The Tale of Castle Cottage: The Cottage Tales of Beatrix Potter

Set in 1913, Albert's delightful eighth Beatrix Potter cozy (after 2010's The Tale of Oat Cake Crag) smoothly blends fact and fiction. Beatrix is struggling to finish The Tale of Pigling Bland while overseeing the reconstruction of Castle Farm, her new property that she hopes to share with her fianc%C3%A9, lawyer Will Heelis, when and if they are married, a prospect her parents accept only grudgingly. Meanwhile, the residents of Near Sawrey start missing things, from food to heirlooms, and the body of a construction worker on Castle Farm is found hanging in a shed. Beatrix and Will become involved in the subsequent investigation into the various mysteries in a tale that charmingly brings to life the people and animals of England's Lake District a century ago. (Sept.)