The Lost Child of Lychford

Revisiting a sleepy English town where many strange things take place, Cornell spins an entertaining and suspenseful holiday tale—the literary equivalent of a Christmas-special episode of a TV show—for fans of The Witches of Lychford. Rev. Lizzie Blackmore, the vicar of Lychford’s church, has recently been granted the second sight, so she’s only somewhat surprised to encounter a strange child who may be a ghost. Something appears to be disturbing the delicately maintained border between Lychford and the fairy world. It is up to Lizzie and her fellow witches to puzzle out the mystery and stop a myriad of forces from converging and destroying Lychford and the boundaries of the many worlds that surround it. Cornell weaves together a fast-paced story and engrossing character studies; he paints a setting of a gloomy English countryside, disarming his readers with magic and danger that lurks unseen. Beneath the suspense lies wry humor that buoys the tale along. Readers will enjoy the return to Lychford as Cornell uncovers more of its secrets, and newcomers will be inspired to seek out the first book. (Nov.)