Mystery in the Village

by Rebecca Shaw

It's a time of turmoil for the village of Turnham Malpas... Peter and Caroline Harris live a comfortable life at the rectory, but their cosy world is shaken up when Caroline's old flame Morgan Jefferson appears. He's intent on convincing her to pursue a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity - in America. What's more, it looks like Caroline's career isn't the only thing Morgan is interested in. Newlyweds Chris and Deborah Templeton seem to be the perfect union. The old, unpredictable Chris has been replaced by a kinder and gentler man, yet he's still plagued by doubt. Where does Deborah disappear to for days on end? Why won't she tell her husband? After the tragic death of his young grandson, Ron Bissett is further devastated when he loses his wife. Sheila Bissett has taken her own life, and no one can fathom why. But when an unexpected letter is received, it soon becomes clear that Sheila was hiding far darker secrets than anyone ever knew.

Genres: Contemporary

256 pages, Paperback

First published August 27, 2015

About the author

Sunday 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.

Reviews

[David · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm torn really with this review as I know there won't ever be another book sadly since Rebecca's death. All in all a good read but I felt it was a lacklustre ending to the series if it was indeed an ending. I just feel as though some of this book was rushed and they were deaths that didn't have to happen. Characters who were in it from the beginning to be killed off in a few sentences. I mean the death of Fitch and the Bissetts were just crap :( and not to mention Kate she was just a mere sentence. Was there some sort of time jump? How long was Sheila living with the guilt? Was this intended to be the final book? Will the great Oak stay standing in the village of Turnham Malpas? I may have to write a few chapters of fan fiction just of my own to get some closure from this book and the lives of those in Turnham Malpas.

[Ellie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I can now say I've read all 19 Turnham Malpas books, and in the correct order. Put together they're a complete saga of the changing life in one English village over a period of about 22 years. People come, people go, children are born, and people die. Sadly this series ends with the death of the author in 2015, a shame as I'm sure there should have been more..... this book, while interesting, is not a satisfactory conclusion. There are still things left unresolved. And unresolved they will stay.

[Laura Mitir · Rating 1 out of 5]

Sadly as these books went on they just got worse

[Sandy McKenna · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have loved this series.

Sadly, this is the final book of a fabulous series about life in an English village.
I have come to know all the locals over the past few years; their secrets, strengths and weaknesses. The local pub where everyone gathers for a gossip, the vicar who everyone turns to for advice, the village store, as well as the manor house. People come and go, some nice, others, not so likeable; the odd crime is committed, but overall this village is a lovely place to visit through the wonderful books of the late Rebecca Shaw.
Each book is well written and entertaining from beginning to end.
I cannot recommend them highly enough, and will be re-reading them in the future.

[Emily · Rating 3 out of 5]

The narrative quickly kept changing from each character’s perspective so was hard to keep up who was the POV speaking and with about 10 or more main characters it took a while to find logic to what was being said.

The overall story was ok, no real mystery though just village life and people.

[Sarah · Rating 1 out of 5]

Ugh, this book was painful and unpleasant. I only finished it because I was listening to the audiobook and it served well enough to put me to sleep.

I found two of the main plotlines exceedingly painful: in one of them, the woman is completely deluding herself for most of the book and causes a lot of pain as a result; in the other, the woman carries so much shame about her family past that she doesn't even trust telling her husband. In both cases, the characters completely lacked self-insight or growth and thus I found them uninteresting and unpleasant to read about.

Additionally, the narrative and plot are meandering with a lot of disconnected events (people/events early on who never show up again, and vice versa), making it simultaneously somewhat boring and hard to follow.

Perhaps her earlier books were better but I will not be trying them.

[Kabrada · Rating 1 out of 5]

A very disappointing last installment of the series. It feels like any notes R. Shaw might have had for future books have been thrown together haphazardly and made into a book without any editing. The times and ages do not add up, several people (first and foremost Chris Templeton) undergo complete personality transplants - and on top of all that we get a sort-of repetition of Village Gossip as the main narrative thread. This book had better remained unpublished.

[Ajanta Rezwana · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have now read all 19 books in this series in less than 6 months, and I am feeling really emotional. It's sad that there won't be another Turnham Malpas book because I am really going to miss the people. The later books had become a little monotonous lately so it's probably a good thing that the series have ended on time.

[Elizabeth Dewfall · Rating 3 out of 5]

Was a bit disappointed not much substance to story and thought Shelia and Ron was unnecessary sad as it was her last book

[Kate · Rating 3 out of 5]

"It's a time of turmoil for the village of Turnham Malpas...

"Peter and Caroline Harris live a comfortable life at the rectory, but their cosy world is shaken up when Caroline's old flame Morgan Jefferson appears. He's intent on convincing her to pursue a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity - in America. What's more, it looks like Caroline's career isn't the only thing Morgan is interested in.

"Newlyweds Chris and Deborah Templeton seem to be the perfect union. The old, unpredictable Chris has been replaced by a kinder and gentler man, yet he's still plagued by doubt. Where does Deborah disappear to for days on end? Why won't she tell her husband?

"After the tragic death of his young grandson, Ron Bissett is further devastated when he loses his wife. Sheila Bissett has taken her own life, and no one can fathom why. But when an unexpected letter is received, it soon becomes clear that Sheila was hiding far darker secrets than anyone ever knew."
~~back cover

This final book in the series is completely about two very serious situations: Caroline's decision to go to America with old flame Morgan Jefferson, and Sheila Bissett's suicide and her husband Ron's tragic response to that loss.

I can't tell you how either situation resolved itself because that would be spoilers, but I can tell you that you will read this books in a frenzy, hurrying to get the answers.

This was the last book in the series, and I'm sorry to have finished the series. Turnham Malpas was a very comforting escape to a world that wasn't as beset by strife as ours is. I could use mopr4e time there.

[Kim · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was left wondering if this book was cribbed together from her notes by her publishers after her death. The book had the same problems as all of the rest of the series - unpleasant and irrational people (so Marie causes what is obviously brain damage in Dickie and nothing happens to her - this is normal village behavior?). But the faults in this one were really egregious. The offhand way of telling of Kate and Craddock Finch's deaths was awful. I actually came to Goodreads to see if I had somehow missed a book. Also the continuity is terrible. Personalities change, people whip back and forth between decisions. The Carolyn situation is a perfect example. Everyone acts like this is so out of character for her. It is not until the very end that her almost affair with the actor is mentioned.

These books, from the beginning were not well written and from a very immature viewpoint. A normal person would have stopped after a couple and not read all NINETEEN of them. But I was drawn in by the village setting and curiosity about how things would end up.

[Maria · Rating 4 out of 5]

Like other reviewers I have read all of the Turnham Malpas series. I spent a Sunday afternoon reading Mystery in the Village and was enthralled for most of the time. I did think Caroline's actions were perhaps not in keeping with her character as portrayed in the other books, but I still thought it was a good book. I was very sad to see that Rebecca Shaw died not long after this book was published.

[Angel Serrano · Rating 2 out of 5]

Costumbrista revisión de la vida en un pequeño pueblo de Inglaterra, con todos los tópicos: el omnipresente té, el reverendo que todos adoran, los charlatanes, la nobleza hacendosa, los delincuentes, el pub, las infidelidades y los pequeños misterios que se resuelven favorablemente.

[Claire · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book as I did all the previous ones. Sadly there will be no more as the author has since died. There are still a few loose ends and outstanding questions that we will never know the answer to.

[Jane · Rating 1 out of 5]

I have read and enjoyed most of the books in this series. This one however was rather annoying . There is no way the village would respect a vicar who commuted adultery - too ridiculous for words. The hero worshipping of him in this book was toe curling. Not a good read !

[Mahmuda Jannath · Rating 5 out of 5]

wow!! a great read truly!!
i love how Debbie trusts her husband in the end :)

[Leah Hyndman · Rating 3 out of 5]

I did enjoy reading this story, although I feel it has made me not want to ever live in a village. I didn't realise that this book was part of a series.

[F M · Rating 4 out of 5]

The darkest of this series.

Think it was written the year she died. Maybe she intended to round if off with at least one more?

[Sherry Powell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sad this is the last book, going to miss these people.

[Sadie Lewis · Rating 4 out of 5]

A lovely lighthearted story of village life. Twists and turns, but all ok in the end.

[Elisabeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the 19th in Turnham Malpas series. Things are changing in the village and it seems that things will never be the same in Turnham Malpas again. Peter and Caroline Harris have lived happily in the rectory for over 20 years but when an opportunity arises for Caroline to go to America with an old flame their world is turned upside down. Is their relationship strong enough to get through this. Elsewhere in the village, Chris Templeton has finally settled down but still doesn't know why his own wife disappears for a few days every so often.
After the tragic death of their grandson, the Bissetts face further heartbreak as the past finally catches up with them.
Another very enjoyable visit to Turnham Malpas. I really do feel that every time I read one of this series that I am returning to visit friends.
I really do hope that there is going to be a 20th book because unlike some long running series this series has never got stale or boring!

[Jill Burrows]

I have now read all of the Rebecca Shaw Turnham Malpas series. I have thoroughly enjoyed following the events and characters from the village over a twenty year period. This last instalment was slightly less gripping than its predecessors because there were so many gaps in the lives of the characters, for example, Kate died suddenly- how? To all intents and purposes the plot concerning Caroline was a rehash of a former book in the series. There were a few unexpected twists like the transformation of Chris Templeton and the actions of the Bissets. All in all I am sorry to be leaving the village and the characters behind.

[Siân · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have loved the Turnham Malpas books since I first read The New Rector. Without fail Rebecca Shaw has given me a new delightful addition to this series on an almost annual basis. So it broke my heart to discover that 10 days after this book was published Rebecca died from a stroke, and this will be the last book chronically get the lives of Peter, Caroline, Beth and Alex. The bonus is that it's another solid entry to the series and well worth the read.
Thanks for so many happy hours Rebecca.
Now to purchase those I don't already own.

[Michele · Rating 1 out of 5]

I didn't realise this was the last book in a long series. I think it would help if you had read the previous books as you would know the villager's back stories. I found the characters all very similar and it was a struggle to finish it. Not really my thing I am afraid.

[Nathan Dalzell · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nice but felt like a rehash of one of the earlier books where Caroline becomes infatuated.

[Sue · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good book

[Mandy Radley · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

[Pam]

I will start by saying I Just LOVE this series of books and was extremely sad to read that Rebecca Shaw died in 2015. She wrote so well about village life and the characterisations are superb. One can actually picture the people and guess how they will react in any given situation. They almost feel as if they live in our village!

The book had a few plot twists and turns but none as dramatic as the main one towards the end of the story.