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Paradise Barn
September 1940. War rages across Europe, and thousands of people, men, women and children, have lost their lives.
Despite the air fights overhead life in the quiet village of Great Deeping in the Fens goes on much as usual, until an unthinkable event: a murder. Molly, Abigail and Adam, an evacuee from London, are determined to solve the mystery of the Paradise Barn. But it’s one thing hunting for clues, another to track down a murderer. With the war bringing so many strangers to the village, who can they really trust?
Ages 11+
Despite the air fights overhead life in the quiet village of Great Deeping in the Fens goes on much as usual, until an unthinkable event: a murder. Molly, Abigail and Adam, an evacuee from London, are determined to solve the mystery of the Paradise Barn. But it’s one thing hunting for clues, another to track down a murderer. With the war bringing so many strangers to the village, who can they really trust?
Ages 11+
288 pages, Paperback
First published September 1, 2009
4 people are currently reading
33 people want to read
About the author
Victor Watson
26 books5 followersVictor Watson is Assistant Director of Research at Homerton College, Cambridge, England. He has co-edited a number of books on children's literature.
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
March 19, 2012
It is September 1940 and the Blitz has begun in full swing. More children are again being evacuated from London, including Adam Swales. But when Adam decides to get off the train at Great Deeping instead of his original destination, he finds himself living at the Ely Guesthouse, in the company of best friends Mollie Barnes, whose mother runs the guesthouse, and Abigail Murfitt, her neighbor.
Around the same time Adam arrives at the Ely Guesthouse, so do two more guests - the very kind, friendly Cuffey, an older engineer working for the government, and Hilda Pritt, a young but loud obnoxious pilot with the ATA (AirTransport Auxiliary) ferrying planes around England.
Mollie and Abigail have been involved with trying to solve two seemingly unrelated mysteries. The first is the murder of a mysterious man found shot on the public footpath , the second mystery is the theft of various items belonging to some of the residents of Great Deeping. One night, Mollie suddenly realizes that the bricks in the floor of their hangout, Paradise Barn, have been changed, and things begin to heat up. And when the kids dig up the bricks, they discover the stolen items along with a painting missing from a museum in Paris, tying the murdered man to it since he is finally identified as a French art dealer as well as the local thefts.
Ironically, Adam is quite an accomplished artist himself and recognizes the painting from an art book he left in London. He and Mollie go there to fetch the books one afternoon and get caught in a Blitz raid during which Adam’s house is totally destroyed.
Back in Great Deeping, the three children set about seriously looking for the thief/killer. They suspect everyone, including Hilda, after they see an American pilot friend of hers nosing around Paradise Barn, and, after all, she does carry a gun in her purse.
But can three young people solve a crime that is even baffling the police? Well, never underestimate the cleverness of children.
Along the way to solving the crime, Watson has written not just a nice mystery for middle grade readers, but he also provides an excellent look at the experiences of war in both London and a small village in East Anglia as it impacts three friends with very different personalities, living under different circumstances. It also has nice depictions of woman who have had to do their bit for the war by taking on the jobs formerly held by men - running a guesthouse, ferrying plane and working for the railroad. This is nothing something included in kid’s books very often.
The story involves a moral dilemma for Mollie, which some readers may find disturbing, but which certainly opens up all kinds of questions about right and wrong and how to handle a situation with requires not so much a lie as a withholding of information. And to be honest, I am not sure how I feel about this being placed on the shoulders of a young girl.
Paradise Barn is a story about starting to come of age, as the characters experience loss, grief, betrayal, and learning the not everyone is who they seems to be. Mollie, in particular, also must learn to accept the knowledge that each one of us is capable of both good and evil. A hard lesson at a young age.
Victor Watson, now retired from Homerton College, Cambridge, England has been an academic his whole career until publishing this first novel. He has done an wonderful job of it, writing with a certain amount of lightness about some heavy themes, so that young readers will never feel overwhelmed. And, most important, never sounding like an academic. And, now, a sequel is also available, The Deeping Secret, which continues the story of the three friends and, I assume, their coming of age journey.
This book is recommended for readers age 10 and up
This book was purchased for my personal library
Around the same time Adam arrives at the Ely Guesthouse, so do two more guests - the very kind, friendly Cuffey, an older engineer working for the government, and Hilda Pritt, a young but loud obnoxious pilot with the ATA (AirTransport Auxiliary) ferrying planes around England.
