The Rowantree Crop: A Mystery

by Elisabeth Pollack

First Edition. A Near Fine copy in a VG+ dust jacket. Dust soiling to the edges of the book's upper page block. The dust jacket has a diagonal, 4" crease at the rear panel's lower right corner.

329 pages, Hardcover

First published November 1, 1989

Reviews

[Peggy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thoroughly enjoyed this Maine mystery! Well written. Excellent characters and plot. Looking forward to the second book, Gathering

[Jan]

I love this book...I first found it years ago in a 2nd hand bookstore in Maine. I have passed it along to just about every family member who loves to read, and it has become a favorite of theirs as well. I lost my original (signed by the author) copy last year when one of the kids mysteriously dropped it in the toilet (don't even ask)....but luckily Auntie Judi procurred another copy online and sent it my way!
I re-read this murder mystery every Fall...it just seems to be the time of year to hunker down with it. It's a murder msytery that involves antique homes and garden tours. It's plainly written and a light-read, but remains one of my favorites.

[Karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nice little regional and reminiscent book. Mystery ok, nice local color. Purchased this book at the south Paris library used book sale

[Lee Emory · Rating 5 out of 5]

My cousin's mom wrote this. I loved the characters

[Lillian]

I had to call this one. I was just becoming more irritated with the fluff added to the writing. I'm not a fan of authors filling their descriptions with where items were purchased (the bamboo tray purchased at some auction) or some side note about where the blueberries were picked that are in the muffins that were served for breakfast. But mostly I was tiring of this theme of despair over the development of rural land around the main character's home and town. I can sympathize with this completely. I've seen many the city that seems to sprawl on forever and ever. Colorado state springs to mind. All those beautiful hills engulfed by subdivisions. But people gotta live somewhere. And the most glaringly obvious response is that the protagonist's home site and others around her, including the town she lives, was also once an untouched woods. I guess my tolerance for even characters in a book complaining about the changing world around them instead of being proactive and trying to shape that change for the better was pushed to the limit.

[Nell · Rating 3 out of 5]

My copy was given to me by a friend. I reread it periodically for the nostalgia value of its setting. Puts me in mind of the times I spent searching titles in the Registry of Deeds in South Paris. It isn't going to wow anyone--the natural world, steadiness, valuing the old ways, time for reflection being its point--but it's a creditable first effort. Anyone familiar with western Maine would appreciate it most. It would make a pleasant read to take on vacation over Oxford way.

[Leanna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Maine character Lee Location Maine mystery