Marjorie Torrey (1891–1964)

This is a sweet book, with likable sleuths, and I enjoyed it.

That said, I felt no great urgency to continue reading it, the plot was rather overplotted (too many suspects, too many clues, and far too much of the detective knowing things but not letting the audience, or the hapless narrator, know).

It's perhaps most enjoyable for its evocation of a then-contemporary 1940s New York City. As the main characters have only recently arrived, you get more of a sense of what it might have felt like than from most period novels set there, but taking it for granted.

She wrote only one other featuring the same detectives, and I may well check it out to see if things improve, but will be in no great rush to do so.

(Note: 5 stars = amazing, wonderful, 4 = very good book, 3 = decent read, 2 = disappointing, 1 = awful, just awful. I'm fairly good at picking for myself so end up with a lot of 4s).… (mehr)

recommended for:
young readers who enjoy historical fiction stories

This is a gem of a book. I dived into this story and snuggled in. It was a real comfort read for me. Thank you to Goodreads friend Kathryn; I doubt I’d have found this book without her!

There is so much to love here. both the child and adult characters are fully developed. I love that each character is given their due and that both children and adults are shown with each of their strengths and challenges and commonalities, and believable feelings and personalities. The same goes for the dogs and to some extent the other animals. I got attached to most of the characters and cared about them.

Even though I am an ethical vegan, all the food made me hungry. I love when stories have foods that are so evocative. I enjoyed how the kids fully participated in the needed chores. I loved the pretend and other play. I loved the exploring and imagining that was done. I really felt as though I were there, from the train ride to the big house and to the other homes and buildings and countryside.

I appreciated how people changed and evolved, and communicated. The way the people are depicted is very psychologically sophisticated. I really like that the adult characters are shown learning and changing and having “their issues” the same way as the kids are. Developing adult and not only just child characters is unfortunately not universally done in books for young people. In this way, this book was ahead of its time!

The illustrations are outstanding. They’re fun and beautiful and charming, and detailed, and they really add to the story. I love the illustration and the story line around the very top rounded room at the top of the great house.

Everything about this book is winsome.

4 ½ stars, down ½ star because there are some slightly sexist, possibly slightly racist, and classist, other not modern sensibility pc things. These are all things that were routinely written when this book was published and also when I was the targeted reading age for this kind of book. Because of anachronisms such as this, I often prefer modern children’s literature for today’s children. While I’d be fine with children reading this book, if they weren’t already worldly wise I’d want them to read or be read to along with some discussions. Maybe it’s why the book hasn’t stayed in print but there are so many other books of its era that are in print and widely read that are no more pc and in some cases are not as good books as this one is.

If I’d had it read to me at ages 6-8 or read it on my own at ages 8-10 or 11+ it would have been a favorite. I loved it today too. My heart ached at times, at times I laughed, but the entire experience was a “cozy” one. I know the people and dogs will stay with me. I’ll have to look up this author-illustrator and see if they have other books available to read.

I’m writing a review mostly to alert potentially interested readers to this book. Kathryn’s review (https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1060120889?book_show_action=false&page=1) is highly recommend for that purpose, in my opinion.… (mehr)