Stealing Lumby [Mass Market Paperback]

Gail Fraser (Author)

Book Description

Series: Lumby | Publication Date: September 4, 2007

Just a dot on the map of the northwest, Lumby looms big in the hearts of its residents. The townsfolk consider each other 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.

Lumby is thrown into the spotlight when one of the most important paintings of the twentieth century, The Barns of Lumby, is stolen. 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 actual barns disappears overnight from the rural landscape-and pieces of it begin showing up in the strangest places.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

The second installment in a series set in the bucolic Pacific Northwest town of Lumby picks up where The Lumby Lines left off, with Pam Walker bemused by husband Mark's horticultural foibles and attempts at animal husbandry as the two struggle to turn a profit at their new inn. But when the painting The Barns of Lumby by the esteemed Dana Porter is stolen, the quiet town suddenly finds itself in the media spotlight. A slew of journalists descend and shake things up for everyone, especially young widow Katie Banks, the owner of the barns depicted in the painting. Katie is suspicious of journalists, but in spite of her skepticism, Katie is drawn into a romance with Adam Massey, a journalist who is also writing a biography of Dana. Other subplots include a monastery that makes a popular gourmet rum sauce and the sinister maneuverings of Norris Fiddler, the New York–based media conglomerate CEO owner of the stolen painting. There's a gee- whiz, gosh-darn-it quality to the writing that lends an unrushed, meandering feel to the narrative as evildoers are dispatched and equilibrium is restored. Fraser's story is pleasantly easy reading and as smalltown cozy as they come. (Sept.)
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From Booklist

This is the second in a series set in Lumby, a small, eccentric town somewhere in the Northwest, where everyone knows one another and crime is practically nonexistent. So when a famous and very valuable 50-year-old painting of two local barns is stolen en route from New York City to the British Museum, the townsfolk are in an uproar as the media descend on Lumby, digging up whatever information they can about the artist and his stay in their humble town years ago. Fraser juggles a multitude of plots—including the budding romance between a reporter and the owner of the famous barns, the hostile takeover of the rum-sauce business owned by the beloved local monks, and the sudden and mysterious disappearance of one of the barns, right down to the last barn board. In the tradition of Jan Karon's Mitford series, this engaging inside look at small-town life will draw a bevy of fans to its old-fashioned story combining a bit of romance, a bit of mystery, and a multitude of quirky and endearing characters. Donovan, Deborah

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 18 and up
  
• Mass Market Paperback: 329 pages
• Publisher: NAL Trade (September 4, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0451222083
• ISBN-13: 978-0451222084
• Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 5.6 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (19 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #333,742 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Prior to changing her life and becoming a novelist in 2004, Gail had a long and successful career in 'corporate America' holding senior executive and upper management positions in several Fortune 500 and start-up corporations. During her career, in addition to living throughout the United States, Gail traveled to 22 countries and had extended stays in Australia, Japan, Brazil and several countries in Europe.

Gail was born and raised in Rye, New York, and attended the Rye High School and then majored in English and received an AA from Colby Sawyer College. After graduating, Gail studied at the University of London and returned to Skidmore College where she earned her BA in English Education. She completed her MBA at the University of Connecticut, with graduate work done at Harvard University.

Gail and her husband, nationally renowned folk artist Art Poulin (www.lazygoosestudios.com), have built their own 'Lumby' at Lazy Goose Farm in rural upstate New York. Featured in several magazines, newspapers and on television, Lazy Goose is a 40-acre gentleman's farm that is demarcated by a 200-year old stone wall, and has views of the Catskills, Adirondack and Vermont mountains. Gail is also an avid stoneware potter, an heirloom gardener and a cook and enjoys tending to their orchard and bee hives most every morning.

Gail and Art's story and respective talents are featured in their first collaborative effort, a non-fiction illustrated hardcover entitled "Finding Happiness in Simplicity: Everyday Joys for Simple Living Throughout the Year" (Globe Pequot 3/2012).

Please visit her at www.lumbybooks.com
www.findingsimplicitybooks.com
www.lazygoosestudios.com
www.lazygooseretreat.com

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

17 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Gail Fraser has done it again!, November 5, 2007

By 

dbh62 "dbh62" - See all my reviews

This review is from: Stealing Lumby (Mass Market Paperback)

This was such a delightful book, so I hope my review will help others to find this gem. (I'm one of the many guilty of writing reviews only when I feel very strongly that it is good or bad.) The 2nd book in the Lumby series is as good as the first. It's so nice to fall into a book where you already know many of the characters, but this book also works well as a standalone. I can't add too much to the plot summary given by the professional reviewers without spoiling the fun except to say that in addition to the saga of the stolen painting, the monks are caught up in business angst while growing the new sauce business.

This book has it all for those looking for a cozy read--interesting characters that you will care about along with a great plot--and will leave you wanting more. The daily sheriff's log is published in the local newspaper, and those sections are laugh-out-loud funny. Other sections are very serious. Highly recommended for those who can't get enough of Jan Karon, Fannie Flagg, Adriana Trigiani, and Louise Shaffer and those looking for a charming place to escape from the crazy schedules we all keep these days. This book is very spiritual but not religious or preachy, so it works well for most religions. Gail Fraser is very clever with her plots, so I look forward to seeing what she will come up with next. I really wish I was catching up on this series instead of being ahead of the curve on this series because I'm ready for more but will look forward to installment #3 in January of '08.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Loveable Lumby, October 5, 2007

By 

Miss Julia Wannabe, HPNC "Miss Julia Wannabe" (North Carolina) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Stealing Lumby (Mass Market Paperback)

I read Stealing Lumby first.......now I have ordered the first Lumby book and look forward to more! What a great read! Wish these folks were my neighbors!!

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Nice cozy read, June 9, 2008

By 

E. Robinson (Pittsburgh, PA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Stealing Lumby (Paperback)

Was hoping to find a Jan Karon "Mitford" type of story and The Lumby series isn't as good, but they are a nice cozy read.