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The Felse Investigations #7
The Grass Widow's Tale
A reissue of the crime novel first published in 1968, featuring the detective George Felse. Previous reissues include A Nice Derangement of Epitaphs and The Knocker on Death’s Door.
271 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1968
249 people are currently reading
473 people want to read
About the author
Ellis Peters
207 books1,148 followersA pseudonym used by Edith Pargeter.
Edith Mary Pargeter, OBE, BEM was a prolific author of works in many categories, especially history and historical fiction, and was also honoured for her translations of Czech classics; she is probably best known for her murder mysteries, both historical and modern. Born in the village of Horsehay (Shropshire, England), she had Welsh ancestry, and many of her short stories and books (both fictional and non-fictional) were set in Wales and its borderlands.
During World War II, she worked in an administrative role in the Women's Royal Naval Service, and received the British Empire Medal - BEM.
Pargeter wrote under a number of pseudonyms; it was under the name Ellis Peters that she wrote the highly popular series of Brother Cadfael medieval mysteries, many of which were made into films for television.
Edith Mary Pargeter, OBE, BEM was a prolific author of works in many categories, especially history and historical fiction, and was also honoured for her translations of Czech classics; she is probably best known for her murder mysteries, both historical and modern. Born in the village of Horsehay (Shropshire, England), she had Welsh ancestry, and many of her short stories and books (both fictional and non-fictional) were set in Wales and its borderlands.
During World War II, she worked in an administrative role in the Women's Royal Naval Service, and received the British Empire Medal - BEM.
Pargeter wrote under a number of pseudonyms; it was under the name Ellis Peters that she wrote the highly popular series of Brother Cadfael medieval mysteries, many of which were made into films for television.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 55 reviews
January 20, 2023
Simply excellent story. Thumping good read. I kept thinking of John Buchan’s stories as I read.
April 21, 2014
Just re-read this today. Perfect!
Bunty Felse gets her own story. While she's often a great supporting character to George (the CID police officer) and/or Dominic (their murder-finding-prone son), the spotlight seldom rests on her--except in this hair-raising murder mystery adventure.
I won't give away the plot--it's too much fun to discover it for yourself as it flies along. But I will say that it has more twists and turns in it than anyone could foresee, and it's got a completely satisfying ending.
Well done, Ellis Peters, well done.
Bunty Felse gets her own story. While she's often a great supporting character to George (the CID police officer) and/or Dominic (their murder-finding-prone son), the spotlight seldom rests on her--except in this hair-raising murder mystery adventure.
I won't give away the plot--it's too much fun to discover it for yourself as it flies along. But I will say that it has more twists and turns in it than anyone could foresee, and it's got a completely satisfying ending.
Well done, Ellis Peters, well done.
June 23, 2018
Think, feel and trust your gut
This story goes much deeper than usual. It touches on a sensitivity that not every one experiences or understands. As well as a great read it is almost spiritual in its profound acknowledgement of the diversity of the human heart.
This story goes much deeper than usual. It touches on a sensitivity that not every one experiences or understands. As well as a great read it is almost spiritual in its profound acknowledgement of the diversity of the human heart.
November 1, 2020
I am a big fan of Ellis Peters (my current favorite mystery writer), having read nine of her Brother Cadfael novels since I joined Goodreads in 2013 (I'd read some before that). Somehow, I'd never read any of her Inspector Felse mysteries. What a waste!
The Grass Widow's Tale is the 7th in this series, set in mid-20th century Britain (although it feels earlier than that). Not having read the earlier books in the series did not leave me lost and confused..
In Grass Widow's Tale, Bunty is abandoned on her 41st birthday, experiences significant existential anxiety at this turn of events, ends up at the local pub where she meets someone whose life is even bleaker than hers, and discovers a dead body. This puts both of them in hot and hotter water.
