SOLVED. Children or YA mystery about an old house and a missing rose that was to be paid as rent [s]

[Andria]

Which library in Boston has it? Maybe we can find a sympathetic librarian there who will skim through the book and let us know if it's the right one!

[Kris]

Bummer! But I am out in Utah so Boston's kinda out of my way :D

[Ann aka Iftcan]

I'm not sure--my phone is down right now, so I can't call my local library to get all the info on my request. I'm sitting at home right now, waiting on the repairman (he's due in "sometime before 1900" according to the phone company.) If he gets here before 5, I'll call and check and see what all they said, and if there was any "call back" type info. My local librarians are more than willing to help me try to work around this, so here's hoping.

[Andria]

I'm off work today, so I can't follow up with our ILL dept, either, but I'll talk to them tomorrow, too. I have friends in Boston, too, so if need be I can send one on a mission! Dadgum it, I want to solve this mystery!

[Tess]

Hey! I'm in Madison, WI... I just put a request through ILL too. I'll check back if they can get it for me but it can be up to 8 weeks before I hear back and I don't even know if it's in the WI system. I'll let everyone know the results, though!

[Kris]

Solve the mystery of the mystery?

Hahahahaha Fantastic!

[Ann aka Iftcan]

My library told me that they are involved with 1000 different library systems. And that Boston was the ONLY library in their lending system that had the book. So appearantly it is just super rare (probably because of its age.) Kind of makes me glad that when ever I see an old children's book for sale I snag it. I'm also a GR librarian, and I've added in the info on about 20 or so old books.

Sigh, and its now noon--and still no sign of that repair guy.

[Kris]

I've found only one copy for sale in the US and one in Britain. So yeah apparently quite rare

[CLM]

I didn't see a copy in Boston on Worldcat, but if it's at a library with weekend hours I could go explore in March.

[Andria]

::waves at CLM:: You were one of the people I was going to ask! I thought you might be up for a bit of sleuthing. :)

[CLM]

Yes, this seems like a book I should know.

[Tess]

I'm sorta tempted to just shell out the $ and get this, just to find out... http://www.alibris.com/booksearch?key...

[Ann aka Iftcan]

Hum, another though--I go to a convention the last weekend in May every year that specializes in books--and has a LOT of dealers in old/obscure books. If we don't get any answer before then, I can check with them too.

My phone is still down for the count--but they have SWORN that it will be repaired by 1900 tonight. If so, I'll call tomorrow (or maybe I'll go check my local branch and have them check to see if my contact is in) and see if she's willing to help us out by requesting that they send a copy of the cover and give us a description, if it's available.

And I agree with you Tess--that book certainly IS looking tempting, isn't it?

[Tess]

Tess wrote: "Hey! I'm in Madison, WI... I just put a request through ILL too. I'll check back if they can get it for me but it can be up to 8 weeks before I hear back and I don't even know if it's in the WI s..."

My library system and outerlibrary loan system does not have a copy. Sorry :(

[Andria]

Well, I'm stymied. Our ILL dept said the book is owned by the MBLN (Metro Boston Library Network), but when I search the MBLN catalog directly, the title does not come up. Argh!

[Kris]

Okay relax ladies! hahahaha

I just ordered it. It's kool, if it's what I want I get to revisit my childhood, if not well....

[Andria]

oooh, keep us posted! Since you thought the cover looked familiar I'm hopeful this is it...

[Tess]

Kris wrote: "Okay relax ladies! hahahaha

I just ordered it. It's kool, if it's what I want I get to revisit my childhood, if not well...."

LOL, I'm glad you are. I'm super curious!

[Kris]

Soon as I know anything I'll update...

[Kris]

The book is in the mail and I should have it by the 10th. After that a couple days to read...

[Ann aka Iftcan]

Kris--I'm a GR librarian. Even if this isn't "your" book, could you please send me a copy of the cover and the flyleaf so that I can update the GR website and give it a little more info. Oh, will also need to know: how many pages are in it, who the publisher was and when it was published.

Thanks. :o)

[Kris]

Absolutely. If you PM me your email addy I can send you the scans of the cover the bookseller sent me.

[Ann aka Iftcan]

Ok, sent you my email Kris. Thanks, every book we can get at least a little description and picture of the cover for is another one for "our" team (i.e. READERS.)

[Kris]

Glad to help!

*and the cat thinks she's helping too, but she's one whisker away from eviction!*

[Kris]

IT"S HERE!!!!

OMG! This is like Christmas! It's even an autographed copy. Very short I should be able to read it today.

[Kris]

Ann, did the scans I sent you have the author's bio in them? The bio on the back of the book is rather nice.

[Ann aka Iftcan]

Yes they did Kris. And they WERE nice. And for an auto-graphed copy I'm guessing that $25 wasn't TOO bad.

And hurry and read it and let us know if that's it or not.

[Kris]

Sadly ladies, this isn't it. POO!

It is a nice book, decent mystery though a bit tangental in places. *sigh* We are still looking for a lost rose to be paid in rent.

[Sheila]

This is probably a long shot, but...

There's no rent payment that I can remember, and it's not a rose, but this book involves a mystery about a stolen flower: Blue Mystery

I loved this book as a child; it's set in Germany.

[Kris]

Nope definitely not it. This one took place in England and the missing rose and child disappeared some time before the modern era. I want to say Civil War ish so the mid to late 1600s possibly...

Thank you for trying tho

[Tess]

Kris wrote: "Sadly ladies, this isn't it. POO!

It is a nice book, decent mystery though a bit tangental in places. *sigh* We are still looking for a lost rose to be paid in rent."

aw this is a bummer!

[Kris]

Yeah, oh well. I shall carry on in searching!

[Ann aka Iftcan]

Guess it's time for us all to scratch our heads and start hoping for another suggestion. :o) On the PLUS side--we did get another book ID'ed, cover and description added because of this thread. So that's always good, yes?

[Kris]

Good? Absolutely!

I'm just all *wahhh I thought I had it!!* hahahaha

[Cheryl]

Kris, the book page for The Old Monk's House Mystery looks great (thank you Ana), except for one thing - no GR members have reviewed or even rated it! Would you be willing to add a comment or brief review? (Fifty characters gets you credit for a review in the GR system. :)

[Kris]

Soon as I finish it I will review. Scout's honour!

i just got distracted by a shiny new copy of When America First Met China: An Exotic History of Tea, Drugs, and Money in the Age of Sail - and with a title like that HOW could I resist?

[Cheryl]

:smiles:

[Kris]

Bump bump bump

*who put stairs there!?*

[Kris]

Nanananananananana!

Easter Bunny!

[Kris]

I have put up a short review of The Old Monk's House Mystery. I'm afraid it isn't very flattering.

[Amy]

I've been searching all day for this book for you :(

[Kris]

Awww thank you so much!

[Ann aka Iftcan]

Well Kris--just remember--because of you GR has a new cover and description of a very old book that had missing it before. We all thank you for that. :o)

[Kris]

Thanks Ann!

Yeah, I think I would have enjoyed the book a lot more if it had been properly punctuated instead of all those random for no purpose ellipses.

[Brittany]

Throwing this out there, just in case http://paradise-mysteries.blogspot.co...

[Kris]

Suggested and rejected sometime ago.

[Ann aka Iftcan]

You also have to remember Kris--writing styles change as time goes by. Remember your Dickens as a very obvious way to see them. And, well, you know, if that was like, the way that the publishers wanted it written like then, that's how the author would have like, written it. (Sorry, couldn't resist that, but I promise to NOT indulge myself by showing more of the bad/historical editing I've seen/read.)

[Amy]

Can you remember anything else at all about the book? Even the littlest thing?

[Kris]

Yah, I know. I've reread a lot of the stuff I liked as a kid and thought "What was I THINKING?!"
Overall Monk's House Mystery was bad, just needed some juice to spice it up and a better publisher!

[Kris]

Umm no. Everything I can remember is up there: old house, young kid/s, missing rose, possibly cave in, young boy body, preserved rose, England, Civil War era maybe for the rose rent to go missing...