The Castaways of Harewood Hall
by
Karen Herbert
a devilish dog, a curious cat and skulduggery in the basement...
Publication date: 1st September 2022
Genre: Crime / Mystery
Pages: 216
RRP: $32.99AU
Source: Courtesy of the publisher
My review of The Castaways of Harewood Hall
Harewood Hall is a retirement village home to an eclectic group of residents who believe retirement from paid work doesn't mean retirement from life.
The narrative switches between some of the residents of the village, the manager, staff member Josh and even the resident cat, Harley, gets his point of view in this humorous and quirky tale.
Kind-hearted Josh rescues some research mice and hides them in Harewood Hall basement. Manager Fiona diligently deals with residents concerns about tree trimming, a spike in water usage and an unsafe retaining wall. Drama abounds when some residents decide to fix things themselves. Paul is the mediator, Martin the fixer and Joyce the organiser.
The Castaways of Harewood Hall is a delightful, light read bursting with a whole cast of likeable characters all with their own quirks and pet projects.
The mystery tends to take second stage to the goings on of the characters, human and non human.
I loved Harley's (the cat) point of view as he wandered from resident to resident, aloof but also a huge part of the village.
Missing money, mysterious deliveries and a couple of red herrings make this novel an entertaining read. In Harewood Hall nothing goes unnoticed.
I've read a couple of retirement village novels that were hugely entertaining but unbelievable with the over-the-top high-jinks. Harewood Hall is tremendously engaging and believable.
My rating 4 / 5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐
About the author
Karen Herbert has worked in age care, disability services, higher education, Indigenous land management, social housing and the public sector, and is a board member of The Intelife Group, Advocare Inc., and President of the fellowship of Australian Writers WA. Born in Geraldton, Karen now lives in Perth with her husband.
I *love* fun novels with older characters, and this one sounds particularly good - all the more for getting the cat's perspective! Thank you so much for bringing it to my attention :D
ReplyDeleteI’ve read a few retirement village novels and all had an element of humour.
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