Stealing Lumby by Gail Fraser

Synopsis from the back of the book:

Just a dot on the map of the Northwest, Lumby looms big in the hearts of its residents. The townsfolk consider one another family as well as friends. And though the annual cow race can bring out the competitiveness in people, when times get tough, there is no better person to turn to than your nearest neighbor...

Inn owners Pam and Mark Walker are up to their ears in new projects, including planting gum trees for their bees to produce rare honey and expanding their critter collection. But the big news of the day is the theft of The Barns of Lumby, one of the most important paintings of the twentieth century. Town matriarch Charlotte Ross has a very personal connection to the painting- and to the artist, Dana Porter. And as a media frenzy descends on the little town, one of the two actual barns disappears from the landscape- and pieces of it begin showing up all over town in the oddest places...

My thoughts:

The second book in the Lumby series features many of the same characters as the first. We get to know some of the supporting characters from the first book even more. Charlotte Ross is Lumby's much loved matriarch who we meet in The Lumby Lines but we really get to know her in Stealing Lumby. One of the main plot in Stealing Lumby has to do with a painting by artist Dana Porter called The Barns of Lumby. It is in this storyline that we get to know Charlotte while she reminisces about her youth.

We also meet Katie Banks, the current owner of the land on which the famed Barns of Lumby sit. Katie is Lumby's goat farmer that provides milk and cheese to the town. The townsfolk are fiercely protective of her, and she is pretty defensive herself. These two elements make for an interesting story.

We can't forget the monks of Saint Cross Abbey, the Walkers of Montis Inn and of course Hank each making their appearances in the story.

This is such a fun series, I can't wait to see what happens in the next installment. Someone commented in my review of The Lumby Lines that it sounds very cozy. I wholeheartedly agree with that statement. What a great way to spend a rainy or snowy day. Curl up with a blanket and your favorite warm beverage and spend some time with the townsfolk of Lumby. They will draw you in and keep you entertained.

Disclaimer: I received my copy of Stealing Lumby from the publicist in exchange for my honest review. Thank you Caitlin.