Like many of Ellis Peters' novels, this one has a number of feminist themes – and in fact these feminist themes set the story's wheels turning:
Did she exist, except as a reflection of them? Was she condemned only to act, only to be anything at all through her husband and her son? (Kindle 217)
Not surprisingly, Bunty discovers that she was more than a mere extension of the males in her family. Her intelligence, wisdom, empathy, kindness, and courage are evident throughout – without her seeming superhuman, saccharine, or unreal. Rather than feeling false, I believed that there really are such people in the world and relationships like hers with Luke.
But they understood the one weapon they had, their absolute unanimity. Whichever called, the other would respond; and they had no reservations, they trusted each other through and through. It was almost worth dying for that. (Kindle 2327)
Knowing that you had such a friend is a real gift. I would like to be friends with her and will be looking out for her in the coming years.
The Grass Widow's Tale is the 7th in this series, set in mid-20th century Britain (although it feels earlier than that). Not having read the earlier books in the series did not leave me lost and confused..
In Grass Widow's Tale, Bunty is abandoned on her 41st birthday, experiences significant existential anxiety at this turn of events, ends up at the local pub where she meets someone whose life is even bleaker than hers, and discovers a dead body. This puts both of them in hot and hotter water.
Like many of Ellis Peters' novels, this one has a number of feminist themes – and in fact these feminist themes set the story's wheels turning:
Did she exist, except as a reflection of them? Was she condemned only to act, only to be anything at all through her husband and her son? (Kindle 217)
Not surprisingly, Bunty discovers that she was more than a mere extension of the males in her family. Her intelligence, wisdom, empathy, kindness, and courage are evident throughout – without her seeming superhuman, saccharine, or unreal. Rather than feeling false, I believed that there really are such people in the world and relationships like hers with Luke.
But they understood the one weapon they had, their absolute unanimity. Whichever called, the other would respond; and they had no reservations, they trusted each other through and through. It was almost worth dying for that. (Kindle 2327)
Knowing that you had such a friend is a real gift. I would like to be friends with her and will be looking out for her in the coming years.
August 11, 2012
I was telling my wife about the book. “It’s an Inspector Felse mystery. Of course, he’s only in the first couple of pages and the last couple of pages. And it’s not really a mystery, although there are pieces that fall into place as they come up. It’s more of a suspense story.” “So,” she said, “it’s not an Inspector Felse mystery at all.” She may be right, but it’s an excellent story nonetheless, and it’s really nice to get to know Bunty Felse better. Not (as she says to herself) just as George’s wife or Dominic’s mother.
September 21, 2024
I have not read the first six books of this series, but hope to find the others. However, this book stands well on its own. Ellis Peters (Edith Pargeter) was a great mystery writer with a wide range. I have enjoyed many of her books over the years, particularly her Brother Cadfael series.
April 28, 2025
My favorite novel by Ellis Peters focuses on Bunty Felse, the wife and mother who is usually in the background of the other detective novels.
In this one, which I first read when I was the same age as Bunty, her birthday is arrived and her family off doing other things. She's feeling stuck on the shelf without meaning beyond her police detective husband and college age son.
So, she wanders into a local pub not far from her small village home and gets involved with a young teacher who is in a terrible jam.
Misunderstanding who she is, or perhaps what she is, Luke takes her on a long trip far from home under the "eye" of a small gun.
And when she opens the trunk hunting for a blanket, the dead body intensifies her mind completely.
A curious story of emotional depth, not really Stockholm syndrome, and plenty of other bad guys, this is Peters at her emotional best.
In this one, which I first read when I was the same age as Bunty, her birthday is arrived and her family off doing other things. She's feeling stuck on the shelf without meaning beyond her police detective husband and college age son.
So, she wanders into a local pub not far from her small village home and gets involved with a young teacher who is in a terrible jam.
Misunderstanding who she is, or perhaps what she is, Luke takes her on a long trip far from home under the "eye" of a small gun.
And when she opens the trunk hunting for a blanket, the dead body intensifies her mind completely.
A curious story of emotional depth, not really Stockholm syndrome, and plenty of other bad guys, this is Peters at her emotional best.
April 28, 2019
Title: The Grass Widow's Tale
Author: Ellis Peters
Series: The Felse Investigations, 7
Format: hardcover
Length: 192 pages
Rating: 4.5 stars
Synopsis:
When George Felse finds himself called away to London on urgent police business, his wife Bunty is left alone feeling depressed on the eve of her 41st birthday. To shake off her black mood she goes out to the local pub where a chance meeting places her in deadly danger.
Mini-review:
I can't say much because it would spoil the fun, but this is a great book. Less of a whodunnit like the rest of the Felse books, and more of a trying to piece together what happened. Even doing a full fan cast would be a spoiler, so I'll just do one person. I loved this book.
Fan-cast:
Bunty Felse - Louise Brealey
Author: Ellis Peters
Series: The Felse Investigations, 7
Format: hardcover
Length: 192 pages
Rating: 4.5 stars
Synopsis:
When George Felse finds himself called away to London on urgent police business, his wife Bunty is left alone feeling depressed on the eve of her 41st birthday. To shake off her black mood she goes out to the local pub where a chance meeting places her in deadly danger.
Mini-review:
I can't say much because it would spoil the fun, but this is a great book. Less of a whodunnit like the rest of the Felse books, and more of a trying to piece together what happened. Even doing a full fan cast would be a spoiler, so I'll just do one person. I loved this book.
Fan-cast:
Bunty Felse - Louise Brealey
October 12, 2020
Inspector Felse's wife is left on her own again. Her husband has to travel for an investigation. But this time she walks out of her empty house and into a terrifying trap. Her cleverness and compassion are all that can protect her and an unlikely other person.
Read 3 times
Read 3 times
May 10, 2011
Middle England, the middle sixties. In a land where policemen are the most trusted, observant and courageous of citizens. And where policemen's wives are also observant and courageous as well as loyal and long-suffering. One such specimen is the surprisingly named Bunty Felse, who adds a tinge of feminism to this old-fashioned world by daring to be unhappy with her mundane existence and wishing for some identity and interest of her own. Wishing for excitement is generally an unwise course if you happen to be the main character in the novel as you tend to get more than you wished for.
Bunty daringly goes to the pub on a Saturday night, throws caution to the floor as she orders a half-pint of bitter, and strikes up a conversation with a young and sombre gentleman with a new and dark secret. Events unfold consequently.
Well observed, this is a nice crime thriller page turner. Pulp fiction with enriching dashes of social comment and several sprinklings of tasty suspense. Written in 1968, it also gives a refreshing view of the 1960s with the nostalgia glasses removed.
Bunty daringly goes to the pub on a Saturday night, throws caution to the floor as she orders a half-pint of bitter, and strikes up a conversation with a young and sombre gentleman with a new and dark secret. Events unfold consequently.
Well observed, this is a nice crime thriller page turner. Pulp fiction with enriching dashes of social comment and several sprinklings of tasty suspense. Written in 1968, it also gives a refreshing view of the 1960s with the nostalgia glasses removed.
June 8, 2016
I first read this in...junior high? Had not read any of the other Felse books, but liked Bunty a lot. Have read it again as a forty-(mumble) woman and appreciate it even more. Nice to read a book where an ordinary, intelligent woman is the hero of the story.
June 2016 - I just bought for my Nook. I remember reading this the first time as a 7th or 8th grader and really liked it. Going back, it's still good, although Bunty is so perfect that that at times it's a little hard to swallow.
Still, I love it for the setting, England in the 70s, when big city ways were spreading into the rural towns and villages. To give you an idea of the differences in this crime novel and the ones of today...all the murder and mayhem is set off over an amount of $15,000 dollars. At the time, I am sure that was a lot of money, but now I was thinking, "They were willing to kill someone over FIFTEEN THOUSAND dollars? F'real?" It was sort of a Dr. Evil moment.
