Cottage Tales Of Beatrix Potter Books In Order

Publication Order of The Cottage Tales of Beatrix Potter Books

“The Cottage Tales” series written by Susan Wittig Albert are mystery novels (with some historical aspects too) that are meant to be read and enjoyed by book readers of any and all ages and just so happen to feature a slightly fictionalized Beatrix Potter (beloved author and illustrator). She wrote many Peter Rabbit books that came out in the early 1900s.

Beatrix is an animal lover who, in the year 1905, has purchased a farm in England’s Lake district, a beautiful place to live. The farm that she has bought is a bit of a fixer upper, that she will have to work on to live there. She moves away from her London life where she is a Victorian age daughter-dutiful. Beatrix wants to a more independent life full of new things like hope, self-determination, and love. She is also trying to get over the death of her fiance.

There are also talking animals in the novels that cannot talk to humans, just each other. While Beatrix is off doing her stuff, the animals in the novel are doing theirs; which usually means they are trying to solve some crime that is being committed in their world.

“The Tale of Hill Top Farm” by Susan Wittig Albert is the first novel in the “Cottage Tales of Beatrix Potter” series and was released in 2004. Beatrix Potter’s animals set out to solve a mystery all on their own. At the same time, Beatrix sets out to get off on the right foot with these new neighbors of hers.

Fans of the novel enjoyed the setting, and how sweet and charming the novel is. There are realistic characters who act and talk like real people do; you get to know and love these people and animals over the course of things. This is a novel that is a cozy mystery that does not raise the pulse too much. Fans liked the peaks that Albert gives into the life of Beatrix Potter. Some feel this novel is like a kid’s novel for adults. Some found themselves going to their Beatrix Potter collection to make sure they had read everything. The tale is to be read for the characters not the mystery here.

Some did not like the way that some of the animals talked, this made the novel feel more geared for kids and not so much for adults. Some found that for an English novel about an English author, there were a lot of American English spellings in the novel. Some find that the novel is just a little too cozy, without a lot of focus on the mystery that is going on, but more time is spent on the characters.

“The Tale of Holly How” by Susan Wittig Albert is the second novel in the “Cottage Tales of Beatrix Potter” series and was released in 2005. Ben Hornby (a shepherd) is liked by everyone in Sawrey. Beatrix suspects that foul play is involved when Ben is found murdered, and wonders who would have done such a thing to such a beloved man. Some cats in the village believe that Ben’s sheep must have seen the killer before they scattered. The new plan is to go find all of them and see what they have to say. Beatrix is trying to see to a sad young girl, who is having some problems.

Fans of the novel liked how cute things were, and how it felt like fairytales for adults. The novel is one that you will enjoy, if you do not take it so seriously but enjoy it for what it is. It is something that has lovely settings and describes nature really well. This is a series of novels that fans will follow for the duration. Some will be surprised at how much they enjoy these cute, clean, and wonderful novels. The animals, for some, are the best part of this great novel and makes things fun for the readers. Some liked that there were four mysteries going on that are tied up by the end, but there is still coherent writing here.

Some did not like the animals talking, even though the humans cannot hear it or understand it. It causes the realism of adult fiction to be thrown out the window, something that some do not like. There were some predictable moments in the novel. Some found it to be not great or bad, but somewhere in the middle.

“The Tale of Cuckoo Brow Wood” by Susan Wittig Albert is the third novel in the “Cottage Tales of Beatrix Potter” series and was released in 2007. This novel is set in 1907. Holly How is having its share of troubles. At the same time, three child are hoping for the help of the fairies of Cuckoo Brow Wood. These three kids are favorites of Beatrix Potter. Beatrix, armed with her tact, she must work with her friends (animal and human alike) to make sure things are made right.

Fans of the novel liked the novel and found it to be well written, plotted, and edited. Some enjoyed the way that Beatrix is portrayed, finding that she is an excellent detective here in these novels. This is a very enjoyable series, and this is just the latest winner from the series. Some enjoy that the novels incorporate the historical elements into them. Even if you do not start with the first two novels in the series, you will not be lost at all when reading this novel. Some find that this is the most magical and exciting story that the series has produced.

Some did not like the animals in the novel, finding that they took away from things quite a bit. These animals who talk really ruin the tone of the novel, it does not fit with everything else in the novel; almost like having Charles Manson and Miss Marple in the same book. Some felt that it takes a long time to get to the actual mystery, and that there is a lot of time before that spent on the rat problem that was plaguing one character. Some thought this was the weakest so far in the series.