In this third Cottage Tales mystery, Beatrix Potter is back home at her beloved Hill Top Farm. Unfortunately, unwanted guests abound. She finds her attic overrun by rats after Rosabelle, the resident rat, has proved a bit too hospitable to any rat in need. The village vicar, too, has his hands full with a distant cousin who seems to have become firmly ensconced in the vicar’s guest quarters and has no plans to leave.

Unwanted visitors, however, are not the worst of it. It seems that a Mr. Richardson and his syndicate plan on building villas along the pristine shoreline of Lake Windermere—the thought of which has village residents up in arms. Major Kittredge, the owner of Raven Hall, upon whose land the villas will sit, is in favor of the development—with the encouragement of his beautiful new bride, an actress.

Beatrix, with her keen memory and powers of observation, soon realizes that Mrs. Kittredge and Mr. Richardson are in league with one another.

The Tale of Cuckoo Brow Wood is elegantly written, filled with atmospheric and intimate descriptions of village life. Susan Wittig Albert does an extraordinary job of blending fact and fiction to create a wholly beguiling world—one filled with fairies, talking animals, deception, betrayal, blackmail, and, of course, justice.

For fans of Beatrix Potter, this is a definite must-read.

Ms. Albert thoughtfully appends a five-page historical note, a list of resources, a glossary, and best of all, "Recipes from the Land between the Lakes." Highly recommended. District-wide purchase strongly encouraged.

Reviewed by K.J. Wagner
©2006 Education Oasis  http://www.educationoasis.com