Reviews
" Cracking a Julia Stuart novel is like opening the door of an old-fashioned English tearoom. A bell tinkles merrily, and you enter a cozy world all the more inviting for being slightly claustrophobic." -- The Washington Post "With the wit of P.G. Wodehouse, the cunning of Agatha Christie, the tartness of Angela Thirkell and the Schadenfreude of Ruth Rendell - as well as her own startling originality of imagination - Stuart has blessed readers with a novel that's endlessly entertaining and ultimately tender. Even Mink's rescuer, dour old Queen Victoria, might have been amused." -- Richmond Times-Dispatch "Quirky characters, a feisty protagonist, a clever mystery and the requisite historical tidbits combine for an amusing read." -- Kirkus Reviews "A delicate yet kooky romp. . . . As Mink investigates, she finds something surprising: a group of people filled less with malice than with a desire for love in a world that offers little of it. Their longing gives them a zany wisdom that helps Mink find her own place in the world ." -- Oprah.com, "Book of the Week" "The enchanting aspect of Julia Stuart's confections of books about English legends is that she does her historical homework, then tarts it up to poke the aristocracy in the eye." -- The Washington Times " Fans of Stuart's novel The Tower, the Zoo, and the Tortoise will find the same wit on display. ." -- Publishers Weekly, " Cracking a Julia Stuart novel is like opening the door of an old-fashioned English tearoom. A bell tinkles merrily, and you enter a cozy world all the more inviting for being slightly claustrophobic." - The Washington Post "With the wit of P.G. Wodehouse, the cunning of Agatha Christie, the tartness of Angela Thirkell and the Schadenfreude of Ruth Rendell - as well as her own startling originality of imagination - Stuart has blessed readers with a novel that's endlessly entertaining and ultimately tender. Even Mink's rescuer, dour old Queen Victoria, might have been amused." - Richmond Times-Dispatch "Quirky characters, a feisty protagonist, a clever mystery and the requisite historical tidbits combine for an amusing read." - Kirkus Reviews "A delicate yet kooky romp. . . . As Mink investigates, she finds something surprising: a group of people filled less with malice than with a desire for love in a world that offers little of it. Their longing gives them a zany wisdom that helps Mink find her own place in the world ." - Oprah.com, "Book of the Week" "The enchanting aspect of Julia Stuart's confections of books about English legends is that she does her historical homework, then tarts it up to poke the aristocracy in the eye." - The Washington Times " Fans of Stuart's novel The Tower, the Zoo, and the Tortoise will find the same wit on display. ." - Publishers Weekly "With the wit of P.G. Wodehouse, the cunning of Agatha Christie, the tartness of Angela Thirkell and the Schadenfreude of Ruth Rendell - as well as her own startling originality of imagination - Stuart has blessed readers with a novel that's endlessly entertaining and ultimately tender. Even Mink's rescuer, dour old Queen Victoria, might have been amused." - Richmond Times-Dispatch, Praise for The Pigeon Pie Mystery " Cracking a Julia Stuart novel is like opening the door of an old-fashioned English tearoom. A bell tinkles merrily, and you enter a cozy world all the more inviting for being slightly claustrophobic." - The Washington Post "Stuart's third ( The Tower, the Zoo, and the Tortoise , 2010, etc.) continues her exploration of famous English historic sites. Quirky characters, a feisty protagonist, a clever mystery and the requisite historical tidbits combine for an amusing read." - Kirkus Reviews "Stuart combines vivid historical detail, layers of intrigue, and plenty of humor in this intelligent mystery that will appeal to Agatha Christie fans as well as those who enjoy G.M. Malliet and C.S. Challinor." - Booklist "This mystery is a delicate yet kooky romp...As Mink investigates, she finds something surprising: a group of people filled less with malice than with a desire for love in a world that offers little of it. Their longing gives them a zany wisdom that helps Mink find her own place in the world ." - Oprah.com " Fans of Stuart's novel The Tower, the Zoo, and the Tortoise will find the same wit on display. A noblewoman, for example, praises H.G. Wells's Martians for sparing Hampton Court "as any right-thinking monsters would." - Publishers Weekly Praise for The Tower, the Zoo, and the Tortoise "[A] hilarious love story . . . This book will steal your heart." - People "History buffs, animal lovers, and simply the tenderhearted will swoon over this captivating story . . . Sweet and enchanting." - Entertainment Weekly ,Grade A "Imagine a funny, poignant book, full of delightful and wacky characters, then add a bit of English history, and you've got The Tower, the Zoo, and the Tortoise . . . This is Carl Hiaasen for the Tower of London." -NPR, "Best Books of 2010" "Delightfully zany and touching . . . With her deft and charming style, Stuart brings this comic story to a satisfying and heartwarming end." - The Washington Post " The Tower, the Zoo, and the Tortoise unfolds with an airy whimsy . . . Great fun . . . For all that [Stuart's] setups are ingenious, she never loses sight of the humanity of her characters . . . Both original and memorably enjoyable." - The Denver Post "A marvelous confection of a book." - The Washington Times "A Beefeater, his wife, and their nearly 180-year-old tortoise live in the Tower of London, and if Stuart's deadly charming sophomore novel (after The Matchmaker of Périgord ) is any indication, the fortress is as full of intrigue as ever . . . the love story is adorable." - Publishers Weekly "Stuart's attempt to combine current reality with the ghostly past is a brilliant premise . . . . Remarkably funny . . . Stuart is obviously fascinated by the multiple histories that inhabit the tower, and her research flavours the novel well." - The Globe and Mail From the Hardcover edition., " Cracking a Julia Stuart novel is like opening the door of an old-fashioned English tearoom. A bell tinkles merrily, and you enter a cozy world all the more inviting for being slightly claustrophobic." - The Washington Post "Quirky characters, a feisty protagonist, a clever mystery and the requisite historical tidbits combine for an amusing read." - Kirkus Reviews "A delicate yet kooky romp. . . . As Mink investigates, she finds something surprising: a group of people filled less with malice than with a desire for love in a world that offers little of it. Their longing gives them a zany wisdom that helps Mink find her own place in the world ." - Oprah.com, "Book of the Week" " Fans of Stuart's novel The Tower, the Zoo, and the Tortoise will find the same wit on display. ." - Publishers Weekly "With the wit of P.G. Wodehouse, the cunning of Agatha Christie, the tartness of Angela Thirkell and the Schadenfreude of Ruth Rendell - as well as her own startling originality of imagination - Stuart has blessed readers with a novel that's endlessly entertaining and ultimately tender. Even Mink's rescuer, dour old Queen Victoria, might have been amused." - Richmond Times-Dispatch, " Cracking a Julia Stuart novel is like opening the door of an old-fashioned English tearoom. A bell tinkles merrily, and you enter a cozy world all the more inviting for being slightly claustrophobic." -- The Washington Post "With the wit of P.G. Wodehouse, the cunning of Agatha Christie, the tartness of Angela Thirkell and the Schadenfreude of Ruth Rendell - as well as her own startling originality of imagination - Stuart has blessed readers with a novel that's endlessly entertaining and ultimately tender. Even Mink's rescuer, dour old Queen Victoria, might have been amused." -- Richmond Times-Dispatch "Quirky characters, a feisty protagonist, a clever mystery and the requisite historical tidbits combine for an amusing read." -- Kirkus Reviews "A delicate yet kooky romp. . . . As Mink investigates, she finds something surprising: a group of people filled less with malice than with a desire for love in a world that offers little of it. Their longing gives them a zany wisdom that helps Mink find her own place in the world ." -- Oprah.com, "Book of the Week" "The enchanting aspect of Julia Stuart's confections of books about English legends is that she does her historical homework, then tarts it up to poke the aristocracy in the eye." -- The Washington Times " Fans of Stuart's novel The Tower, the Zoo, and the Tortoise will find the same wit on display. ." -- Publishers Weekly
