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66th out of 284 books
—
220 voters
Rose Cottage
by
Mary Stewart
Rose Cottage, a tiny thatched dwelling in an idyllic English country setting, would appear the picture of tranquility to any passerby. But when Kate Herrick returns to her childhood home to retrieve some family papers in the summer of 1947, she uncovers a web of intrigue as tangled as the rambling roses in its garden. The papers are missing. The village is alive with gossi
...moreMass Market Paperback, 264 pages
Published
October 20th 1998
by Ivy Books
(first published June 28th 1997)
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Originally published on my blog here in September 2000.
In recent years, more or less since she wrote the Merlin Trilogy, Mary Stewart's novels have become more romances and less thrillers. Rose Cottage is the most recent, and bears a distinct resemblance to Thornyhold, from just a few years earlier. Both are about returns to childhood homes, and both are about the protagonist discovering her true self, coming to new understanding about her family, both have an old fashioned atmosphere, and both...more
In recent years, more or less since she wrote the Merlin Trilogy, Mary Stewart's novels have become more romances and less thrillers. Rose Cottage is the most recent, and bears a distinct resemblance to Thornyhold, from just a few years earlier. Both are about returns to childhood homes, and both are about the protagonist discovering her true self, coming to new understanding about her family, both have an old fashioned atmosphere, and both...more
I haven't read a Mary Stewart romance mystery in years. It was good to come home to a good book.
Rose Cottage is the childhood home of Kathy Welland and is part of Tod Hall estates in England. After several years being away, Kathy comes home to Rose Cottage to box up some of her Gran's belongings and ship them up to Scotland. She finds a mystery. Who found the hidden safe box, found the key, and emptied it? Who was the "gypsy" who put flowers on Aunt Betsy's grave? Who was digging in the garden?...more
Rose Cottage is the childhood home of Kathy Welland and is part of Tod Hall estates in England. After several years being away, Kathy comes home to Rose Cottage to box up some of her Gran's belongings and ship them up to Scotland. She finds a mystery. Who found the hidden safe box, found the key, and emptied it? Who was the "gypsy" who put flowers on Aunt Betsy's grave? Who was digging in the garden?...more
Nov 25, 2011
Lori McD
rated it
3 of 5 stars
Shelves:
1940s,
british-lit,
chick-lit,
classic,
cozy-mystery,
easy-read,
romance,
suspense,
2011_read
I never read this Mary Stewart book -- probably because I read most of her books when I was in grade school or middle school, and this book came out long after that time in my life. (*ahem!*)
Regardless, it's a light, easy tale set in 1947 England about Kathy/Kate, her grandmother, her religious holier-than-thou Aunt Betsy, her mother the Fallen Woman, and Rose Cottage where they all lived. Kathy doesn't know who her father is -- her mother became pregnant at 16, and the father was never named. K...more
Regardless, it's a light, easy tale set in 1947 England about Kathy/Kate, her grandmother, her religious holier-than-thou Aunt Betsy, her mother the Fallen Woman, and Rose Cottage where they all lived. Kathy doesn't know who her father is -- her mother became pregnant at 16, and the father was never named. K...more
Jul 27, 2011
Terri Lynn
rated it
5 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
fiction,
mystery-suspense-thrillers
What a lovely book this is. Mary Stewart is such a gifted writer. This tale ends in such a wonderful, happy way, I feel warm all over. This is British fiction at its best. The story revolves around Kate Herrick who grew up in Rose Cottage, in the English countryside near a great house. Kate was raised by her sweet Gran and her prudish overly religious Aunt Betsy (the latter being one hell of a cross to bear) after her beautiful mother Lilias ran off with a gypsy to get away from super-bitch Aunt...more
1 like · like · see review
I am fairly sure that I read this gentle little mystery by one of my favorite authors back in 1998, but that was a year before I started recording all the books I read. In any case, it’s a mystery without death or bloodshed, and there is a great deal to be said for gentle little mysteries.
In 1947 young Kate Herrick is sent by her grandmother, who raised her, back to the rural English village she was raised in to close up Rose Cottage, as her grandmother will be remaining in Scotland. When Kate a...more
In 1947 young Kate Herrick is sent by her grandmother, who raised her, back to the rural English village she was raised in to close up Rose Cottage, as her grandmother will be remaining in Scotland. When Kate a...more
Totally different style of book for Mary Stewart although she still had some suspense in it. However, it wasn't anything that kept you on the edge of your seat, heart pounding action kind of suspense. Instead it was mild but in a good way. This was more of an endearing story. More about coming home. Kathy is a young war widow that returns home to Rose Cottage to find some items her grandmother left there and wanted back. However when Kathy gets there, she finds that the hiding place has been bro...more
Sweet, gentle village story. A little romance, lots of village color with our heroine revisiting her childhood home and reacquainting with old neighbors and friends and meeting new folk. Story flowed well with just enough almost-gothic element for a mild shiver or two. Post WWII period setting was vivid with rationing still a reality. I did guess one of the main 'mysteries' early on. Loved the line: "It isn't the roots that matter, it's the flower." Mary Stewart, whom I have read since my own a...more
A light easy old fashioned read about a young war widow who returns to her childhood home after World War II, to retrieve some items her sick grandmother left in a secret safe and wants back before the cottage is refurbished. However, when Kathy gets there, she finds that the hiding place has been broken into and the items stolen. In her search for answers on the missing items, she also finds answers to her past - the mystery of her illegitimate birth as well as the mystery behind the disappeara...more
Rose Cottage is another of Mary Stewart's quiet, easy love stories with a bit of mystery. No high drama here -- not even as much as in, say, Stormy Petrel. I should perhaps call it a mystery rather than a romance, since the romance elements are slow and in the background to the mystery. Mostly, though, it's just a story of the protagonist figuring herself out and coming to terms with the small secrets of families, and of reunions, and coming home.