Mollie and Abigail have been involved with trying to solve two seemingly unrelated mysteries. The first is the murder of a mysterious man found shot on the public footpath , the second mystery is the theft of various items belonging to some of the residents of Great Deeping. One night, Mollie suddenly realizes that the bricks in the floor of their hangout, Paradise Barn, have been changed, and things begin to heat up. And when the kids dig up the bricks, they discover the stolen items along with a painting missing from a museum in Paris, tying the murdered man to it since he is finally identified as a French art dealer as well as the local thefts.
Ironically, Adam is quite an accomplished artist himself and recognizes the painting from an art book he left in London. He and Mollie go there to fetch the books one afternoon and get caught in a Blitz raid during which Adam’s house is totally destroyed.
Back in Great Deeping, the three children set about seriously looking for the thief/killer. They suspect everyone, including Hilda, after they see an American pilot friend of hers nosing around Paradise Barn, and, after all, she does carry a gun in her purse.
But can three young people solve a crime that is even baffling the police? Well, never underestimate the cleverness of children.
Along the way to solving the crime, Watson has written not just a nice mystery for middle grade readers, but he also provides an excellent look at the experiences of war in both London and a small village in East Anglia as it impacts three friends with very different personalities, living under different circumstances. It also has nice depictions of woman who have had to do their bit for the war by taking on the jobs formerly held by men - running a guesthouse, ferrying plane and working for the railroad. This is nothing something included in kid’s books very often.
The story involves a moral dilemma for Mollie, which some readers may find disturbing, but which certainly opens up all kinds of questions about right and wrong and how to handle a situation with requires not so much a lie as a withholding of information. And to be honest, I am not sure how I feel about this being placed on the shoulders of a young girl.
Paradise Barn is a story about starting to come of age, as the characters experience loss, grief, betrayal, and learning the not everyone is who they seems to be. Mollie, in particular, also must learn to accept the knowledge that each one of us is capable of both good and evil. A hard lesson at a young age.
Victor Watson, now retired from Homerton College, Cambridge, England has been an academic his whole career until publishing this first novel. He has done an wonderful job of it, writing with a certain amount of lightness about some heavy themes, so that young readers will never feel overwhelmed. And, most important, never sounding like an academic. And, now, a sequel is also available, The Deeping Secret, which continues the story of the three friends and, I assume, their coming of age journey.
This book is recommended for readers age 10 and up
This book was purchased for my personal library
September 23, 2009
A lovely children's book set in a village near Ely during World War II. Abigail and Molly have been best friends forever and are determined to solve a murder which has recently taken place in the village. Adam is evacuated from London and stays with Molly, her mother and baby brother in their guest house. In proper old-fashioned children's story style, the three do manage to solve the mystery, but the pleasure of the book comes from the very nuanced characterization of the children and adults, and the way the children start to look ahead towards the grown-up world.
November 1, 2017
As murder mysteries go, they don't get much more delightful than 'Paradise Barn' (2009). It was a surprise to me, because more than a piece of detective fiction or children's literature 'Paradise Barn' is a charming coming-of-age story (Bildungsroman) as well.
The story revolves around the friendship of three children: Molly and Abigail, who had been friends from before they could remember, and the evacuee Adam Swales, who has a very mature character for his age. The bond between Molly and Abigail particularly is special, they are so close they are like 'Siamese twins': "Clutching one another tightly like Siamese twins, they squelched and skidded into the night" (P. 216). Adam loves art and painting so he is especially observant. Other relevant characters include the mysterious adult Cuffey, who also develops a strong friendship with these children, but especially with Molly.
All of the characterisation in this book are very nuanced, Watson is especially attentive to children's reactions to grown-up issues or mature topics such as war, death, theft, and even, in a unique stroke of genius I believe, sexuality. There is a whole section on a baby's (Molly's brother, baby William) balls, which developed from on a song describing how Hitler only has one ball! 'Balls', by the way, is the exact word used in this book. Molly tries to discuss the meaning of passion and how it is distinct from friendship with Cuffey as well, and there are strong suggestions of extra special bonds between these characters sometimes as well. These are not very conventional topics, but I feel that the way that Watson deals with the theme of sexuality in this work is exceptional; it never feels out of place. There are other topics like how people lived, or survived, during the war:
"There were mischievous rumours in the town about how Aunt Marge managed to keep making such wonderful cakes, what with the War and food shortages" (p. 232).
