SIXPENNY HOLDING by Margaret Scutt.
Marian Stamford moves to her dream home: a snug little cottage in a Dorset village where nothing ever happens. She only wants a quiet life, a home for her unlikely family of two nieces and one troublesome kitten.Before long, things take a darker turn.A man breaks out of prison, leaving the villagers rattled.What are they afraid of?Marian isn’t one for idle gossip. But she can’t ignore the telltale signs that someone has been sneaking into her garden at night.And then there’s the gruff stranger she’s seen hanging round next door. Who is he? And what does he want with the farmer’s wife?It’s up to Marian find out.But in a village full of secrets, the truth can be hard to find.
A very good read with good characters. I did like Marion character. 4*.

Cosy mystery set in the country. Our main chores of a quiet life,free to do as she chooses,doesn't last long. Country living turns out to be more involving than she thought.

This was one of those books that sucked me in from the beginning and didn’t let go until I finished! I thought it was well written, with absolutely flawlessly done characters, and absolutely unputdownable.

Marian had spent most of her life taking care of her sick mother. Now she wants to have a life of her own & follow her dream to become a writer. Against the advice of her siblings she buys a rundown cottage in Dorset. Getting used to life without the things she is accustomed to taking for granted is a bit of a challenge. Her nearest neighbours are very kind & helpful- even if the farmer's brother seem to find it hard to speak to anyone! Her quiet life doesn't last long as she soon finds herself caring for her four year old niece after her guardian dies & her brother goes off to Canada. Shortly afterwards another sibling asks her to take care of another niece. This wasn't quite what she had in mind but they soon settle into their country life- even if the thought of an escaped convict being on the loose doesn't fit the idea of the rural idyll!

This is a fabulously written book. The characters are wonderful. It is a shame it is billed as a mystery story as there isn't enough of a mystery to make an impact really & readers looking for that may well be disappointed. I loved it! Thanks to Netgalley & the publisher for letting me read & review this book.

One of the best cozy mystery books I’ve read in a long time. A beautiful little cottage in Dorset is the main setting of this book, along with a charming and witty lady sleuth. Just fabulous

Enjoyed this one overall for the most part. Marian moves to a cottage in the country after the death of her mother. Then she starts collecting strays. Nieces and cats plus small town neighbors. Bachelor John, at a nearby farm adds a sweet touch too. Description mentions a murder mystery, but except for an escaped convict there is no murder. Also felt the ending was a bit downplayed. Other than that though I found this hard to put down and would highly recommend this book.

I enjoyed this book, but it was longer than it needed to be. A nice cosy read for an autumn day, with a lovely central character.

Thoroughly enjoyed this book. It is what I call a "comfortable" read. No major drama, and no "bad" language. It is about a middle-aged woman-Marian-who has spent her life caring for her mother. Now mother is dead, and Marian has planned to spend the rest of her life on her own terms. Accordingly, she buys a cottage on the outskirts of a small English village where she plans to write. And then, circumstances change and she becomes the guardian of first one, then two, young girls. She may get her stories published, but not the ones she intended. And, despite her reluctance, she falls in love. Full disclosure--I received an ARC from Netgalley, but was in no way influenced by them.

Ramona Thompson

What a lovely story set in a small village! Marian has just purchased her dream home, Sixpenny Holding, following the death of her mother, for whom she was caregiver the last few years of her life. Her plan...to be alone in her new home and work on that novel she's never had the time to write. Little does she know what awaits her in that little village and how quickly those plans would change.

I felt good and had a smile on my face the whole time I read this book. I finished it in one sitting. There is a bit of a mystery throughout the story, and secrets, an escaped convict on the loose, and maybe even the possibility of romance. I really couldn't get enough of Marian, her new life, and the characters that surrounded her.

The only thing I had a problem with was the subtitle for the book that called Sixpenny Holding a "classic village murder mystery," as there was no murder...an escaped convict who was maybe a murderer, but no murder to solve. This is not enough for me to give a bad review, because I liked it very much for what it was...a story with great characters and scenery, a little mystery and romance, which harkens back to life in a small English village sometime in the 1950s or 1960s. What's not to like?

Available September 21, 2021

I received a digital copy of Sixpenny Holding from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Added review to goodreads manually as it was unable to identify the ISBN provided by NetGalley.

#SIXPENNYHOLDING #NETGALLEY

This book was not really a murder mystery, but it did have mysterious elements in it. I really enjoyed it. It, I guess could be classified as Women's Fiction, and it had a touch of romance in it. I highly recommend this book to other fiction readers as well as people who enjoy English settings in the books they read.

Upon opening this book, it was like being transported into your late grandmother's overly fussy home with too many belongings and curios scattered around, I almost stopped reading mid-way through chapter one. HOWEVER, I am so glad that I chose to be patient for a while longer. As the story unfolded, what felt like clutter, transformed into a feeling of nostalgia, the small details drawing me further in to Six Penny holding, the village, and the cast of characters.

While sweet and sentimental for the most part, there are some unforeseen twists and turns that one might even call "gripping".....not something you'd imagine in this bucolic setting in times gone past.

Be patient, embrace the pace and the language, and you'll be given a treasure of a story to remember.