And, if it matters to anyone else, there's no cou...more
And, if it matters to anyone else, there's no cou...more
Apr 14, 2011
Kieraanne
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
fluff-fiction,
historical-fiction
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
click here.
1 like · like · see review
May 12, 2010
Lyn M (readinghearts)
rated it
3 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
gothic mystery enthusiasts
Recommended to Lyn M (readinghearts) by:
Seasonal Challenge
I think I had read this book before. There was a period in my late teens and early twenties where I read Gothic romances left and right. During that time Mary Stewart was one of my favorites, along with Victoria Holt and Phyllis Whitney.
This book centers around Kathy, a girl who grew up in a small village in England, and returns after a number of years. Her mother died when she was small, and she was raised by her grandmother and great aunt. Her return to the village sets the stage for a little...more
This book centers around Kathy, a girl who grew up in a small village in England, and returns after a number of years. Her mother died when she was small, and she was raised by her grandmother and great aunt. Her return to the village sets the stage for a little...more
Having recently moved, some old favorite authors came to my attention while moving boxes. My husband kept getting irritated with me when I would get distracted by the books, pulling them out and making stacks of “to be read” books instead of putting the books away. Unfortunately, my desire to read is always greater than my free time so the stacks will quickly get out of control unless I am reminded that I own the books and just have to pull them out when I want to read them. I decided to read Ma...more
Still more Mary Stewart.
***
We've got a couple of little mysteries going. This is a bit like Thornyhold, written forty years later. Interesting the differences between her writing right after the war, and from a nostalgic distance.
***
In conclusion,this is also quite a bit like The Shell Seekers. I love seeing the answer to "What was your war like?" for various characters. Stewart addresses the tremendous shift in class boundaries that came with the war, solves a few little mysteries with a fair b...more
***
We've got a couple of little mysteries going. This is a bit like Thornyhold, written forty years later. Interesting the differences between her writing right after the war, and from a nostalgic distance.
***
In conclusion,this is also quite a bit like The Shell Seekers. I love seeing the answer to "What was your war like?" for various characters. Stewart addresses the tremendous shift in class boundaries that came with the war, solves a few little mysteries with a fair b...more
Thought this book started out a little slow with the poetic language and tale of post WWII English countryside, but then it got better as the story developed. The author penned an intriguing story around family scandal and jealousy, ghosts, gypsies and the unique characters of a small tight knit town. Kathy comes from London to pack up her grandmother’s belongings and finds the answer to what happened to her mother who left when she was 6. Sweet, charming and enjoyable read.
Rose Cottage is a cozy old-fashioned romance, with a few mysteries for Kathy to unravel. Can she find out anything more about her mother, who ran off with a Gypsy when she was just a child? Who was her father? Who has been sneaking around the cottage, stealing family papers, digging holes in the garden, and visiting her Aunt's grave in the local cemetery? Are the local "witches" correct that ghosts from Kathy's family's past may somehow be involved?
"I am not myself afraid of the dark," said Miss...more
"I am not myself afraid of the dark," said Miss...more
This is a sweet story set in the post war English country side amongst charming, loving country people. All sorts of them. There's a bit of a mystery, a dash of romance and lots of happiness. Perfect for bedtime reading, really, as it one has the nicest dreams afterwards. This would make a lovely movie. It's very classy, not even a hint of vulgarity, and provides one with lots of mental imagery like the roses, many other flowers, rolling green English hills and wonderful old cottages with thatch...more
3 likes · like · see review
A Mary Stewart that I had never read! Oh goody! This one was quite different from her "British heroine in foreign locale caught in dangerous mystery, but finds romance" format, but it was still a very enjoyable tale. Kate's Gran sends her to their former home to retrieve some valuables and ship the furniture to Gran's new home. The valuables are missing! And their are ghostly sightings of Kate's dead mother. And old friends appear. And maybe romance?
Rose Cottage is the childhood home of Kate Herrick. It is a house of secrets and hidden compartments, but Kate doesn't know this until she returns after the war.
Coming home to clear out her grandmother's belongings (Gran's settling in Scotland now), Kate discovers that some items have been stolen from Rose Cottage. She also discovers that she loves Rose Cottage more than her current home in London. And she discovers that someone still has eyes for her.