June 2016 - I just bought for my Nook. I remember reading this the first time as a 7th or 8th grader and really liked it. Going back, it's still good, although Bunty is so perfect that that at times it's a little hard to swallow.
Still, I love it for the setting, England in the 70s, when big city ways were spreading into the rural towns and villages. To give you an idea of the differences in this crime novel and the ones of today...all the murder and mayhem is set off over an amount of $15,000 dollars. At the time, I am sure that was a lot of money, but now I was thinking, "They were willing to kill someone over FIFTEEN THOUSAND dollars? F'real?" It was sort of a Dr. Evil moment.
March 24, 2016
I keep wondering why on earth the BBC doesn't use this book as the basis for one of their fine mysteries. What it is, in essence, is a character study. A young English housewife, becoming depressed on her 41st birthday, walks out to a pub where she has an encounter that will lead her into great danger - and even greater self-knowledge. That housewife, Bunty Felse, is a wonderful character: brave, observant, and compassionate. She will need all her intelligence, strength, and courage to keep herself and a vulnerable young man alive during a night of terror.
If that seems overwrought - it's not. This is a quiet, reflective thriller, but with lots of twists and turns, both inwardly and outwardly. I think Hitchcock could have done it justice. A warning: by modern standards, Peters overwrites. There's a fair bit of description, in spite of the short length. But, if you take your time and let the story enfold you, you will be well rewarded. The ending is thought-provoking. Well done.
If that seems overwrought - it's not. This is a quiet, reflective thriller, but with lots of twists and turns, both inwardly and outwardly. I think Hitchcock could have done it justice. A warning: by modern standards, Peters overwrites. There's a fair bit of description, in spite of the short length. But, if you take your time and let the story enfold you, you will be well rewarded. The ending is thought-provoking. Well done.
January 30, 2023
Wow. When I reviewed the last Felse I read, I registered my hope that the next one might be Bunty-focused. Ellis Peters somehow intuited my request from decades in the past and came through in spades!
My grandmother has this great story where my grandfather and his friends went out bird-dog hunting and came home empty-handed. She then produced a paper bag with a freshly killed pheasant in it. The pheasant had randomly materialized in their backyard and flown into the French doors, killing itself.
This novel is the detective crime equivalent of my grandmother's hunting triumph.
My grandmother has this great story where my grandfather and his friends went out bird-dog hunting and came home empty-handed. She then produced a paper bag with a freshly killed pheasant in it. The pheasant had randomly materialized in their backyard and flown into the French doors, killing itself.
This novel is the detective crime equivalent of my grandmother's hunting triumph.
May 22, 2025
Incredible story...some qualms about the efficacy of this one. Glad to know more a.bout Bounty Felse
Wonderful to get to know more about wife and Mother Bounty Fekse. She is so import to George and son Dominic but just barely mentioned in the previous books.
What an ingenious character...just a tad perfect and ingenious for me, though!
Fiction, unlike life, cans be made to contain perfectly perfect characters...only the situation is No perfect...who would be stupid enough to do what Bounty does early in this book and survive at all. Nevertheless, her ingenuity and c quick thinking just keeps saving the day! And Like Tenant is a superb choice of name and He is also, finally an asset to the overall program of saving their kuves!
Thus author is, simply, on of the very best.
I love her books, they often cause incredulity in this reader and challenge my limited intellect... But they Never disappoint and are always surprising in their depth and imaginative exploration of the human capacity for mistakes, bad decisions, challenges to credulity and yet, come right or come to a satisfying conclusion at the end if the tales.
Love the Main and some of the sundry characters and am surprised at the motivations of the 'bad-uns'!
She is such an in depth and descriptive writer that the stories stay with you when you are done...engendering 'food for thought' for the ever curious, like me?!
Highly recommended...always...
Wonderful to get to know more about wife and Mother Bounty Fekse. She is so import to George and son Dominic but just barely mentioned in the previous books.
What an ingenious character...just a tad perfect and ingenious for me, though!
Fiction, unlike life, cans be made to contain perfectly perfect characters...only the situation is No perfect...who would be stupid enough to do what Bounty does early in this book and survive at all. Nevertheless, her ingenuity and c quick thinking just keeps saving the day! And Like Tenant is a superb choice of name and He is also, finally an asset to the overall program of saving their kuves!
Thus author is, simply, on of the very best.
I love her books, they often cause incredulity in this reader and challenge my limited intellect... But they Never disappoint and are always surprising in their depth and imaginative exploration of the human capacity for mistakes, bad decisions, challenges to credulity and yet, come right or come to a satisfying conclusion at the end if the tales.
Love the Main and some of the sundry characters and am surprised at the motivations of the 'bad-uns'!
She is such an in depth and descriptive writer that the stories stay with you when you are done...engendering 'food for thought' for the ever curious, like me?!
Highly recommended...always...
April 21, 2020
I have read a couple of Cadfael Mysteries than I found in a used book store in a church shop in England some years ago after having watching the TV series. I found this book in a Goodwill store in TX. I haven't read any of the other books in this series, but it sounded like I could read it as a stand alone.
This is a short paperback from the 1960s. I don't think younger people would appreciate it all that much. Not only has technology and culture changed so much in the ensuing 50-60 years, but the plot also involves a woman feeling restless and having a bit of an identity crisis on the night of her 41 birthday. I don't want to give the plot away. I did appreciate how Bunty felt then, and I thought the author was excellent at giving a voice to the different kinds of love one can feel for different people who have touched their lives.
This is a short paperback from the 1960s. I don't think younger people would appreciate it all that much. Not only has technology and culture changed so much in the ensuing 50-60 years, but the plot also involves a woman feeling restless and having a bit of an identity crisis on the night of her 41 birthday. I don't want to give the plot away. I did appreciate how Bunty felt then, and I thought the author was excellent at giving a voice to the different kinds of love one can feel for different people who have touched their lives.
July 23, 2020
Many writers seem loathe to allow the supporting cast of ongoing series to have a real voice. Mrs. Peters gives strength and a distinct personality to George Felse's wife, Bunty. In the previous books, she has been his strong support and has had a voice, but in this book the spotlight is on her. The story line was good, but the charm of the book was her ability to come to her own at a time in her life when she was floundering, as happens when many. How heartening to see her struggle through the darkness of her emotions to emerge whole and well.
August 8, 2023
I don't know how to classify this read. It's listed as a mystery, a historical fiction, crime, thriller etc...
From my perspective (and a few others) while it contains all of those traits,it is a study on human character. There is a crime, however that doesn't come until later, after the protagonist is introduced and we get an opportunity to get well acquainted with her and her plight. This story is not about the Inspector but instead it is about the Inspector's wife. There are no twists, turns, mis-directions, surprises or other mystery crime tricks. It is a study of a woman, her life, her loves, her emotions as told through a series of events that include murder and kidnapping. I can only say I was heartbroken after the first chapters and yet continued on to see where the story would take me. I'm glad I did. I was so involved in the lives of the 2 main characters that I felt compassion for them beyond what I normally feel.
A compelling read that can be either a fast page turner or a contemplative story to be absorbed and reflected upon.
From my perspective (and a few others) while it contains all of those traits,it is a study on human character. There is a crime, however that doesn't come until later, after the protagonist is introduced and we get an opportunity to get well acquainted with her and her plight. This story is not about the Inspector but instead it is about the Inspector's wife. There are no twists, turns, mis-directions, surprises or other mystery crime tricks. It is a study of a woman, her life, her loves, her emotions as told through a series of events that include murder and kidnapping. I can only say I was heartbroken after the first chapters and yet continued on to see where the story would take me. I'm glad I did. I was so involved in the lives of the 2 main characters that I felt compassion for them beyond what I normally feel.
A compelling read that can be either a fast page turner or a contemplative story to be absorbed and reflected upon.
