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Ivy Beasley Mystery #5
The Blackwoods Farm Enquiry
Retiree Ivy Beasley, a college student? Interested in penning her memoirs, Ivy decides to take a creative writing course. But it’s hard to find time to put pen to paper when this current chapter is so full of lies, jealousy and murder…
Rumors are flying around the village of Barrington about Mrs. Winchen Blatch, a reclusive widow living alone in her old farmhouse. In the past few weeks, the widow claims she has been tormented by ghostly visitations, so she hires Ivy and her fellow investigators at Enquire Within to get to the bottom of the mystery. Ivy’s new classes are very close to the widow’s farmhouse, perfect for combining studying and snooping…
With each new clue—a dark chamber, a smoking cigar and an amorous lodger—it becomes harder to separate fact from fiction. And when the ghost is revealed to be flesh and blood, the lonely widow may be in more trouble than Ivy and her team can handle…
Rumors are flying around the village of Barrington about Mrs. Winchen Blatch, a reclusive widow living alone in her old farmhouse. In the past few weeks, the widow claims she has been tormented by ghostly visitations, so she hires Ivy and her fellow investigators at Enquire Within to get to the bottom of the mystery. Ivy’s new classes are very close to the widow’s farmhouse, perfect for combining studying and snooping…
With each new clue—a dark chamber, a smoking cigar and an amorous lodger—it becomes harder to separate fact from fiction. And when the ghost is revealed to be flesh and blood, the lonely widow may be in more trouble than Ivy and her team can handle…
304 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published April 1, 2014
14 people are currently reading
148 people want to read
About the author
Ann Purser
36 books141 followersAnn Purser lives in the East Midlands, in a small and attractive village which still has a village shop, a garage, pub and church. Here she finds her inspiration for her novels about country life. She has only to do her daily shopping down the High Street to listen to the real life of the village going on around her.
Before turning to fiction, she had a number of different careers, including journalism – she was for six years a columnist in SHE magazine – and art gallery proprietor. Running her own gallery in a 400-year-old barn behind the house, she gained fascinating insights into the characters and relationships of customers wandering around. She had no compunction about eavesdropping, and sharpened up her writer’s skills in weaving plots around strangers who spent sometimes more than an hour in her gallery.
Working in a village school added more grist to the mill, as does singing in the church choir and membership of the Women’s Guild. She reminds herself humbly that Virginia Woolf was President of her local WI…
Six years hard study won her an Open University degree, and when she faltered and threatened to fall by the wayside, writer husband Philip Purser reminded her that he was paying good money for the course. During this period, she wrote two non-fiction books, one for parents of handicapped children (she has a daughter with cerebral palsy) and the other a lighthearted book for schools, on the explosion of popular entertainment in the first forty years of the twentieth century.
Ten years of running the gallery proved to be enough, and while it was very successful she decided to sell. The business moved down the street to another barn and owner, and Pursers stayed on in their house next to the village school – another rich source of material for the stories. Time to start writing novels.
Round Ringford became Ann’s village in a series of six novels, each with a separate story, but featuring the same cast of characters with a few newcomers each time. The list of books gives details of each story, and each features an issue common to all villages in our rural countryside. “Just like our village!” is a frequent comment from Ann’s readers.
Next: the Lois Meade Mysteries, each title reflecting a day of the week. Ann has always loved detective fiction, and determined to make it her next series. So Murder on Monday was born, followed by Terror on Tuesday, and Weeping on Wednesday. The rest of the week follows!
Mornings are set aside for writing, and the rest of the day Ann spends walking the dog, retrieving bantams’ eggs from around the garden, gossiping and taking part in the life of the village. She is never bored!
Before turning to fiction, she had a number of different careers, including journalism – she was for six years a columnist in SHE magazine – and art gallery proprietor. Running her own gallery in a 400-year-old barn behind the house, she gained fascinating insights into the characters and relationships of customers wandering around. She had no compunction about eavesdropping, and sharpened up her writer’s skills in weaving plots around strangers who spent sometimes more than an hour in her gallery.
Working in a village school added more grist to the mill, as does singing in the church choir and membership of the Women’s Guild. She reminds herself humbly that Virginia Woolf was President of her local WI…
Six years hard study won her an Open University degree, and when she faltered and threatened to fall by the wayside, writer husband Philip Purser reminded her that he was paying good money for the course. During this period, she wrote two non-fiction books, one for parents of handicapped children (she has a daughter with cerebral palsy) and the other a lighthearted book for schools, on the explosion of popular entertainment in the first forty years of the twentieth century.
Ten years of running the gallery proved to be enough, and while it was very successful she decided to sell. The business moved down the street to another barn and owner, and Pursers stayed on in their house next to the village school – another rich source of material for the stories. Time to start writing novels.
Round Ringford became Ann’s village in a series of six novels, each with a separate story, but featuring the same cast of characters with a few newcomers each time. The list of books gives details of each story, and each features an issue common to all villages in our rural countryside. “Just like our village!” is a frequent comment from Ann’s readers.
Next: the Lois Meade Mysteries, each title reflecting a day of the week. Ann has always loved detective fiction, and determined to make it her next series. So Murder on Monday was born, followed by Terror on Tuesday, and Weeping on Wednesday. The rest of the week follows!
Mornings are set aside for writing, and the rest of the day Ann spends walking the dog, retrieving bantams’ eggs from around the garden, gossiping and taking part in the life of the village. She is never bored!
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Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews
March 23, 2024
One of the most meandering, plotless books I have ever read.
April 5, 2014
Ann Purser's eccentric cozy heroine, Ivy Beasley is once again called in to solve a mystery. The Blackwoods Farm Enquiry is the fifth book in the Ivy Beasley series and involves some ghostly happenings. Ivy Beasley is not your typical cozy heroine, as she is in her golden years, studying for her degree and still solving crimes. Readers who have followed the series love Ivy's caustic wit and her sassy attitude. New readers will find the English setting quaint and irresistible. A great addition to the series!
What I liked:
As usual, Ivy is always a breath of fresh air. She is an amateur sleuth like no other. She's in her elder years but I think she or Ann Purser know it. She is still doing all the things much younger people are doing, including going to college and getting married. Ivy is dream character. She is full of wit and sass and isn't afraid to speak her mind. I love her English way of looking at things and I think Purser does an amazing job of letting Ivy be herself and do things her own way. Just an all around wonderful character.
In the latest addition the series, The Blackwoods Farm Enquiry, Ivy is mixing a bit of snooping in with her studying. The owner of Blackwoods Farm has been experiencing some unexplained things. It appears that ghosts may be afoot and Ivy and her gang from Enquire Within are called in to investigate. But things aren't exactly what they appear and Ivy quickly finds herself in hot water. I liked the paranormal touch that Purser adds to this book. It gives it an eerie sort of feeling to mix with the very English tone of the book.
I love the way that Purser always gives the books in this series a very English feel. The atmosphere is present on every page and in this one, it is extremely apparent that these characters are not in Kansas. From the way Ivy talks and expresses herself to the descriptions of the place and times, Purser knows exactly how to set her scene.
The mystery aspects of the book were written in a very concise and to the point method, much like Ivy herself. There were several suspects and motives and when it finally all winds down I think readers will be very surprised at how Ivy comes to her conclusions. The big reveal is definitely worth the build up. Purser does a great job of keeping the reader a little off kilter, so that they can't quite place who did it, until the end.
What I didn't like:
I missed all of the wedding hullabaloo from the last book and I wished that Roy had a played a bigger role in this mystery. I find him just as intriguing as Ivy, if not a little less abrasive.
Bottom Line:
Ivy is back and better than ever. I enjoyed this one a lot and thought Purser was able to use the paranormal to add to the atmosphere of this book. New and old readers alike will love trying to figure out what Ivy will do next. A great addition to the series.
What I liked:
As usual, Ivy is always a breath of fresh air. She is an amateur sleuth like no other. She's in her elder years but I think she or Ann Purser know it. She is still doing all the things much younger people are doing, including going to college and getting married. Ivy is dream character. She is full of wit and sass and isn't afraid to speak her mind. I love her English way of looking at things and I think Purser does an amazing job of letting Ivy be herself and do things her own way. Just an all around wonderful character.
In the latest addition the series, The Blackwoods Farm Enquiry, Ivy is mixing a bit of snooping in with her studying. The owner of Blackwoods Farm has been experiencing some unexplained things. It appears that ghosts may be afoot and Ivy and her gang from Enquire Within are called in to investigate. But things aren't exactly what they appear and Ivy quickly finds herself in hot water. I liked the paranormal touch that Purser adds to this book. It gives it an eerie sort of feeling to mix with the very English tone of the book.
I love the way that Purser always gives the books in this series a very English feel. The atmosphere is present on every page and in this one, it is extremely apparent that these characters are not in Kansas. From the way Ivy talks and expresses herself to the descriptions of the place and times, Purser knows exactly how to set her scene.
The mystery aspects of the book were written in a very concise and to the point method, much like Ivy herself. There were several suspects and motives and when it finally all winds down I think readers will be very surprised at how Ivy comes to her conclusions. The big reveal is definitely worth the build up. Purser does a great job of keeping the reader a little off kilter, so that they can't quite place who did it, until the end.
What I didn't like:
I missed all of the wedding hullabaloo from the last book and I wished that Roy had a played a bigger role in this mystery. I find him just as intriguing as Ivy, if not a little less abrasive.
Bottom Line:
Ivy is back and better than ever. I enjoyed this one a lot and thought Purser was able to use the paranormal to add to the atmosphere of this book. New and old readers alike will love trying to figure out what Ivy will do next. A great addition to the series.
April 15, 2014
The Blackwoods Farm Enquiry is the fifth book in the An Ivy Beasley Mystery series.
A new, to me, author and it took me a little reading to get into the story. But, once I did, I enjoyed it.
Ivy Beasley and her soon to be husband, Roy Goodman, live at the Springfield Residential House in Barrington. Ivy and Roy are retired, as are all the residents are. Ivy and Roy, along with nearby neighbors Deirdre Bloxman and Gus Halfhide run a private inguiry business. When Mrs. Winchen Blatch asks for their help in finding out who the person is that keeps visiting her in the middle of the night. She says it is her husband, who has been dead for some 25 years. Others think it might be a lodger that she had, who had a relationship with and then he leaves taking some of her valuables with him. Ivy isn't sure that Baltch might be just a bit touched. Gus does finally agree to spend a couple night at the house with Blatch, to watch for any strange occurences. On the second night, Gus falls soundly asleep, only to find Blatch had fallen down the fire escape and has passed. Recently a college level school has opened near the Blackwoods Farm and Ivy enrolls in a writing course. She has wanted to write her memoirs and is going to use course as a means to do some subtle sleuthing at The Blackwoods.
The author has an interesting cast of characters who are very likeable and believable. All the members of enquiry business will put a smile on your face. and it is a great blending of the young and Ivy, in the class room.
Will be watching for the next book in the series.
A new, to me, author and it took me a little reading to get into the story. But, once I did, I enjoyed it.
Ivy Beasley and her soon to be husband, Roy Goodman, live at the Springfield Residential House in Barrington. Ivy and Roy are retired, as are all the residents are. Ivy and Roy, along with nearby neighbors Deirdre Bloxman and Gus Halfhide run a private inguiry business. When Mrs. Winchen Blatch asks for their help in finding out who the person is that keeps visiting her in the middle of the night. She says it is her husband, who has been dead for some 25 years. Others think it might be a lodger that she had, who had a relationship with and then he leaves taking some of her valuables with him. Ivy isn't sure that Baltch might be just a bit touched. Gus does finally agree to spend a couple night at the house with Blatch, to watch for any strange occurences. On the second night, Gus falls soundly asleep, only to find Blatch had fallen down the fire escape and has passed. Recently a college level school has opened near the Blackwoods Farm and Ivy enrolls in a writing course. She has wanted to write her memoirs and is going to use course as a means to do some subtle sleuthing at The Blackwoods.
The author has an interesting cast of characters who are very likeable and believable. All the members of enquiry business will put a smile on your face. and it is a great blending of the young and Ivy, in the class room.
Will be watching for the next book in the series.
February 24, 2025
Aside from the bed-hopping of the "merry widow", I have enjoyed this series. Feisty oldster Ivy and her fiance Roy are a pleasing couple. This last book, so far, in the series is a good read and ends with a sweet, emotional scene. The Fantastic Fiction website indicates that the author, Ann Purser, was born in 1933 so it is possible that she is no longer writing and this will be the last we see of Ivy and Roy. This makes me sad, but it is what it is. As an ending, though somewhat disappointing, this one will do.
May 9, 2018
A typical "cozy" which was very slow moving in comparison with earlier books in the series. One thing bothered me: Why was there never mention of Rickwood Smith's Australian accent as a clue to his past? He must have had an accent having lived there all his life!!
July 11, 2018
The Blackwoods Farm Enquiry was a fun book. Ivy Beasley is one senior who will not take life lying down. Going back to college at her advanced age was a fun twist in the story. I enjoyed the mystery and how it affected the retirement home. I will read more of this series.
September 19, 2017
So I now have finally finished this last book of the series. Slow, slow, slow! Very dull story and Roy and Ivy are still not married.
June 1, 2023
I enjoyed this book very much. I will read some more from this author. Love books of villagers in England.
August 9, 2015
I think it is safe to say that this is one of the worst books I have ever read. Her other series, the Lois Meade series, is annoying but not anywhere as bad as this one. The dialog is stilted and awkward, the plot drags and the mystery nonexistent. And to top it off, it was never explained what really happened to the character who eventually died in the story. Nothing was tied up, nothing made any sense. This was the first book that I have read in the Ivy Beasley series and it will definitely be the last. I'm sad to say that I have lost some hours while I plodded through this book, never to recapture them again.
April 25, 2014
Enquire within is hired by Eleanor, who feels that her long-dead husband is haunting her. When she's found dead, the group can't find out much about her life. Even the oldest inhabitants claim not to remember her. Of course, Eleanor wasn't a native--she came from out of the clannish little area. But her sister is living in a small cottage nearby, and claims that she hasn't seen Eleanor for many years. There's a sad story behind the sisters' estrangement. Meanwhile, Ivy plans for her forthcoming marriage.
June 20, 2014
Another charming mystery with the Enquiry Within employees. Roy and Ivy who live in a retirement home and their friend and fellow enquiry agents have their handsful. Ivy has decided to go to College in town and take a writing course. The property next to the new college is owned by a recluse to has hired them to prove her dead husband isn't coming back to convince her to commit suicide. A fun book with mystery, colorful characters, and a beautiful setting.
April 19, 2014
The usual cast of characters with the addition of Ivy Beasley's classmates in a creative writing course. This is really a non mystery and the repeated "we must meet,we have learned so much" when in fact they have learned so little gets wearing. Although we like the main characters they are getting soooooo redundant. Boring.
June 13, 2014
A lonely widow hires Enquiry Within team to help her. She thinks that her husband's ghost is tormenting her and wants Ivy and Roy to solve the mystery. Later, the widow is found dead.
This mystery lumbered along and then it had several unanswered questions at the end of the book.
This mystery lumbered along and then it had several unanswered questions at the end of the book.
May 3, 2014
I enjoy these characters.
April 29, 2014
Another intriguing Ivy Beasley mystery!
May 14, 2014
Best one of the series yet
August 29, 2014
It moved way too slowly.
October 23, 2014
When will Ivy ever get married? I'm tired of waiting! Actually, this was a fun read. I enjoyed this very much. But, just a hint...I think Ms. Purser has been watching soap operas.
December 28, 2022
3 1/2 - Very Good
April 11, 2014
I'm a little disappointed. Not anywhere as good as the previous books.
Read
May 29, 2018GREAT!!!!
Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews