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Sixpenny Cross Series #1
A is for Abigail: Sixpenny Cross Series Book 1
A is for Abigail
A short read by the New York Times bestselling author of the ‘Old Fools’ series.
Abigail Martin has everything: beauty, money, a loving husband, and a fabulous house in the village of Sixpenny Cross. But Abigail is denied the one thing she craves... A baby. When a gypsy offers to change her life, will Abigail accept? Can she deal with the shattering consequences that threaten to send her world spinning out of control?
A short read by the New York Times bestselling author of the ‘Old Fools’ series.
Abigail Martin has everything: beauty, money, a loving husband, and a fabulous house in the village of Sixpenny Cross. But Abigail is denied the one thing she craves... A baby. When a gypsy offers to change her life, will Abigail accept? Can she deal with the shattering consequences that threaten to send her world spinning out of control?
- GenresFiction
130 pages, Kindle Edition
Published March 1, 2016
84 people are currently reading
33 people want to read
About the author
Victoria Twead
39 books192 followersVictoria Twead is a New York Times, Wall Street Journal and Amazon bestselling author. Eleven years living in a tiny, remote, mountain village in Spain and owning probably the most dangerous cockerel in Europe, inspired Victoria to write “Chickens, Mules and Two Old Fools”. Subsequent books in the Old Fools’ series continue to pop up.
So far, her husband has utterly failed to wrestle the laptop from Victoria’s vice-like grip and she continues to write and publish other authors' books in Australia. Another joyous life-chapter has begun for the pair.
So far, her husband has utterly failed to wrestle the laptop from Victoria’s vice-like grip and she continues to write and publish other authors' books in Australia. Another joyous life-chapter has begun for the pair.
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Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews
July 26, 2021
Delightful Short Story
I am a big fan of Victoria's Old Fool's Memoirs so I was delighted to find her fiction books and intrigued to see if they would be written with her usual flair. I was not disappointed, it was every bit as descriptive and delightful as I had hoped and the characters are brought to life by her penmanship.
Abigail and her husband have an idyllic and perfect life, a beautiful house, good health, but, Abigail feels unfulfilled, she longs for a child, and Aiden, her husband is against adoption. You feel immediate sympathy for Abigail. There are a few twists and turns in this story, all comes out well with a happy ending.
What a wonderful name for a delightful short story collection, now on to B is for Bella. Thank you, Victoria.
I am a big fan of Victoria's Old Fool's Memoirs so I was delighted to find her fiction books and intrigued to see if they would be written with her usual flair. I was not disappointed, it was every bit as descriptive and delightful as I had hoped and the characters are brought to life by her penmanship.
Abigail and her husband have an idyllic and perfect life, a beautiful house, good health, but, Abigail feels unfulfilled, she longs for a child, and Aiden, her husband is against adoption. You feel immediate sympathy for Abigail. There are a few twists and turns in this story, all comes out well with a happy ending.
What a wonderful name for a delightful short story collection, now on to B is for Bella. Thank you, Victoria.
March 5, 2016
I just know 'A is for Abigail' is the start of good Series. I, like many folks, have read & totally enjoyed the Two Old Fools Memoir series by Victoria Twead, and have been so looking forward to this, the start of her fiction Series - set in Sixpenny Cross - It was perfect for me as I'm not overly keen on a huge tome of a book. I just snuggled down and read and read - you quickly get to know Abigal & Aiden plus other characters in the village of Sixpenny Cross - Stan the policeman - Archie Draper and Jayne Fairweather are just a few and their lives one way and another are intertwined. The story starts off 'normal' enough BUT there's a brilliant twist - I loved the setting, the characters and the storyline is very clever. Already looking forward to 'B is for Bella' which I believe is coming soon. I am happy to recommend this book.
October 5, 2018
I'm a fan of Victoria Twead's memoirs so I finally grabbed a copy of 'A is for Abigail' the first book in the Sixpenny Cross Series.
What a quaint read with a surprise ending! I jumped right into the next book 'B is for Bella', anxious to read about more characters in Sixpenny. Delightful reads!
What a quaint read with a surprise ending! I jumped right into the next book 'B is for Bella', anxious to read about more characters in Sixpenny. Delightful reads!
