Threading the Needle

The uninspired fourth installment of the Cobbled Court series introduces newcomers Tessa Woodruff and Madelyn Beecher to the sleepy town of New Bern, Conn. The two women lived in the town as childhood best friends until Tessa dumped Madelyn as her friend at the age of 12 for not being cool enough. Forty-three years later, Tessa moves back with her husband to pursue their dream of being farmers and opening an herbal gift shop. Madelyn returns after her wealthy husband is jailed for running a Ponzi Scheme, leaving her with nothing but the deed to her dead grandmother's New Bern house. They rekindle their friendship as Madelyn begins to remodel her inheritance into a bed and breakfast and Tessa struggles through a poor economy. While the plot is thin and the protagonists are uncomplicatedly moral folks, Bostwick remains true to the formula that has created her following%E2%80%94fill a quaint town with good, warm people who are always happy to help each other out. (June)