Bonjour, Miss Seeton

That seasoned sleuth with the sketchbook and umbrella, talented Miss Seeton (Sweet Miss Seeton, 1996, etc.) returns in another village mystery. The Kentish hamlet of Plummergen is home to a variety of eccentric characters, among them Miss Erica Nuttel and her housemate, Mrs. Norah Blaine. When Miss Seeton is invited to accompany the local schoolchildren on a day trip to France, she meets a French count, widower Jean-Louis de Balivernes. Jean-Louis, an old war acquaintance of Plummergen's local squire, Sir George Colveden, brings his daughter, Louise, for a visit to the village, and romance may be in the air for Miss Seeton. Meanwhile, Mr. Folland, a traveling children's charity representative, is culling pledges from the locals in support of a bulldozer race taking place at the site of the Channel Tunnel excavation, where Plummergen will face off against rival village Murreystone. Amidst all this excitement, Miss Nuttel discovers a body in her kitchen, which may be related to the visit of Norah's niece, Ada Noble. Crane does an admirable job of weaving together all the threads as Miss Seeton, sketchbook in hand, witnesses an explosive conclusion. Depth of description and lively characters bring this English village to life in another success for the pseudonymous Crane. (Oct.) FYI: Crane, really Sarah J. Mason, is the third author to write this series, which was begun by Heron Carvic, who died in 1980.