July 24, 2019
Having read all of Ms. Twead's memoirs available to date I'm familiar with her pace, formatting, and delivery style. I was not sure what this book would be like as a fictional read. I've had it in my "to-read" list for a few months. I'm very happily impressed. The story captures your interest immediately, adding bits of information shared with her friend Daisey, reading of her struggle with an emptiness she wonders will ever be filled. Her descriptive of her husband Aiden's work patterns and unshared feelings about an alternate family, as well as her large, beautiful, home and garden perfect house, empty, provides the excellent backdrop for her interesting encounter with the gypsy woman. The resulting storyline goes in directions I would never have suspected filled with fear, trepidation anguish, and resultant calm and fulfillment - whew. It is easy to read through as the idea of laying it down isn't really viable. This was an excellent starter to her new series. I'm so glad I read it, and highly recommend it to others.
June 2, 2018
A supernatural twist at the end?
A lovely read. Easy and gentle with the laid back vibe of St Mary's Mead. She had always wanted a baby but she'd been married for 5 years and still no sign of one. Her husband is a high flyer who works away from home and his interest had been caught by his new female work colleague. Take gypsies, a new baby, lies, greed and the desire for malice and spin them into a great read. Will she get the baby she wants? What if it isn't hers, will she have to give it back? Will the mother come back for it? The characters are vivid and engaging with a vulnerability that comes across well.
A lovely read. Easy and gentle with the laid back vibe of St Mary's Mead. She had always wanted a baby but she'd been married for 5 years and still no sign of one. Her husband is a high flyer who works away from home and his interest had been caught by his new female work colleague. Take gypsies, a new baby, lies, greed and the desire for malice and spin them into a great read. Will she get the baby she wants? What if it isn't hers, will she have to give it back? Will the mother come back for it? The characters are vivid and engaging with a vulnerability that comes across well.
June 3, 2020
A captivating short story
I have thoroughly enjoyed reading all of Victoria’s Two Old Fools Memoir series, and I was not disappointed with this, her first fictional short story. You are quickly drawn into the lives of the main characters in a charming rural village setting. The book moves at a fast pace, and there are several plot twists and turns to keep you riveted to the end. Victoria is a skilful writer, and she paints a vivid picture with her pen. Although this is classified as a short story it is long enough to leave you satisfied – although you are left wanting to read more in the series!
I have thoroughly enjoyed reading all of Victoria’s Two Old Fools Memoir series, and I was not disappointed with this, her first fictional short story. You are quickly drawn into the lives of the main characters in a charming rural village setting. The book moves at a fast pace, and there are several plot twists and turns to keep you riveted to the end. Victoria is a skilful writer, and she paints a vivid picture with her pen. Although this is classified as a short story it is long enough to leave you satisfied – although you are left wanting to read more in the series!
May 27, 2017
Decent read. Done quickly and an interesting start to a series.
May 16, 2018
baby found in woods, gave up Tiffany watch
June 3, 2021
Short story, not odd enough really
It was a bit too pat. Too much forgiveness too quick for real life. I bit more mystery would have been appropriate.
It was a bit too pat. Too much forgiveness too quick for real life. I bit more mystery would have been appropriate.
January 26, 2021
Charming short story/novella
May 31, 2016
I LOVED IT-FABULOUS!