I definitely recommend this book to young adult readers. There are a lot of good details to be found here, especially those concerning the second world war, and the way they are implemented in the story by the author, Victor Watson, never feels overly pedantic. In its own right, 'Paradise Barn' is a fantastic detective story as well.
The story revolves around the friendship of three children: Molly and Abigail, who had been friends from before they could remember, and the evacuee Adam Swales, who has a very mature character for his age. The bond between Molly and Abigail particularly is special, they are so close they are like 'Siamese twins': "Clutching one another tightly like Siamese twins, they squelched and skidded into the night" (P. 216). Adam loves art and painting so he is especially observant. Other relevant characters include the mysterious adult Cuffey, who also develops a strong friendship with these children, but especially with Molly.
All of the characterisation in this book are very nuanced, Watson is especially attentive to children's reactions to grown-up issues or mature topics such as war, death, theft, and even, in a unique stroke of genius I believe, sexuality. There is a whole section on a baby's (Molly's brother, baby William) balls, which developed from on a song describing how Hitler only has one ball! 'Balls', by the way, is the exact word used in this book. Molly tries to discuss the meaning of passion and how it is distinct from friendship with Cuffey as well, and there are strong suggestions of extra special bonds between these characters sometimes as well. These are not very conventional topics, but I feel that the way that Watson deals with the theme of sexuality in this work is exceptional; it never feels out of place. There are other topics like how people lived, or survived, during the war:
"There were mischievous rumours in the town about how Aunt Marge managed to keep making such wonderful cakes, what with the War and food shortages" (p. 232).
I definitely recommend this book to young adult readers. There are a lot of good details to be found here, especially those concerning the second world war, and the way they are implemented in the story by the author, Victor Watson, never feels overly pedantic. In its own right, 'Paradise Barn' is a fantastic detective story as well.
May 7, 2011
Paradise Barn is a charming murder mystery set in Britain during the Second World War.
Molly and Abigail live in the rural town of Great Deeping. Their fathers are absent – they are away doing their bit for the war effort – the two girls have been best friends for as long as they can remember. At the beginning of the novel Molly and Abigail discuss the disturbing fact that there has been a murder. Molly in particular cannot understand how someone could take a life when there is already so much loss happening around them because of the war. The girls set out to solve the crime and restore harmony to their lives.
There is one more event that changes life for the girls and that is the arrival of an evacuee from London. Adam Swales arrives on the train with his sketchbook stays with Molly in her mother’s guest house. The three children set out to discover the identity of the murderer and through the course of doing so develop a great friendship.
The style of writing in this novel is very accessible and the dialogue is charmingly old-fashioned. I think it has a universal appeal. Boys will enjoy the military references and the back drop of the war. Girls will enjoy the friendship between Abigail and Molly and the difficulties they face adding an extra person into their lives.
Paradise Barn has a rather unusual viewpoint. I felt most of the time that Molly was the main character but occasionally the author slipped away to tell us what Adam, Abigail and sometimes even what the occasional adult might be thinking. Molly was a sweet and thoughtful girl. Abigail was rather more confident and opinionated. Adam was very decisive. He was a boy of action and courage.
There really aren’t enough modern mysteries for children. It is a genre that often gets neglected but hopefully things are starting to change. Certainly my pupils tell me they want to read mysteries. Paradise Barn is a wonderful introduction to the genre. It is a “whodunit?” but it is also so much more. It is about the struggles of friendship, the hideous results of war and the realisation that evil isn’t always as clear cut as you might think it is. I really enjoyed this book!
Molly and Abigail live in the rural town of Great Deeping. Their fathers are absent – they are away doing their bit for the war effort – the two girls have been best friends for as long as they can remember. At the beginning of the novel Molly and Abigail discuss the disturbing fact that there has been a murder. Molly in particular cannot understand how someone could take a life when there is already so much loss happening around them because of the war. The girls set out to solve the crime and restore harmony to their lives.
There is one more event that changes life for the girls and that is the arrival of an evacuee from London. Adam Swales arrives on the train with his sketchbook stays with Molly in her mother’s guest house. The three children set out to discover the identity of the murderer and through the course of doing so develop a great friendship.
The style of writing in this novel is very accessible and the dialogue is charmingly old-fashioned. I think it has a universal appeal. Boys will enjoy the military references and the back drop of the war. Girls will enjoy the friendship between Abigail and Molly and the difficulties they face adding an extra person into their lives.
Paradise Barn has a rather unusual viewpoint. I felt most of the time that Molly was the main character but occasionally the author slipped away to tell us what Adam, Abigail and sometimes even what the occasional adult might be thinking. Molly was a sweet and thoughtful girl. Abigail was rather more confident and opinionated. Adam was very decisive. He was a boy of action and courage.
There really aren’t enough modern mysteries for children. It is a genre that often gets neglected but hopefully things are starting to change. Certainly my pupils tell me they want to read mysteries. Paradise Barn is a wonderful introduction to the genre. It is a “whodunit?” but it is also so much more. It is about the struggles of friendship, the hideous results of war and the realisation that evil isn’t always as clear cut as you might think it is. I really enjoyed this book!
April 8, 2017
Paraside barn is a real gem of a book and one I would definitely recommend of anyone who likes YA books set during the Second World War.
The story itself centres around three children living in rural East Anglia during the early years of World War Two. The girls, Abigail and Molly are residents of Great Deeping and a boy called Adam who is an evacuee staying in the village. The main plot line finds them trying to solve two contected mysteries. The first being a murder mystery and second trying to catch a thief who is apparently at large in the village.
The thing I really enjoyed the most about this book was the characterisation. I loved how realistic the children o the piece were. They were wonderfully charming, a little bit naively innocent as well as being quite clever in how they went about uncovering the mysteries they were trying to solve. I really thought they were done really well and fit quite nicely with the historical period they were in
This is a book that I think would be brilliant for teachers to use in class or simply recommend to students to read to get more of a feel for the time period it is set in. The story itself is well paced and engaging and the characters are easy to relate to. I liked that the story was on the whole historically accurate but the historical references weren't over done to the point where it became a chore to read. I also think it would have appeal to both boys and girls as it had both male and female protagonists and elements of the story would have broad appeal to both genders. It also nice in that the story is quite tame and gore free and not one you would need to edit before looking at with a more vunerable or younger group.
I loved the mystery element to this book. I enjoyed following the main characters as they pieced together all the clues and liked how you as a reader started to piece together answers with them without the answer being revealed too prematurely.
All in all a fab mystery novel with cracking main characters set in a interesting historical setting. Definitely one to check out if you have the opportunity.
The story itself centres around three children living in rural East Anglia during the early years of World War Two. The girls, Abigail and Molly are residents of Great Deeping and a boy called Adam who is an evacuee staying in the village. The main plot line finds them trying to solve two contected mysteries. The first being a murder mystery and second trying to catch a thief who is apparently at large in the village.
The thing I really enjoyed the most about this book was the characterisation. I loved how realistic the children o the piece were. They were wonderfully charming, a little bit naively innocent as well as being quite clever in how they went about uncovering the mysteries they were trying to solve. I really thought they were done really well and fit quite nicely with the historical period they were in
This is a book that I think would be brilliant for teachers to use in class or simply recommend to students to read to get more of a feel for the time period it is set in. The story itself is well paced and engaging and the characters are easy to relate to. I liked that the story was on the whole historically accurate but the historical references weren't over done to the point where it became a chore to read. I also think it would have appeal to both boys and girls as it had both male and female protagonists and elements of the story would have broad appeal to both genders. It also nice in that the story is quite tame and gore free and not one you would need to edit before looking at with a more vunerable or younger group.
I loved the mystery element to this book. I enjoyed following the main characters as they pieced together all the clues and liked how you as a reader started to piece together answers with them without the answer being revealed too prematurely.
All in all a fab mystery novel with cracking main characters set in a interesting historical setting. Definitely one to check out if you have the opportunity.
March 13, 2012
Review by Beth
As a fan of World War Two novels, especially those that deal with the home front, I really recommend this novel, mainly to children. The reason I say this is because despite it being a great story, I pretty much worked out the ending within a few pages which was slightly disappointing but figure that this may not have been the case 12 or so years ago.
