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The Mystery of Pheasant Cottage
Lucy's quiet home at Pheasant Cottage is shrouded in mystery. She is determined at all costs to find out what is being hidden from her.
94 pages, Paperback
First published June 28, 1978
10 people are currently reading
345 people want to read
About the author
Patricia St. John
95 books246 followersPatricia Mary St. John spent 27 years as a dedicated missionary to North Africa - and was also a prolific children's writer. Her books are loved and treasured around the world; some have been turned into stirring films. Gripping adventures which cover real life issues are her hallmark.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 55 reviews
November 18, 2022
ENGLISH: This is the second time i've read this book, and this time I've liked it more than the first. St.John's style is unmistakable.
It is about a little girl raised by her grandparents, who lost her mother at birth and barely remembers her father. Little by little she discovers things about him, until she becomes a committed Christian and manages to convert her father too.
ESPAÑOL: Esta es la segunda vez que leo este libro, y me ha gustado más que la primera. El estilo de St.John es inconfundible.
Trata sobre una niña criada por sus abuelos, que perdió a su madre al nacer y que casi no recuerda a su padre. Poco a poco va descubriendo cosas sobre él, hasta que se convierte en una cristiana comprometida y consigue convertir también a su padre.
It is about a little girl raised by her grandparents, who lost her mother at birth and barely remembers her father. Little by little she discovers things about him, until she becomes a committed Christian and manages to convert her father too.
ESPAÑOL: Esta es la segunda vez que leo este libro, y me ha gustado más que la primera. El estilo de St.John es inconfundible.
Trata sobre una niña criada por sus abuelos, que perdió a su madre al nacer y que casi no recuerda a su padre. Poco a poco va descubriendo cosas sobre él, hasta que se convierte en una cristiana comprometida y consigue convertir también a su padre.
July 19, 2023
Sniff. Sniffle. What a beautiful story!
I’d particularly recommend this for family read aloud so that you can easily follow up reading time with discussions on salvation, apologetics and loss.
Lucy is twelve and lives with her grandparents in a little cottage in England. She knows there’s some odd mystery about her past because everyone doesn’t like to discuss it when she’s around. Does she have a mother, a father? What happened to them? And why the secrecy?
Over the summer holiday, Lucy befriends a boy named Don and a man named Mr. Smith. They have all kinds of fun together, reading books and discovering nature.
But Lucy can’t let go of her curiosity and one day she uncovers part of the secret to her past. From there, several adventures unfold and a beautiful story of love and forgiveness ensues.
Along with the main character, you’ll learn whether church and Bible reading matter, what a relationship with Jesus looks like, salvation, prayer, and forgiveness. And although this little book is crammed with all this wonderful knowledge, it’s wrapped in a beautiful and well-told story!
Highly recommend!
Ages: 8+
Content considerations: all bad behavior is correctly resolved. There is a poignant death in the book. A man smokes. Mentions drinking and wine. A man went to prison for drug trafficking.
**Like my reviews? Then you should follow me! Because I have hundreds more just like this one. With each review, I provide a Cleanliness Report, mentioning any objectionable content I come across so that parents and/or conscientious readers (like me) can determine beforehand whether they want to read a book or not. Content surprises are super annoying, especially when you’re 100+ pages in, so here’s my attempt to help you avoid that!
So Follow or Friend me here on GoodReads! And be sure to check out my bio page to learn a little about me and the Picture Book/Chapter Book Calendars I sell on Etsy!
I’d particularly recommend this for family read aloud so that you can easily follow up reading time with discussions on salvation, apologetics and loss.
Lucy is twelve and lives with her grandparents in a little cottage in England. She knows there’s some odd mystery about her past because everyone doesn’t like to discuss it when she’s around. Does she have a mother, a father? What happened to them? And why the secrecy?
Over the summer holiday, Lucy befriends a boy named Don and a man named Mr. Smith. They have all kinds of fun together, reading books and discovering nature.
But Lucy can’t let go of her curiosity and one day she uncovers part of the secret to her past. From there, several adventures unfold and a beautiful story of love and forgiveness ensues.
Along with the main character, you’ll learn whether church and Bible reading matter, what a relationship with Jesus looks like, salvation, prayer, and forgiveness. And although this little book is crammed with all this wonderful knowledge, it’s wrapped in a beautiful and well-told story!
Highly recommend!
Ages: 8+
Content considerations: all bad behavior is correctly resolved. There is a poignant death in the book. A man smokes. Mentions drinking and wine. A man went to prison for drug trafficking.
**Like my reviews? Then you should follow me! Because I have hundreds more just like this one. With each review, I provide a Cleanliness Report, mentioning any objectionable content I come across so that parents and/or conscientious readers (like me) can determine beforehand whether they want to read a book or not. Content surprises are super annoying, especially when you’re 100+ pages in, so here’s my attempt to help you avoid that!
So Follow or Friend me here on GoodReads! And be sure to check out my bio page to learn a little about me and the Picture Book/Chapter Book Calendars I sell on Etsy!
August 1, 2022
This story was a comfort on a long day of high pain, hot tea, and forced rest. The Secret at Pheasant Cottage is a brief story (136 pages) written for children that centers around a young English girl’s coming of age in teasing out the secrets of her difficult origins. As with all Patricia St. John stories, the plotting unravels in a gentle, but not completely predictable, manner. I loved the vivid descriptions of the English countryside and the bright vibrance of the seaside, as well as Lucy’s longings to both experience and capture everything. Lucy’s presentation as a literary and poetic child was solid, vivid, believable. The confusion and conflicts of the story were faithfully told.
Themes of discovery, forgiveness, and transformation abound. I’m particularly enthralled by St. John’s poignant writing of spiritual transformation. Each book includes a spiritual transformation of a child and often adults around them. Each child has their own unique encounter with the Savior and His gospel. While the change is soul level deep, St. John’s simple concrete writing, never trite or overly dramatized, has a weighty depth to it. She’s not pushing for deep allegories or verbose descriptions of supernatural occurrences. Rather, characters encounter the voice of Jesus in through ordinary everyday encounters. The style and themes are refreshingly wholesome.
There was one theme, however, that bothered me. Trying to avoid giving away that the discovery that drives the book, I felt the wickedness of people’s hearts – neither the foolish sins of children, nor the devious evil of adults – was taken seriously.
I observed this in two ways. Children often think the harm in challenging parental authority is that it hurts the parents. Lucy, (tweens and teens broadly) needed to understand her rebellious actions to move out from her Grandparents protection put LUCY in danger. She also needed to be encouraged that the mature way to handle her struggles was to discuss them with those in authority over her life and not assume the worst of them. Lucy’s actions are believable, representing a struggle that entraps most tweens and teens. I wish there was both a bit more wisdom spoken into her life by the adults around her and a little less tween handling challenges independently.
Secondly, perhaps St. John was writing in a different time, but some of the connections young Lucy made with auxiliary characters whispered “Stranger! Danger!” to me. It is an unfortunate truth that there are many people seeing to devour the precious children among us. Unfortunately, some of these adults present themselves as kind and interested. Predators work through a variety of methods. Some predators will play a longer game to groom a child into darkness and I think contemporary parents are more aware of these methods. Other predators will engage in full direct assault, such as the violent dismemberment of babies prior to birth or other forms of murder, to conceal their actions. Perhaps I myself read too many Agatha Christie crime story as a tween.
I found myself wondering: Is the evil more blatant in our day? Were there a higher percentage of people who were trustworthy during St. John’s time? Can the story be written in a wholesome manner that acknowledges these truths of the human experience without becoming stereotypical/ formulaic? Are the children or their world too idealistic? I could not resolve these questions. But one thing was clear: these threats need to be taken seriously by those entrusted with raising children or helping parents raise children (such as ministers and volunteers).
Running under the surface of a rich story, this conundrum was of no concern for me as an adult. However, I found myself wondering how I would address giving this particular Patricia St. John story to a tween or teen. Discussion of these observations and questions seems the best way forward. Though I have some caveats for this title, I recommend the series for children and adults seeking wholesome stories with spiritual foundations.
I am strolling through a project of reading the Moody Publisher’s ebook set of Patricia St. John novels.
The sales blurb states these stories have been updated for the contemporary reader, an edit which some St. John fans dislike. Here is the link to the series I purchase. am reading through:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
My next title is:
Rainbow Garden, Patricia St. John, 1960
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
I am reviewing each title as I read and will review the entire set when completed. If you would like to follow along from the beginning, the first story is:
Star of Light, Patricia St. John, 1953
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Themes of discovery, forgiveness, and transformation abound. I’m particularly enthralled by St. John’s poignant writing of spiritual transformation. Each book includes a spiritual transformation of a child and often adults around them. Each child has their own unique encounter with the Savior and His gospel. While the change is soul level deep, St. John’s simple concrete writing, never trite or overly dramatized, has a weighty depth to it. She’s not pushing for deep allegories or verbose descriptions of supernatural occurrences. Rather, characters encounter the voice of Jesus in through ordinary everyday encounters. The style and themes are refreshingly wholesome.
There was one theme, however, that bothered me. Trying to avoid giving away that the discovery that drives the book, I felt the wickedness of people’s hearts – neither the foolish sins of children, nor the devious evil of adults – was taken seriously.
I observed this in two ways. Children often think the harm in challenging parental authority is that it hurts the parents. Lucy, (tweens and teens broadly) needed to understand her rebellious actions to move out from her Grandparents protection put LUCY in danger. She also needed to be encouraged that the mature way to handle her struggles was to discuss them with those in authority over her life and not assume the worst of them. Lucy’s actions are believable, representing a struggle that entraps most tweens and teens. I wish there was both a bit more wisdom spoken into her life by the adults around her and a little less tween handling challenges independently.
Secondly, perhaps St. John was writing in a different time, but some of the connections young Lucy made with auxiliary characters whispered “Stranger! Danger!” to me. It is an unfortunate truth that there are many people seeing to devour the precious children among us. Unfortunately, some of these adults present themselves as kind and interested. Predators work through a variety of methods. Some predators will play a longer game to groom a child into darkness and I think contemporary parents are more aware of these methods. Other predators will engage in full direct assault, such as the violent dismemberment of babies prior to birth or other forms of murder, to conceal their actions. Perhaps I myself read too many Agatha Christie crime story as a tween.
I found myself wondering: Is the evil more blatant in our day? Were there a higher percentage of people who were trustworthy during St. John’s time? Can the story be written in a wholesome manner that acknowledges these truths of the human experience without becoming stereotypical/ formulaic? Are the children or their world too idealistic? I could not resolve these questions. But one thing was clear: these threats need to be taken seriously by those entrusted with raising children or helping parents raise children (such as ministers and volunteers).
Running under the surface of a rich story, this conundrum was of no concern for me as an adult. However, I found myself wondering how I would address giving this particular Patricia St. John story to a tween or teen. Discussion of these observations and questions seems the best way forward. Though I have some caveats for this title, I recommend the series for children and adults seeking wholesome stories with spiritual foundations.
I am strolling through a project of reading the Moody Publisher’s ebook set of Patricia St. John novels.
The sales blurb states these stories have been updated for the contemporary reader, an edit which some St. John fans dislike. Here is the link to the series I purchase. am reading through:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
My next title is:
Rainbow Garden, Patricia St. John, 1960
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
I am reviewing each title as I read and will review the entire set when completed. If you would like to follow along from the beginning, the first story is:
Star of Light, Patricia St. John, 1953
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Read
August 28, 2018we loove patricia
Read
July 16, 2024Sweet story, but definitely not one of my favorites of Patricia St John’s books. Slightly odd how the girl went to live with her father!
September 23, 2009
A quick read... (Also called The Mystery of Pheasant Cottage)
Lucy lives with her grandparents - her mother's father and mother. Her mother died when she was born and her father isn't part of her life. She overhears a conversation that leads her to discoveries, especially with the help of her new friend Ron.
Lucy, through the help of an old woman who doesn't speak English, learns what a relationship with Jesus is. Lucy, in turn, shares that with someone else.
The writing is good and is never preachy. It is a child's book but I enjoyed it. Something I might want to read to the youngsters at school. The ending is better than the beginning of the story. I appreciate the way the author didn't drag from one event to the next, making us live through tedium in the everyday detail.
Lucy lives with her grandparents - her mother's father and mother. Her mother died when she was born and her father isn't part of her life. She overhears a conversation that leads her to discoveries, especially with the help of her new friend Ron.
Lucy, through the help of an old woman who doesn't speak English, learns what a relationship with Jesus is. Lucy, in turn, shares that with someone else.
The writing is good and is never preachy. It is a child's book but I enjoyed it. Something I might want to read to the youngsters at school. The ending is better than the beginning of the story. I appreciate the way the author didn't drag from one event to the next, making us live through tedium in the everyday detail.
June 29, 2020
"...and best of all, I'd found out the real secret of life. In Jesus there was life now and forever."
Wow. One of the last sentences in the book and probably the most encouraging. I liked how this book not only had an interesting plot running through it, but yet also had the gospel shining through, which made the magic. And not only did I want to know more about Lucy and her father each chapter, but also I found myself reading to find out more about Jesus and the gospel. This book just trapped me, and I enjoyed it a lot, even though it's small and only 127 pages. 4 stars :D
"I am the one who raises the dead to life! Everyone who has faith in me will live, even if they die. And everyone who lives of faith in me will never really die."
Wow. One of the last sentences in the book and probably the most encouraging. I liked how this book not only had an interesting plot running through it, but yet also had the gospel shining through, which made the magic. And not only did I want to know more about Lucy and her father each chapter, but also I found myself reading to find out more about Jesus and the gospel. This book just trapped me, and I enjoyed it a lot, even though it's small and only 127 pages. 4 stars :D
"I am the one who raises the dead to life! Everyone who has faith in me will live, even if they die. And everyone who lives of faith in me will never really die."
January 9, 2025
Though not the most powerful of St. John’s books (at least partly due to being shorter and less developed), this is a sweet story of a child growing in faith and learning how to pray through hard circumstances. I think a different title may have been better since Pheasant Cottage is rarely referred to by name in the book. But we still enjoyed it as a read aloud and my kids kept asking for me to read more.
June 10, 2021
This was a really good story. It was very compelling and taught me about how important it is to not hold grudges and forgive. I never tire of reading how Patricia St. John's characters come to know Christ. At first, I thought the story was a little slow, but it picked up quickly and left me astonished, gasping, and crying. What a beautiful tale-it certainly had me enthralled.
March 2, 2012
Ever since Judy Blume's books became best-sellers, the juvenile fiction market has been flooded with literature about serious issues that young children often face, such as death in the family, parental abandonment, divorce, etc. Patricia St. John's The Secret at Pheasant Cottage is among the thousands of such novels. It's pretty much standard kiddie chapter book fare; the writing is decent, and the story okay, but, despite this being Christian fiction, I honestly feel that there are much better juvenile books out there than this. It's unlikely that you'd ever find this book, anyway; I'd never heard of Patricia St. John before purchasing The Secret at Pheasant Cottage, and the copy I have says and looks like it's a few decades old. Maybe a younger child would like this, although the antiquated language (such as using "queer" as a synonym for "strange") would likely confuse them. I hate to say it, but, unless you love all juvenile fiction, this isn't worth your time.
August 2, 2016
This book has become my new favorite going above and beyond even Little Women. It's a classical read that portrays Jesus as being a close friend in such a beautiful, yet gently powerful, way.
I won't spoil any of it, but I will say this; if you think you can predict the end of the story at any time throughout the book, just keep reading because you may be right in some regards, but in others it brought quite a different turn than what I expected, so just keep reading! You won't be disappointed.
I won't spoil any of it, but I will say this; if you think you can predict the end of the story at any time throughout the book, just keep reading because you may be right in some regards, but in others it brought quite a different turn than what I expected, so just keep reading! You won't be disappointed.
November 27, 2019
Quickly read this to see if it would be a good gift for one of my siblings this year, and I really enjoyed it as well. It shares the gospel message and overall just a sweet book <3
November 14, 2022
WARNING! SPOILERS AHEAD: Wow! This book was so inspiring and I loved it so much! It was somewhat sad though......... Lucy takes Don’s suggestion to go and see her father in prison without her grandparents (who are currently acting as parents bc her mom is dead and her dad is supposed to be in prison)knowing! But her Dad isn’t in prison! Finally a man who she already knows surprises her by revealing that HE is her daddy! AND he was so helpful to the people at the jail that he got out a year early! I also love the parts of the book in Spain when Lucy begins to come to know God and this book has definitely encouraged me to go deeper in my faith. At the end of the book when both of Lucy’s parents are dead, she is HAPPY! Because her Dad has finally come to know Christ as Savior and friend and she knows that her parents are together forever at last! This book is definitely 5 stars!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 29, 2025
„Откритията на Люси“ от Патриция Сейнт Джон (изд. „Нов човек“) е дълбоко вълнуващ роман за деца, който съчетава реалистична семейна драма с теми за вярата, прошката и обичта. Авторката, позната с внимателното си и искрено поднасяне на християнски послания в художествени форми, отново демонстрира своя деликатен стил на разказване, който докосва сърцето. Прочетете ревюто на "Книжни Криле": https://knijnikrile.wordpress.com/202...
February 14, 2025
I was actually really surprised here. This book is not my thing. Much too slow, nothing in the way of a plot, very plodding. But for whatever reason, it didn't seem to hurt this one. I guess it was quick enough that it never seemed bogged down by the lack of our character doing anything.
Then we get to a beautiful gospel presentation in the last three chapters and I was really moved by this book. St. John did a remarkable job of bringing our characters to Christ.
I was actually really impressed with this one.
Then we get to a beautiful gospel presentation in the last three chapters and I was really moved by this book. St. John did a remarkable job of bringing our characters to Christ.
I was actually really impressed with this one.
March 26, 2022
Her mother had died at childbirth, so Lucy grew up, living her entire life with her grandparents. As she got older, she began to wonder about her father. People in her life encouraged her in different ways. Her grandparents taught her spiritual truths and how to live. Her friend Don encouraged her to find her father and go to him. An old Spanish-speaking woman led her to faith.
The Gospel was clearly and winsomely presented.
The Gospel was clearly and winsomely presented.
May 7, 2023
I read several of the Patricia St. John books as a girl, and am re-reading them now to my kids as bedtime read-alouds. So far my favorites as an adult have hands-down been Treasures of the Snow, and now, this one—The Secret al Pheasant Cottage. So much real-life kid adventure, intrigue, tragedy, triumph, and happily multi-cultural, especially for its time. And I love the fact that there is real age-appropriate wrestling with issues of faith in God.
~Jen
~Jen
May 30, 2023
Again, another wonderful explanation of the Gospel through a precious story for middle school age kids and above to read, but also one you can read to younger children as well. I have thoroughly enjoyed this author's writings. I have one more in this series to read, and know I will be touched again by her way of explaining Jesus especially to young kids.
December 12, 2024
This book was so rich. I remember being really affected by St John’s books as a child. Re-reading this one out loud to my kids was uplifting to me and still a page turner for them.
Because of their young age, I had to do a fair amount of explaining. It is a great book for a tween girl, especially for a sensitive, introvert.
Because of their young age, I had to do a fair amount of explaining. It is a great book for a tween girl, especially for a sensitive, introvert.
October 30, 2025
Another Patricia St John book that left me in tears at the end! This book follows a little girl living with her grandparents who wonders about her father, who she doesn't know much about. It's a beautiful story of self-discovery, learning to love Jesus as a friend, and discovering the power of home and family.
December 14, 2025
Such a sweet story! I was impacted and challenged by Lucy’s example of noticing and appreciating the Beaty of the world around her. I want to grow in that skill—and she was such a good example to me! I also love the gospel-truths woven into the storyline. Seeing how it is the most unlikely of candidates who helps Lucy truly believe the truth of the gospel for herself!
July 9, 2020
Another great family read-aloud with a clear message of the saving love of Jesus, although this is one of St. John's books not recommended by MFW due to some content issues, I think (prison, drugs are mentioned). PG rating.
March 1, 2022
Read aloud with kids.
My favorite book by St. John, far less didactic than some of her earlier children's books.
Moody abridged this version and butchered the ending. I would suggest looking for the original used copies.
My favorite book by St. John, far less didactic than some of her earlier children's books.
Moody abridged this version and butchered the ending. I would suggest looking for the original used copies.
August 21, 2023
A sweet evangelistic story for children, with lots of spiritual lessons about faith in Jesus Christ and forgiveness. A story of reconciliation in a family, centered around a motherless little girl who lives with her loving grandparents but longs to know her absent father.
January 22, 2024
The story was written in 1977 so some language may seem outdated, but the story is good. The theme of forgiveness is prevalent in the book: "But what a lot of time we waste, Lucy, when we won't forgive. I never had much book learning and your Granny could say it a lot better than I could, but it seems to me that every hour when we won't love and forgive, is an hour of life wasted."
Read
August 20, 2017Though slightly different than some of her other books,this is yet another wonderful read from Patricia t. John.
January 16, 2020
Not my favorite of St. John's works. A little too preachy and anvilicious. However, it still carries valuable themes of love and forgiveness.
December 21, 2021
An engaging tale full of life lessons to be learnt.
April 13, 2022
I enjoyed this book, and have always loved Patricia ST John's stories. A very quick read, but still a substantial story with a Gospel message.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 55 reviews