I was given a pre-publication copy of this book for my honest opinion. This is quite a departure in style as Victoria Twead is known for her memoirs. I have read all her previous books and really enjoyed them so I was unsure what would be in store here-would I like it? I certainly did! This is a novella length fiction book. It is the start of a series of books set in the delightful-sounding village of Sixpenny Cross. I felt it was exactly the right length: it wasn't too short and it wasn't too long-it was a satisfyingly long enough read whilst still being a shorter read, still good detail. I really like the name of the village, it has that charm yet still sounds believable. The book had a cosy village atmosphere and I was thinking ‘Oooh lovely!’ as I started to read this. I really like the idea, I love the characters; I love cosy village stories and gossipy ones/tales of affairs between the residents/scandals etc-I feel there's lots of scope with this series. I loved the suspense-it really kept me guessing all the time-I kept checking back with things to make sure they tied in and they all did. I like the idea that Victoria Twead will keep going and there might be another 25 books to come, one for each letter of the alphabet! The narrator is an eighty-year-old lady and she is going to look back and tell us her memories of people from the village. This kept me guessing who it could be. Was this Abigail telling her story? Was it someone else in the village? It hooked me right from the second page, I was pulled in. The first night I read it until 1.15am-it soon grabbed me! The character’s names are real-sounding names to me: I must admit I’m not keen when some authors always use way-out and unusual names for all their characters-eg. Octavia/Phaedra etc-one in a crowd of folk is ok but the whole village? I liked Abigail/Aiden/Daisy etc-these are nice names. I love how the characters were talking over coffee, (as you do), being neighbourly, popping around to your friends or next-door neighbour’s home. The book tells the story of a young couple, Aiden and Abigail, who have been married for nearly five years. They would love to have a child but it hasn’t happened yet and Aiden says he would never adopt, it’s not an option for him. There was plenty of interest and many things which posed questions for me. It’s lovely how the reader keeps being introduced to the villagers eg. Archie on his tractor, Stan on his bike, the village Bobby. Village life, just how it is, people saying hello to each other as they meet on their walks/travels. It sort of made me think of Postman Pat for grownups-in a good way! The book has all the right ingredients: a quaint, quiet, peaceful village, lovely detail and description of the village, it sounds idyllic. One senses that the tranquillity is going to be shattered by something. I really didn’t know what was going to happen, it kept me guessing. A very interesting story with some good ideas. The book is a good mix: it’s happy, cosy, friendly village life and it’s also emotional, mysterious and suspenseful. It kept me guessing and it kept me reading. I loved it! There was a little ‘chuckly’ bit early one. This kind of made me think it would be a light-hearted story and it was a nice surprise to get something totally different-I wasn't expecting it. As I saw it was getting into a mystery-I hate books that end and you think-"Well, what happened there then?" and you don't get it-I needed to totally get it and make sure any clues lead to things and that I wasn't left hanging-I needn’t have worried-everything was spot on. (Not that I'm an author-but I know how a book has to end for me and I have to be satisfied that I'm not scratching my head wondering.) I hope it will be as well received by all her other fans as it certainly deserves to be! I LOVED IT-FABULOUS!
I was given a pre-publication copy of this book for my honest opinion. This is quite a departure in style as Victoria Twead is known for her memoirs. I have read all her previous books and really enjoyed them so I was unsure what would be in store here-would I like it? I certainly did! This is a novella length fiction book. It is the start of a series of books set in the delightful-sounding village of Sixpenny Cross. I felt it was exactly the right length: it wasn't too short and it wasn't too long-it was a satisfyingly long enough read whilst still being a shorter read, still good detail. I really like the name of the village, it has that charm yet still sounds believable. The book had a cosy village atmosphere and I was thinking ‘Oooh lovely!’ as I started to read this. I really like the idea, I love the characters; I love cosy village stories and gossipy ones/tales of affairs between the residents/scandals etc-I feel there's lots of scope with this series. I loved the suspense-it really kept me guessing all the time-I kept checking back with things to make sure they tied in and they all did. I like the idea that Victoria Twead will keep going and there might be another 25 books to come, one for each letter of the alphabet! The narrator is an eighty-year-old lady and she is going to look back and tell us her memories of people from the village. This kept me guessing who it could be. Was this Abigail telling her story? Was it someone else in the village? It hooked me right from the second page, I was pulled in. The first night I read it until 1.15am-it soon grabbed me! The character’s names are real-sounding names to me: I must admit I’m not keen when some authors always use way-out and unusual names for all their characters-eg. Octavia/Phaedra etc-one in a crowd of folk is ok but the whole village? I liked Abigail/Aiden/Daisy etc-these are nice names. I love how the characters were talking over coffee, (as you do), being neighbourly, popping around to your friends or next-door neighbour’s home. The book tells the story of a young couple, Aiden and Abigail, who have been married for nearly five years. They would love to have a child but it hasn’t happened yet and Aiden says he would never adopt, it’s not an option for him. There was plenty of interest and many things which posed questions for me. It’s lovely how the reader keeps being introduced to the villagers eg. Archie on his tractor, Stan on his bike, the village Bobby. Village life, just how it is, people saying hello to each other as they meet on their walks/travels. It sort of made me think of Postman Pat for grownups-in a good way! The book has all the right ingredients: a quaint, quiet, peaceful village, lovely detail and description of the village, it sounds idyllic. One senses that the tranquillity is going to be shattered by something. I really didn’t know what was going to happen, it kept me guessing. A very interesting story with some good ideas. The book is a good mix: it’s happy, cosy, friendly village life and it’s also emotional, mysterious and suspenseful. It kept me guessing and it kept me reading. I loved it! There was a little ‘chuckly’ bit early one. This kind of made me think it would be a light-hearted story and it was a nice surprise to get something totally different-I wasn't expecting it. As I saw it was getting into a mystery-I hate books that end and you think-"Well, what happened there then?" and you don't get it-I needed to totally get it and make sure any clues lead to things and that I wasn't left hanging-I needn’t have worried-everything was spot on. (Not that I'm an author-but I know how a book has to end for me and I have to be satisfied that I'm not scratching my head wondering.) I hope it will be as well received by all her other fans as it certainly deserves to be! I LOVED IT-FABULOUS!
February 15, 2017
I rarely give out 5 stars, but any book I can read in one sitting regardless of length is deserving of 5 stars. It not only drew me in but it kept me there as a reader, wanting to know the outcome of this finely weaved tale in the first of a series. This was a novella and definitely a good length since the author did a fine job of bringing it all together in a believable and enticing manner. I'm excited for more in the Sixpenny Cross Series from author Victoria Twead.
April 7, 2016
As a fan of Victoria Twead’s memoirs I was interested to read her latest book which is set in the seemingly idyllic English village Sixpenny Cross. I wasn’t disappointed at all. It’s a delicious short read with enough intrigue and scandal to keep the reader engrossed. The main characters Abigail and Aiden would appear to have a perfect life but all is not well with the couple as Abigail longs to have a child and Aiden has set his face against adoption. It’s cosy yet distressing and I couldn’t help but feel for Abigail which is a tribute to the author’s skill in creating characters which stir up sympathy in the reader. There was an unexpected twist which took me by surprise. I was pleased with the happy ending although there was a touch of mystery there too. As an added bonus there is a recipe for Abigail Martin’s Carrot Cake which looks to be delicious. I can sense the Sixpenny Cross series is going to be a delight. I’m looking forward now to B is for Bella
March 3, 2016
Loved this book!
This story kept me reading until I was done. The story of Abigail and her desire for a child despite her husband's refusal to accept her wants is a charming one with a little tragedy before the end. I did wish it was much longer but the tale was all nicely wound up by Victoria. Waiting for B!
This story kept me reading until I was done. The story of Abigail and her desire for a child despite her husband's refusal to accept her wants is a charming one with a little tragedy before the end. I did wish it was much longer but the tale was all nicely wound up by Victoria. Waiting for B!
March 9, 2016
An alphabet series
What a fun book. Abigail and Aiden, husband and wife with the husband working away from home lots--well when bad thongs happen sometimes good things happen and as you read this quick read you can never be sure which way the wind will blow-- not giving it away but you will love this book.
What a fun book. Abigail and Aiden, husband and wife with the husband working away from home lots--well when bad thongs happen sometimes good things happen and as you read this quick read you can never be sure which way the wind will blow-- not giving it away but you will love this book.
March 1, 2016
Gentle short read
This was a wonderful short book about a bucolic village in England. It is a love story with twists. I recommend this book.
This was a wonderful short book about a bucolic village in England. It is a love story with twists. I recommend this book.
March 1, 2016
Fabulous read
A fun, touching easy read. Great for a cozy day on the couch with a cup of tea. Love Victoria Twead
A fun, touching easy read. Great for a cozy day on the couch with a cup of tea. Love Victoria Twead
April 29, 2016
Very short, light, sweet story. If you are a fan of the Old Fool novels, you'll probably enjoy reading this.
May 21, 2016
A cute read with some interesting plot twists. Nice character development and scene descriptions.
October 9, 2016
What a great story. The only problem is it's so short. A very quick read. The story kept me so engrossed that I could not put it down. Now I want to read her other series of books.
May 30, 2018
Victoria Twead is such a good writer. I have read her Two Old Fool books and loved them so was interesting in reading something else of hers that was more non-fiction. The book was full of little surprises and was enjoyable to read, would like to read the second as this book was left on a bit of a cliff hanger
Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews