafted, with an underlying theme: the effects of illicit sexual adventures. The novel contains several and shows those effects unapologetically and without judgment. The selfishness and egotism of the characters, and their subsequent self deception makes for uncomfortable reading. Sensitive readers will be uncomfortable with the amorality, immorality, self absorption, and general unsympathetic nastiness of some of the characters, along with the f bombs characteristic of the least sympathetic character.
August 20, 2020
I found this at an opportunity shop a few months ago. I hadn't read any of Robert Barnard's books and I am glad I took the chance.
This book was exciting, well written, and fun.
Highly recommended.
This book was exciting, well written, and fun.
Highly recommended.
December 15, 2022
I liked the detectives, but not really any of the other characters.
October 29, 2026
I went into The Mistress of Alderley skeptical, but Barnard, Robert blew past the superficial tropes to highlight how culture is used as a tool for mass pacification.
July 14, 2012
Caroline Fawley thinks she has the perfect set-up: a manor house, her children around her, and a great lover who only drops in on weekends and is underwriting the whole shebang. After two bad marriages, she doesn't want to marry again and is happy to give up her relatively successful career as an actor (now that she's middle-aged and she's past the lead roles and still a bit young for "character" parts) to be a full-time mistress.
The people in the town are torn between the plus of having a celebrity living in their town and the disgust with her private life. It's only a matter of time before this relationship falls apart as well - when her benefactor, supermarket tycoon Marius Fleetwood (né Bert Winterbottom), meets a violent end. Barnard turns our opinions of characters around through the course of the book, sometimes in subtle ways and sometimes coming off the better.
Three policemen track down the daring killer: Oddie, Charlie, and PC Rani (whose personal story evolves in another book) of Leeds - sometimes working together, but occasionally withholding information.
Low marks probably reflect my getting a bit tired of Barnard. I plan on moving on to a book he's written under another name.
The people in the town are torn between the plus of having a celebrity living in their town and the disgust with her private life. It's only a matter of time before this relationship falls apart as well - when her benefactor, supermarket tycoon Marius Fleetwood (né Bert Winterbottom), meets a violent end. Barnard turns our opinions of characters around through the course of the book, sometimes in subtle ways and sometimes coming off the better.
Three policemen track down the daring killer: Oddie, Charlie, and PC Rani (whose personal story evolves in another book) of Leeds - sometimes working together, but occasionally withholding information.
Low marks probably reflect my getting a bit tired of Barnard. I plan on moving on to a book he's written under another name.
November 5, 2012
I recently made a trip to the local library intent on picking out books I would enjoy while on my vacation. I began with The Tiger Claw (disappointing), and immediately worried that I no longer knew how to pick a good book. The Mistress of Alderley, a straight-up whodunit, reassured me, as it was not only an impossibly addictive read, but despite my earnest intention to pay attention to “those I least suspected” (in order to solve the mystery and prove myself smarter than the author), I did not figure out who committed the crime, and it was the person I least suspected (even though the motive made perfect sense).
I can’t say I read mysteries of this sort very often (in fact, I can’t remember the last time I did read one), but I did enjoy this one. It was perfect bathtub reading (though I did get a little more pruned than usual) and would be ideal for the beach, the train, a plane or a Sunday afternoon couch. Well written, extremely well plotted, and yes, terribly engaging.
Enjoy.
I can’t say I read mysteries of this sort very often (in fact, I can’t remember the last time I did read one), but I did enjoy this one. It was perfect bathtub reading (though I did get a little more pruned than usual) and would be ideal for the beach, the train, a plane or a Sunday afternoon couch. Well written, extremely well plotted, and yes, terribly engaging.
Enjoy.
April 18, 2016
Caroline, mistress to Marius, is living at Alderley, an elegant country house. She believes he has set it up so she could continue if he were to die. Caroline has been married before and she prefers being a mistress. Marius is married, but has convinced Caroline he no longer has sex with her but wants to stay married. Shortly after Marius announces his wife is pregnant, Caroline's eldest daughter, Olivia, is the star in an opera. Marius leaves the show, and is found murdered. He had set up an appointment with Olivia during the opera when she is not on stage, and never shows up. As the police try to track down the murderer, Caroline finds out more than she wants to know about Maurice, and Caroline and Sheila (Maurice's widow) become friends.
August 4, 2009
This is one of those take a break books that I love. I am happy to have found a new (to me) British author who appears to be prolific. This book features a mistress of the adulterous sort, but she is really likeable and gets along well with her paramour's wife. Unfortunately for her, he is the one who gets murdered and the murderer is somewhat of a surprise.
June 17, 2012
This was a very satisfying mystery. Interesting characters, some humor and again a typical English setting in a village near Leeds. I have always like Robert Barnard's books, and I'm glad I have two more to read in the future.
February 10, 2016
There's nothing special about this book. It's a standard British mystery - I could imagine it being remade for TV for Mystery! on channel 13. Modern Agatha Christie, but without the panache. Quick read, nothing captivating, but nothing horrible either. It is what it is.
Read
October 17, 2009A wealthy man is murdered and his mistress discovers how he'd misled her.
September 20, 2011
Slim but enjoyable tale of a murdered supermarket magnate and the people surrounding him, notably his actress mistress, one in a long line, and her opera-star daughter.
March 17, 2013
This was okay, although not one of his best. Pretty predictable.
August 19, 2012
Another wonderful Barnard mystery. Nice, easy read, but intriguing and enjoyable throughout.
Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews