Children's author Beatrix Potter bought her farm in the beautiful Lake District of England primarily for the peace and quiet it could afford her as she worked on her famous series of books. But she finds that life is anything but quiet in the lively villages of Near and Far Sawry as gossip, crisis, and general mayhem disrupt her springtime visit.

In THE TALE OF OAT CAKE CRAG, the seventh book in The Cottage Tales of Beatrix Potter series, author Susan Wittig Albert gives readers another charming look into the life of the famed author/illustrator of the 1900's in a part fictional/part historical accounting.

The villages are in an uproar over a new experimental hydro- plane which is being tested nearby; stirring up confusion and chaos as it skims along the lakes. When the primary investor in the plane's development is found gravely injured at the bottom of Oat Cake Crag, suspicions begin to fly as to who might have caused the stout gentleman harm. Meanwhile love is in the air, with several of Beatrix's acquaintances becoming engaged or about to be married. Her good friend, Grace, is about to marry the village vicar, but has been receiving distressing "poison pen" letters warning her to call off the wedding. Grace turns to Beatrix and her renowned skills at ferreting out a mystery to help her discover the identity of the letter writer.

As Beatrix helps her friends in the village with their problems, she is dealing with a complex situation of her own. She and her dear friend, Will Heelis, have been secretly engaged, but someone has let the cat of the bag and Beatrix's parents have been told the news. Now Beatrix must decide whether to pursue her own happiness or resort to returning to London to care for her elderly, cantankerous parents.

No Beatrix Potter tale would be complete without a story of the community of animals that Beatrix holds so dear. The badger colony, the village cats, Rascal the smart and brave dog, old wise Professor Owl, and a visiting dragon have their hands full with the disturbance of the hydro plane, and several other problems that only the animals can handle. They are as enchanting and endearing as ever.

Susan Albert employs the voice of a gentle narrator to guide readers through the delightful stories of Beatrix Potter and her life in these sweet Cottage Tales. Combining a gentle mystery with a bit of romance and a bit of humor gives this series the captivating Victorian feel that makes it unique among the cozy mystery genre of today.