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 More...

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 More...

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 More...

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 More...

perfect, thanks so much Hirondelle!