This book is a treasure! In The Mackintosh Style: Design and Decor by Elizabeth Wilhide, the reader is introduced to the multifaceted talent and visionary, Charles Rennie Mackintosh. His influence encompasses architectural exteriors and interiors, furniture and home furnishings, stained glass and water colors. The book contains beautiful color pictures exampling each design arena. In the text, the author entwines biograghical information about Mackintosh, his family, his work and his time, thus setting the stage of the Arts and Crafts movement in Scotland and Europe. Since I am of Scotish decent and showcase two Mackintosh watercolor reproductions in my livingroom, for me this book is a keeper!

I first met Brat Farrar in the 1980's on the PBS Mystery! television show. I was completely hooked by Josephine Tey's superbly suspensful story set in the beautiful English countryside complete with horses and touchingly real characters, but most of all by the young, handsome British actor, Mark Greenstreet who amazingly played a dual role to perfection. Alas, I never saw it again, and no video exists, so I bought the book, read it several times, then went on to read Josephine Tey's other stories. But Brat Farrar remains my favorite. The book is everything the dramatization was and more--except for Greenstreet. I strongly urge you to read this book, but if Brat Farrar ever comes on PBS again, DON'T MISS IT!!

Brat Farrar has been on my "Must Read" list for so long that I was almost hesitant to pick it up for fear it wouldn't live up to expectations. I shouldn't have worried. This is the kind of book you either read in one sitting or can't wait to get back to once you put it down. Tey weaves a wonderful web of characters and suspicion, turning the reader to face new possibilities in the plot like Brat might turn one of his horses. Brat is - without a doubt - an Ashby; all anyone has to do is look at him to know that. But is he the long-dead Patrick, heir to the Latchetts Estate? Arguing (delightfully) against his own better nature, Brat decides to pass himself off as the eldest son of the family only to suffer waves of guilt over his deception. Each member of the family and his or her reaction to Brat is so clearly drawn it's easy to see them jump off the page, especially Simon, Patrick's slightly younger twin who has just seen his inheritance handed to someone who may be an imposter. Tey mixes in clever little side stories which add flavor to the mystery not to mention a few clues before bringing it all to an almost perfect close. A few loose threads at the end are the only down note. What I enjoyed mostly was that unlike some other Tey mysteries which seem dated, this one has stood the test of time.

The story is seen from the viewpoint of its title character, Brat Farrar, a foundling who grew up in an orphanage somewhere in England, he ran away to sea, traveled around and lived in America for awhile. When the book begins, Brat has just returned to England, he is stopped by an aging actor while walking along a street. The actor has been struck by Brat's amazing resemblance to someone he knows, Simon Ashby, who is due on his 21st birthday to inherit the family estate, though Simon was not the original heir - it should have been his twin, Patrick, who apparently committed suicide when they were 13. The actor makes Brat a proposition, he is persuaded to pose as Patrick come back and claim the family fortune.

This was my first Josephine Tey mystery, and it kept me up late, I couldn't wait to find out what would happen. Originally published in 1949, this author was well known for writing great mysteries that did not follow formulas. Tey has chosen the British countryside and the world of horse breeding as the setting for this one, an enjoyable read, old-fashioned, British, with a country pastor and a character called Aunt Bee. Some things are perhaps predictable, for example I guessed pretty early on who Brat really was, but there were still plenty of other surprises along the way. This would have been a great Hitchcock film.