Dearest Dorothy, Merry Everything!

Partonville, the beloved "circle-the-square town in the northern part of southern Illinois," is back in book five of Baumbich's enjoyable series. As Christmas approaches, Katie Durbin's plans to create a minimall in the town square are threatened by some mutinous citizens, and 88-year-old Dorothy Jean Wetstra will need all of her shrewd diplomacy and powerful prayers to "The Big Guy" to win them all over. Meanwhile, the town is in a dither because of the untimely accidental death of one of its leading residents. This installment features a sweet 60-something romance, a promising subplot about Dorothy's attorney son Jacob,and the usual dose of good humor and funny happenings. Despite some recurring technical problems with abrupt shifts in point of view, Baumbich's writing shows that she knows—and still loves—smalltown people. (Nov.)