I loved this book. I thought it would be a cosy mystery. As it turned out, it was not really a mystery - well, sort of -, but it was really cosy. I loved the gentle pace, the setting of the small village and the characters. Of course, only the positive ones. Obviously, not the villain.
If you want to take a break from the everyday hassle, this book is for you. It is like a breath of fresh country air. I definitely recommend it to everybody.

I thoroughly enjoyed Sixpenny Holding. It was written in 1940 by a retired schoolteacher whose life had many similarities to her protagonist in this book. Miss Scott's family found this manuscript after her death and is hoping to bring even more books from her pen to our hands. This was a charming book, a feel good story about a quieter time and way of life. A balm for your soul I feel this book will appeal to readers of Rosamunde Pilcher and I hope there are more books to come from Miss Scott.

Well, it’s a cozy book, but it doesn’t actually have a murder, as I was led to believe, nor the somewhat darker tone that the title on the cover suggests. The cover is nice, but promises suspense and maybe even horror—that is something I could see past for the description and tags, where it touted it was like Agatha Christie or midsummer murders, which it was nothing close to.
That said, I found it an enjoyable read once my brain accepted that the book wasn’t what I’d set out to read, with colourful setting and well drawn characters and places.

I enjoyed this book very much, it was well written with warmth and care. Spinster Marian has spent most of her adulthood caring for an invalid mother. When her mother dies, she uses her inheritance to buy a rundown cottage in rural Dorset. Miles from the village, she is isolated. There is a neighboring farm, but she is essentially on her own. Marian finds it all bliss, as she finally has the freedom along with the peace and quiet to write her long dreamed of novel. Soon after settling in, a tragic accident leaves her 4 year old niece needing a home. Poor Dinah’s mother died when she was a baby, Marian’s brother, a traveling salesman left her in the care of his wife’s sister, who has now been killed in a traffic accident. Poor Dinah’s needs are greater than Marian’s literary pursuits. The novel gently develops the touching relationship between Dinah and Marian, and the growing friendship with the inhabitants of the neighboring farm. The characters are all realistically portrayed and are all very likable. A gentle love story develops along with a subtle mystery.
Highly recommend. Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for this advance copy.,it was a pleasure.

If you are a fan of novels with the flavour of English village life, you will likely enjoy this book from author Margaret Scutt. Not really a mystery, not really a romance, but a little bit of both. Ready to live life on her own terms, Marian Stamford soon finds that life may not go exactly as she has planned, when she is soon joined by two young nieces. An escaped prisoner, secret hideaways, and a bashful neighbour all add to the story.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I enjoyed the unfolding story of Marian moving to the cottage in the Dorset countryside. It was a beautifully constructed and I really enjoyed reading about all the characters particularly Marian and her nieces - I loved how those relationships unfolded and Myra's story of her past. Lots of different stories about the characters in one compelling book.

I loved this book, it's a cosy stories with some mystery elements. I love Marian, the lovely descriptions of country life and the entertaining plot.
It's a lovely story and I want to read more by this author.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine

A heart-warming, atmospheric novel that I genuinely enjoyed reading. While this book was full of village gossips and curiosities, I do find it to be misrepresented as a murder mystery. I feel the misrepresentation on the book's cover (having it state 'murder mystery' on there) could cause disappointment for some readers, however, don't let that dissuade you from this charming book!

Our character's lead, Marian, has decided to reside in Sixpenny Holding seeking calm, atmosphere and perhaps the inspiration to write. The author excels in setting the atmosphere and mood so well that I have felt that I have spent a vacation away at a cozy cottage writing!

The characters had depth, and I found myself wanting to get to know those less featured more.

If you enjoy women's fiction, atmospheric novels, and cozy village settings then add this to your list!

This is one that's a little tough for me to review, mainly because its touted as a Murder Mystery - which it is not. So my expectations were a bit off. This is one of those tough to place in-between genre novels, which could have just as easily been released as regular historical fiction. That being said I enjoyed the story for what it was, but those looking for more of an actual mystery might be disappointed. **Thank you so much to both NetGAlley and Joffe Books for my eARC of this in exchange for my honest review!**

So straight to the point. This is NOT a murder mystery. What this is, is a a charming English Village/country life historical novel, with some regular life drama, and an element of mysteriousness and intrigue. It had a bit of the vibe of the romantic suspense novels written in the 40s and 50s (which to modern readers probably seem a bit low on the suspense and romance factors).

So this is really a story about a woman past her prime making a new life for herself in the country, expecting to finally have independent freedom, and suddenly finding herself taking care of two nieces and navigating a potential friendship/romance with a new neighbor. As she adjusts to this new life, there does begin a series of mysterious occurrences including a stranger seen threatening her neighbors wife and an the threat of an escaped convict....but these elements don't really come into play in a any major way until the climax of the book which does feature that thriller/suspenseful event/climax typical in those mid century novels. So those looking for a traditional mystery (even a cozy one) will not find the traditional murder, clues and crime solving elements typical of the genre.

So all that being said, I really enjoyed this for what it was, a well written glimpse into village life with a great nostalgic feel to it, and a sweet old fashioned romance with a great suspenseful climatic event at the end. The characters are richly drawn, and indicative of the times and their various backgrounds and goals in life. I just wanted a more of a focus on the mystery elements in the first 3/4's of the book, mostly because I was expecting them given the description.

I will definitely check out her other book as I liked her writing and the overall style, and I know the other one is more of a mystery and does have an actual murder to solve in it.