May 22, 2020
In this book Bunty Felse takes center stage. With Dominic away at university and George called away on a case, she finds herself alone on her forty-first birthday, a gloomy autumn day. An evening walk doesn't shake her out of her doldrums, so she stops in at a roadhouse for a drink. A meeting there with a young man leads to an unexpected adventure that she will never forget — if she survives. Excellent, imaginative plot and believable characters create a book that is hard to put down.
May 31, 2021
Bunty’s Stride
Bunty turns 41. Left to herself as a circumstance of being married to a policeman & Mum to a college age son is pulled into a dangerous flight. Murder included.
Bunty decided to give herself a shake! Her step outside her everyday choices reveals strong new feelings & a greater intensity of emotions she’s always known. Action & exciting conflicts-physical & feelings.
Bunty turns 41. Left to herself as a circumstance of being married to a policeman & Mum to a college age son is pulled into a dangerous flight. Murder included.
Bunty decided to give herself a shake! Her step outside her everyday choices reveals strong new feelings & a greater intensity of emotions she’s always known. Action & exciting conflicts-physical & feelings.
November 28, 2022
This was a slow burn in the British cozy mystery genre. The adrenaline adventure has a slow buildup then sparks but is drawn out with a lot of filler that could have been edited out for more impact. I skimmed a bit over the slow thought processes and exposition. The plot takes a sharp turn that diffuses the suspense, but I read on to see how it resolves. The heroine is insightful but somewhat passive.
June 2, 2023
Ultimately an enjoyable novel, but it really isn't a mystery novel, more suspense. I say "ultimately enjoyable" because for me, it took getting about a third of the way in, before it really grabbed me. And really it was the development of the two main characters that finally hooked me. If you prefer the stories featuring George Felse, you might want to skip this one, since he is hardly present at all. But if you don't mind a different take on a "Felse mystery", give it a try.
February 14, 2025
I am a huge fan of all Ellis Peters/Edith Pargeter's writing. I had never read all the Felse novels in order and have been taking advantage of a Kindle Unlimited special to binge them. Peters' writing is uniformly splendid and her plotting solid. This one is more of a thriller than some of the others, which would qualify more as cozies. I appreciated her giving the long-suffering Bunty a book all to herself. Extremely well-done!
October 1, 2022
I have to say, I'm enjoying the series more and more. Each one is so different! From a different point of view. Different types of crimes. While all revolving around the same main characters. Sometimes they're the story, sometimes only incidental to the story.
This one was particularly heart wrenching.
This one was particularly heart wrenching.
May 21, 2023
a small tour de force.
Fitting in to not much more than Aristotle’s ideal 24 hours, here we have a Felse novel which focuses on Bunty, not the male members of the Felse family. A musing on women, their roles, their worth, their lives. It wasn’t a murder mystery like others, somI was not prepared for it, but it was good.
Fitting in to not much more than Aristotle’s ideal 24 hours, here we have a Felse novel which focuses on Bunty, not the male members of the Felse family. A musing on women, their roles, their worth, their lives. It wasn’t a murder mystery like others, somI was not prepared for it, but it was good.
December 12, 2020
Yay for the discovery of another mystery series by Ellis Peters! In this one Bunty Felse gets caught up in a murder drama .., in a very unexpected way. The story starts somewhat slow but picks up after an unexpected twist. Kept my interest!
March 10, 2018
Bunty Felse is the star in this well observed psychological thriller.
April 25, 2020
Really enjoyed this twist on the Felse stories which focused on Bunty (Inspector Felse's wife).
August 5, 2020
Une aventure originale de l'inspecteur Felse, où il n'apparaît que très peu. L'héroïne est Bunty, sa femme !
https://lauryn-books.blogspot.com/202...
https://lauryn-books.blogspot.com/202...
October 24, 2020
This book features Bunty who usually is a secondary character to her policeman husband & son. She shows the courage and intelligence she has always had. I really enjoyed reading this one.
September 2, 2023
A well-written mystery with good tension and a few twists.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 55 reviews