It’s a really well put together story and the characters are really well developed. The three children have powerful imaginations which combined with boredom, abject fear and natural playfulness leads them to be involved in this hunt for a murderer.
The inclusion of the murder mystery within the larger picture of the war in general is an extremely clever move and I think Watson is able to show us exactly how every death is as significant as the last. It’s hard to see how one individual death can be considered significant in a world where people are dying every five minutes but Watson shows exactly what this murder does to Molly and Abigail’s village and how it affects their lives.
The range of characters we meet is quite diverse considering the location of the novel in such a small village but it definitely shows how war can mix and match the way society normally runs from mothers doing “men’s work” (opening and closing the railway lines) to women working in the air force. Some of the characters really opened my eyes.
In whole, this book is an extremely entertaining and worthwhile read. Aimed at younger readers (maybe around 11/12) in my opinion it’s a great novel for understanding the impact of war covering issues from evacuation to grief to gender.
As a fan of World War Two novels, especially those that deal with the home front, I really recommend this novel, mainly to children. The reason I say this is because despite it being a great story, I pretty much worked out the ending within a few pages which was slightly disappointing but figure that this may not have been the case 12 or so years ago.
It’s a really well put together story and the characters are really well developed. The three children have powerful imaginations which combined with boredom, abject fear and natural playfulness leads them to be involved in this hunt for a murderer.
The inclusion of the murder mystery within the larger picture of the war in general is an extremely clever move and I think Watson is able to show us exactly how every death is as significant as the last. It’s hard to see how one individual death can be considered significant in a world where people are dying every five minutes but Watson shows exactly what this murder does to Molly and Abigail’s village and how it affects their lives.
The range of characters we meet is quite diverse considering the location of the novel in such a small village but it definitely shows how war can mix and match the way society normally runs from mothers doing “men’s work” (opening and closing the railway lines) to women working in the air force. Some of the characters really opened my eyes.
In whole, this book is an extremely entertaining and worthwhile read. Aimed at younger readers (maybe around 11/12) in my opinion it’s a great novel for understanding the impact of war covering issues from evacuation to grief to gender.
January 16, 2014
This is a book that took me back to my own childhood. There is a Blytonish quality to the story, but this is so much better than anything Blyton could produce IMO. This author knows his stuff about WWII - so much so it was like being there. I guessed who did it within the first few pages (that was probably easy for any adult but target audience is kids). The story isn't just a whodunnit and identifying the culprit isn't the only thing that intrigues the reader. There is a lot here about relationships and also about doing what is proper and expected versus what is right.
I always seem to have year 5 and 6 kids, especially girls, asking for war stories and a similar group that loves mystery and suspense. This is going to be one that is very easy to recommend for year 5-8. I loved this so much I am immediately going to order the other three in the series. I know kids are going to want to read them.
I always seem to have year 5 and 6 kids, especially girls, asking for war stories and a similar group that loves mystery and suspense. This is going to be one that is very easy to recommend for year 5-8. I loved this so much I am immediately going to order the other three in the series. I know kids are going to want to read them.
January 29, 2010
If only I could writer proper reviews, because this deserves it This has some of the basic premised of the much more hyped "Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie", children investigate a mystery in Blitz-time English countryside. I disliked a lot the Bottom of the Pie, but I loved this, it just goes as an extra example of the irrationality of marketing or whatever forces make things known.
About the book, there are definite overtones of those Enid Blyton mysteries but done oh so right. It´s subtle in a way that just provides an extra layer of enjoyment for an adult. The time setting is just fascinating. A wonderful read and highly recommended.
A huge thanks for H, because likely I would never have heard of it without her recommendation and this turned out to be one of my favorite books of 2009
About the book, there are definite overtones of those Enid Blyton mysteries but done oh so right. It´s subtle in a way that just provides an extra layer of enjoyment for an adult. The time setting is just fascinating. A wonderful read and highly recommended.
A huge thanks for H, because likely I would never have heard of it without her recommendation and this turned out to be one of my favorite books of 2009
January 20, 2016
Paradise barn is an interesting book that kept me on tenterhooks wondering what was going to happen next. It was an exciting and easy book to read with a different ending to what I expected. I'm definitely going to read the next book in the series.
February 17, 2010
perfect, thanks so much Hirondelle!
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews