What do you think?
Rate this book
The Pendywick Pair: A Collection of Vignettes About the Denizens of No. 26 Pendy Corner and 221B Baker Street
Need more of the charming Victoria Thulin and her eccentric tutor, Professor Basil Collingwood? You’ve come to the right place! The denizens of Pendy Corner and the occupants of Baker Street lead interesting lives, to say the least. Their adventures take them to the depths of an Oxford laboratory on a Halloween night, to an illegal Shoreditch boxing match, across the ice of the Serpentine River, and trailing after the mysterious Keeper of Her Majesty's Broom Cupboard. Take a glimpse into these, and even more, of our heroes' thrilling daily escapades. “The Pendywick Pair” is a delightful addition to Alydia Rackham’s captivating Victorian mystery series, “The Mute of Pendywick Place.” If you enjoy a Dickensian atmosphere, Sherlockian thrills, and Austenian intrigue, you will love these adventures. Snatch up “The Pendywick Pair” today!
178 pages, Kindle Edition
Published December 10, 2019
6 people are currently reading
17 people want to read
About the author
Alydia Rackham
125 books146 followersYou don’t have to be afraid when you read my books. Well—you might be terrified for the hero, because his arch-nemesis has him at gunpoint with his back to the river Thames, demanding that he hand over the code that could spell the downfall of Europe…
But you’ll never have to squint, worrying that the romantic scene is about to get FAR too steamy—or that, in a tirade, someone is about to spew a stream of obscenities that will make you want to shut the book and go take a shower.
I don’t write sexual scenes in my books. EVER. And I do not use profanity. EVER. And yes, God lives in my stories. He is the deep foundation—you can FEEL Him.
Yet, I can prove without a shadow of a doubt that WITHOUT ANYTHING risqué, you can still have the adventure of a lifetime between these pages. You’ll hold your breath, you’ll laugh, you’ll sit on the edge of your chair, you’ll stay up till two in the morning pinned to the page—and you might even cry. In fact, I’ll bet on that. And I HATE it when writers are lazy and tacky and beat you over the head with some philosophical or theological point they’re trying to make, instead of just TELLING THE STORY. So, I avoid that at all costs. Still not sold? Well, give one of these books a try. Go ahead—any of them! Whether we’re speeding through space, breaking through the ice on a frozen river, galloping on a chariot across the desert or running up the Asbru bridge chased by wolves…you’re still safe with me.
But you’ll never have to squint, worrying that the romantic scene is about to get FAR too steamy—or that, in a tirade, someone is about to spew a stream of obscenities that will make you want to shut the book and go take a shower.
I don’t write sexual scenes in my books. EVER. And I do not use profanity. EVER. And yes, God lives in my stories. He is the deep foundation—you can FEEL Him.
Yet, I can prove without a shadow of a doubt that WITHOUT ANYTHING risqué, you can still have the adventure of a lifetime between these pages. You’ll hold your breath, you’ll laugh, you’ll sit on the edge of your chair, you’ll stay up till two in the morning pinned to the page—and you might even cry. In fact, I’ll bet on that. And I HATE it when writers are lazy and tacky and beat you over the head with some philosophical or theological point they’re trying to make, instead of just TELLING THE STORY. So, I avoid that at all costs. Still not sold? Well, give one of these books a try. Go ahead—any of them! Whether we’re speeding through space, breaking through the ice on a frozen river, galloping on a chariot across the desert or running up the Asbru bridge chased by wolves…you’re still safe with me.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
May 15, 2020
This was a bit disappointing. The majority of the story was taken up by a Sherlock Holmes fan fic. While it was an interesting story, I wanted more from Victoria and Basil.
February 27, 2022
After concluding The Mute of Pendywick Place serial, one might still feel a wee bit peckish for more and, gladly, can reach for this anthology of shorter pieces associated with the regular characters of the series. Some stories are prequel, some during, and a few are postscripts to the series so this should definitely be read afterward.
The Pendywick Pair includes:
The Oxford Spy which is a prequel from a fourteen year old Victoria's POV and her first glimpse of Basil as an Oxford Freshman full of talent and promise.
An Odd Evening in the Laboratories in Oxford is a delicious Halloween tale which finds Basil in Oxford at his studies when a strange fog and figure leading him to a curious, unsettling encounter would a certain Dr. Jeckyll.
The Keeper of Her Majesty's Broom Cupboard is a fun, entertaining vignette of Oxford Student Basil taking a quick jaunt up to London to check on Pendywick Place's leaking roof for his traveling parents and ending up in a reunion with brilliant former student, Mycroft Holmes.
The Headstone Mystery is a bittersweet Christmas short told from Fred Brody's perspective when he learns the real reason his friend, Basil, never accepts his and his family's proffered Christmas party invitations when he follows him to the cemetery one Christmas Eve.
The Hyde Park Caper is the first of the stories that occur during the time period of the Mute series and is a sweet and fun adventure on skates for Victoria and Basil after she reminds him of the joy of Christmas.
