One bite of a magical golden apple holds the key to a Scottish town's renewal and may grant the heart's desire for three lucky American women, provided they take a leap of faith in this enchanting tale from Tuttle (The Mysteries
). In the coastal village of Appleton, Ashley Kaldis, who's recently lost her parents, traces her grandmother's roots; Kathleen Mullaroy works as librarian of the local (haunted) library; and Eleanor "Nell" Westray, a grieving young widow, cultivates a rare Scarlet King apple tree that produces the once-in-a-lifetime Golden Queen apple. This is the same apple that the oddly ageless Roan Wall, the town's recently returned prodigal son, was supposed to share some 50 years earlier with the then Apple Queen, who instead ran away to America, insuring Appleton's decline. Full of delightful characters, engagingly fey imagery and well-researched Celtic lore, this superior fantasy provides a juicy denouement fit for a queen. (Apr.)