Mostly, she discovers answers to mysteries o...more
Coming home to clear out her grandmother's belongings (Gran's settling in Scotland now), Kate discovers that some items have been stolen from Rose Cottage. She also discovers that she loves Rose Cottage more than her current home in London. And she discovers that someone still has eyes for her.
Mostly, she discovers answers to mysteries o...more
A reread of one of my favorite authors. Thoroughly enjoyable. A young World War II widow returns to her childhood home - Rose Cottage - in order to go through her grandmother's furnishings and send them to her in Scotland where she now lives. Kathy must confront the mystery of her mother's disappearance years ago and current intrigues, past happenings, her real homesickness for this familiar village, and a possible love interest.
This was my first Mary Stewart novel. I'd heard good things about some of her other works, and I saw this one on the 25 cent rack at the used bookstore, so I gave it a try. It was definitely a change of pace for me. It was a nice, light read. For what is supposed to be romantic suspense, it wasn't very suspenseful or romantic. It was more of a story about a young woman discovering herself and her family. I want to try one of Stewart's more popular works... maybe Thornyhold or Nine Coaches Waitin...more
a pleasant, slight book. I tend to associate Mary Stewart with creepy gothic mysteries, but this book reminded me more of All Creatures Great and Small in tone and mood. I liked Kate/ Kathy. I liked Davey. I wasn't especially surprised by anything that happened in the book, but I really enjoyed reading about this (post WWI) era England, in the country. Not sorry I read it, but can't see myself ever reading it again. My mom is going to love it.
Feb 11, 2012
Margaret
rated it
4 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
Anglophiles, mystery fans
Recommended to Margaret by:
Goodreads
A great read! I don't usually read mysteries, but this one sounded interesting, plus huge anglophile that I am I couldn't resist a book called "Rose Cottage" with a picture of a sweet thatched-roof cottage on the cover. (Yes, you sometimes can judge a book by its cover!) it was a gentle mystery (no blood!) that unfolded slowly and had (mostly) warm and likable characters. Highly recommended!
This promised to be far more interesting than it actually was. There were a variety of things I didn't like about it - mostly, however, it boiled down to feeling like a quick job. It was only mildly engaging and seemed rushed and tired all at once. Also was not keen on the spiritist neighbour lady. Didn't find the characters came to life or that I really cared about them much.
Mary Stewart's Rose Cottage offers an escape into the post-World War II English countryside. Kate Herrick returns to the cottage where she grew up in order to retrieve some family papers for her grandmother. When she finds the papers missing, Kate starts inquiring amongst her neighbors. A gentle mystery, with a touch of romance, ensues. Cautions: none.
Nice, easy, quick read - a simple story but just intriguing enough to keep yo interested. A little too short with an ending that wrapped up a bit quickly - not typical of Mary Stewart's older books, but then she is still writing!! Amazing! On to another as I have recently discovered that I haven't read a lot of her books.
I loved all her books when I was a kid and they were coming out at about yearly intervals. I didn't like the Arthurian books and stopped reading her. Recently saw this on the shelf at the library and took it out for old time's sake. It wasn't romantic and also wasn't mysterious. Finished it though.
Nice bit of fluff for a hot August read. If Agatha Christie had
collaborated with Rosamund Pilcher, this could have been the result.
Some mystery, some romance, and a good portrayal of post-World War II England. Very different from Stewart's Arthurian tetralogy, but enjoyable all the same.
collaborated with Rosamund Pilcher, this could have been the result.
Some mystery, some romance, and a good portrayal of post-World War II England. Very different from Stewart's Arthurian tetralogy, but enjoyable all the same.
I really loved Mary Stewart's historical and modern romances when I was a teen/twenty something. Combining historical and modern adventure with (clean) romance, they were fun for me to read. They're a bit dated now, but still fun for those who are still idealistically romantic.
The solution of the mystery in this novel was apparent to me far earlier than usual in Stewart's books. The setting and its description were lovely, making the final revelation worth the expected ending. Stewart makes the English countryside and small village come to life in this tale.
Feb 14, 2012
Mary
rated it
2 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
Anyone who likes historical fiction
Recommended to Mary by:
Borrowed from the library
Kathy Herrick's mother had left her when she was a little girl and gone off with the gypsies. Thinking that her mother is now dead, Kathy has returned to her childhood home - Rose Cottage - to claim it for her own. I liked this story very much and give it a C+!
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Lady Mary Stewart is a popular English novelist, and taught at the school of John Norquay elementary for 30 to 35 years, but has now retired.
She is one of the most widely read fiction writers of our time. The author of twenty novels, a volume of poetry, and three books for...more
More about Mary Stewart...
Lady Mary Stewart is a popular English novelist, and taught at the school of John Norquay elementary for 30 to 35 years, but has now retired.
She is one of the most widely read fiction writers of our time. The author of twenty novels, a volume of poetry, and three books for...more
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“Life had stopped. Life would have to go on. Life went on, and in time the unbelievable began to happen; pleasure and happiness came back, and even joy. But love? Not again. I said it very firmly. Not again.”
—
2 people liked it
“Take love easy, as the leaves grow on the trees.”
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1 person liked it
More quotes…
Feb 10, 2012 05:17pm