The Adventure of the Neglected Penny Post parts 1-8 is the longest story in the batch and is mostly told from Dr. Watson's POV of a case that is an extension of The Musgrave Ritual Case. Those who are fresh from reading The Mute of Pendywick Place And the Irish Gamble will spot some very familiar plotting, scenes, and characters as this one gets to the climax. Naturally, Holmes and Watson are joined by Basil for that. This one takes place after the events of The Mute series.
For Her Very Own comes right on the heels of the previous story, but it switches to Victoria's POV and is a delightful, poignant vignette featuring a shopping trip for Victoria and Imogene.
Never fear readers, the last story, Two Dashes, finishes with Basil and Victoria reveling in their engagement and wondering what the future will hold for them now when they return to an intriguing idea Imogen proposed earlier, a special school....
In summary, this collection of stories arranged in chronological order make a fabulous addition to the series. The first ones are actually referenced briefly in the series and I enjoyed them as follow ups and I like how the last one acts as a nice bridge between the original series, The Mute of Pendywick Place and new spinoff, The Mute of Anthony College. Not a good standalone collection, but I recommend it highly as a not to be missed part of the historical mystery series.
The Pendywick Pair includes:
The Oxford Spy which is a prequel from a fourteen year old Victoria's POV and her first glimpse of Basil as an Oxford Freshman full of talent and promise.
An Odd Evening in the Laboratories in Oxford is a delicious Halloween tale which finds Basil in Oxford at his studies when a strange fog and figure leading him to a curious, unsettling encounter would a certain Dr. Jeckyll.
The Keeper of Her Majesty's Broom Cupboard is a fun, entertaining vignette of Oxford Student Basil taking a quick jaunt up to London to check on Pendywick Place's leaking roof for his traveling parents and ending up in a reunion with brilliant former student, Mycroft Holmes.
The Headstone Mystery is a bittersweet Christmas short told from Fred Brody's perspective when he learns the real reason his friend, Basil, never accepts his and his family's proffered Christmas party invitations when he follows him to the cemetery one Christmas Eve.
The Hyde Park Caper is the first of the stories that occur during the time period of the Mute series and is a sweet and fun adventure on skates for Victoria and Basil after she reminds him of the joy of Christmas.
The Adventure of the Neglected Penny Post parts 1-8 is the longest story in the batch and is mostly told from Dr. Watson's POV of a case that is an extension of The Musgrave Ritual Case. Those who are fresh from reading The Mute of Pendywick Place And the Irish Gamble will spot some very familiar plotting, scenes, and characters as this one gets to the climax. Naturally, Holmes and Watson are joined by Basil for that. This one takes place after the events of The Mute series.
For Her Very Own comes right on the heels of the previous story, but it switches to Victoria's POV and is a delightful, poignant vignette featuring a shopping trip for Victoria and Imogene.
Never fear readers, the last story, Two Dashes, finishes with Basil and Victoria reveling in their engagement and wondering what the future will hold for them now when they return to an intriguing idea Imogen proposed earlier, a special school....
In summary, this collection of stories arranged in chronological order make a fabulous addition to the series. The first ones are actually referenced briefly in the series and I enjoyed them as follow ups and I like how the last one acts as a nice bridge between the original series, The Mute of Pendywick Place and new spinoff, The Mute of Anthony College. Not a good standalone collection, but I recommend it highly as a not to be missed part of the historical mystery series.
September 19, 2023
Content:
Language: None.
Violence: Mild. Some fighting; boxing, broken bones etc. Off screen assault of a character, lots of bruises.
Sexual: Mild. There is one story where one female character says she'll tell another what "happens after the wedding" so she isn't scared. There is another section where a woman is in her underthings being examined by a doctor. Other than that it's just cuddles and kisses.
TW: There are two instances of physical assault on women in the Sherlock short story.
The bulk of this book is a story featuring a Sherlock Holmes case, where Basil and Victoria do show up eventually, but they are definitely side characters in it. The rest of the stories are featured from Basil, Victoria, and even Fred's point of view. Before they knew each other, and after.
It was a quick read, but nothing super exciting. I think my favorite short was Fred's journal entries. This was fun. Didn't love, but fun.
Language: None.
Violence: Mild. Some fighting; boxing, broken bones etc. Off screen assault of a character, lots of bruises.
Sexual: Mild. There is one story where one female character says she'll tell another what "happens after the wedding" so she isn't scared. There is another section where a woman is in her underthings being examined by a doctor. Other than that it's just cuddles and kisses.
TW: There are two instances of physical assault on women in the Sherlock short story.
The bulk of this book is a story featuring a Sherlock Holmes case, where Basil and Victoria do show up eventually, but they are definitely side characters in it. The rest of the stories are featured from Basil, Victoria, and even Fred's point of view. Before they knew each other, and after.
It was a quick read, but nothing super exciting. I think my favorite short was Fred's journal entries. This was fun. Didn't love, but fun.
February 23, 2021
I am so torn about this book! The three(?) vignettes with Basil and Victoria were a great addition to the story we have already seen. The story involving Holmes and Watson felt like it was lifted straight from The Irish Gamble! It's such a shame and it made me want to put the book down. Rackham's writing is fantastic as always, I loved parts of the Holmes story, but some of it felt out of character. However this book is still worth reading for the shorts with Basil, Victoria, and others, and the original parts of the Holmes story.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews