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Tales from Turnham Malpas #1-2
The New Rector ; Talk of the Village
THE NEW RECTOR Peter Harris is the new rector of Turnham Malpas but, as he soon discovers village life is more complex than he'd bargained on. As events turn nasty in the village, Peter's pastoral role become more crucial than ever - and yet he must wrestle with his own demons that could still wreck his life. TALK OF THE VILLAGE The village of Turnham Malpas is bedevilled by talk. In the Royal Oak, the usual banter has turned to bitter wrangling amongst the inhabitants. No one is exempt from the cruel speculation of the village gossips.
Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 2001
18 people want to read
About the author
Rebecca Shaw
74 books109 followersSunday Times bestselling author Rebecca Shaw is known for her heartwarming tales of country life.
Rebecca grew up in Yorkshire and attended a Quaker boarding school before becoming a teacher of deaf children.
She wrote 28 novels. Her biggest series of 19 books set in a fictional English village called TURNHAM MALPAS chart the lives and loves of the village inhabitants.
A further six novels tell the stories of the vets, veterinary nurses and animals at a veterinary practice in the fictional English market town of BARLEYBRIDGE.
She also wrote three standalone novels.
Rebecca lived with her husband in a beautiful Dorset village where she found plenty of inspiration for her contemporary stories about rural life. Rebecca sadly passed away in 2015, but her stories continue to be enjoyed by readers across the globe.
Rebecca has been translated and sold in Denmark, Germany, Hungary and Norway. She is also published in the US.
Rebecca grew up in Yorkshire and attended a Quaker boarding school before becoming a teacher of deaf children.
She wrote 28 novels. Her biggest series of 19 books set in a fictional English village called TURNHAM MALPAS chart the lives and loves of the village inhabitants.
A further six novels tell the stories of the vets, veterinary nurses and animals at a veterinary practice in the fictional English market town of BARLEYBRIDGE.
She also wrote three standalone novels.
Rebecca lived with her husband in a beautiful Dorset village where she found plenty of inspiration for her contemporary stories about rural life. Rebecca sadly passed away in 2015, but her stories continue to be enjoyed by readers across the globe.
Rebecca has been translated and sold in Denmark, Germany, Hungary and Norway. She is also published in the US.
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Displaying 1 of 1 review
March 13, 2017
The New Rector
I started this book in May but somehow it got left unfinished and I have only just come back to it. I thoroughly enjoyed it and would recommend it to anyone who likes a village setting with a bit of a mystery. The thing about Turnham Malpas is that although it is an idyllic English country village, its residents are not portrayed as being perfect! As I read I got really drawn into the life of the village and I became like the typical village gossip. I found myself saying things to myself like 'those children need taking in hand,' 'she's no better than she should be,' 'no good will come to that one.' If a book captivates your interest so well and keeps you wanting to know what becomes of the characters then it has done its job.
Rebecca Shaw has written a great many books in this series and I am now looking forward to reading them all.
This is a double book and I have only read the first one so far, it also contains the second in the series, Talk of the Village, which I will review when I have read it.
TALK OF THE VILLAGE
I have just paid another visit to the village of Turnham Malpas and oh what a to-do there was! For such a small and sleepy place there is certainly a lot going on behind closed doors. They are turning the big house into a gym and spa but are Venetia and Jeremy, her husband, quite what they seem to be? Venetia is very forward with the men in the village. This together with her fluorescent velour tracksuit and her oh so skimpy bikini, leaves the ladies of the village rather disgruntled including Caroline the Rector's wife!!!
I did mention in my review of The New Rector that I could see no good coming of the McDonald girl; well I don't like to say 'I told you so' but...
Then there are the old ladies Gwen and Beryl Baxter. They are twins, who keep themselves to themselves (not a bad thing because, not wanting to be rude, they don't smell too good.) Gwen goes to the local shop for food shopping and they spend the rest of their time watching their neighbours through their dirty window. I knew from the start that there was something sinister about them, but who would have thought just how sinister?
Caroline is battling on with the adopted twins belonging to her husband the Rector and 'another woman'. She really is a saint, but she does however reach the end of her tether over one of Jimmy Glover's pastimes and the ripples that flow through the village almost start a civil war!
Altogether, this is another charming and surprisingly exciting episode in the story of Turnham Malpas and I shall be back soon for a bit more gossip.
I started this book in May but somehow it got left unfinished and I have only just come back to it. I thoroughly enjoyed it and would recommend it to anyone who likes a village setting with a bit of a mystery. The thing about Turnham Malpas is that although it is an idyllic English country village, its residents are not portrayed as being perfect! As I read I got really drawn into the life of the village and I became like the typical village gossip. I found myself saying things to myself like 'those children need taking in hand,' 'she's no better than she should be,' 'no good will come to that one.' If a book captivates your interest so well and keeps you wanting to know what becomes of the characters then it has done its job.
Rebecca Shaw has written a great many books in this series and I am now looking forward to reading them all.
This is a double book and I have only read the first one so far, it also contains the second in the series, Talk of the Village, which I will review when I have read it.
TALK OF THE VILLAGE
I have just paid another visit to the village of Turnham Malpas and oh what a to-do there was! For such a small and sleepy place there is certainly a lot going on behind closed doors. They are turning the big house into a gym and spa but are Venetia and Jeremy, her husband, quite what they seem to be? Venetia is very forward with the men in the village. This together with her fluorescent velour tracksuit and her oh so skimpy bikini, leaves the ladies of the village rather disgruntled including Caroline the Rector's wife!!!
I did mention in my review of The New Rector that I could see no good coming of the McDonald girl; well I don't like to say 'I told you so' but...
Then there are the old ladies Gwen and Beryl Baxter. They are twins, who keep themselves to themselves (not a bad thing because, not wanting to be rude, they don't smell too good.) Gwen goes to the local shop for food shopping and they spend the rest of their time watching their neighbours through their dirty window. I knew from the start that there was something sinister about them, but who would have thought just how sinister?
Caroline is battling on with the adopted twins belonging to her husband the Rector and 'another woman'. She really is a saint, but she does however reach the end of her tether over one of Jimmy Glover's pastimes and the ripples that flow through the village almost start a civil war!
Altogether, this is another charming and surprisingly exciting episode in the story of Turnham Malpas and I shall be back soon for a bit more gossip.
Displaying 1 of 1 review