The Promise of Lumby by Gail Fraser

Title:  The Promise of Lumby
Author:  Gail Fraser
Publisher:  New American Library
Publication Date:  July 2009
Format:  Paperback, 480 pages
Age Group:  Adult
Series:  Lumby (Book 4)

The town of Lumby needs a new veterinarian when Dr. Ellen Campbell decides to retire and sell her practice.  Tom Candor seems to be the perfect man for the job but when secrets from his past are discovered, will the residents of Lumby be able to forgive him and move on?  Meanwhile, over at Montis Inn, Pam Walker is struggling to keep up with business in her restaurant and her husband Mark has discovered the treasures to be had through online auctions.  The monks of Saint Cross also have their hands full with unexpected gifts and a most unusual proposal from another religious order.

Reading another book in the Lumby series now feels like returning to visit old friends.  The adventures at Montis Inn and Saint Cross never fail to delight me while also giving me something to contemplate.  The main story in The Promise of Lumby though is that of Thomas Candor, a man seeking to forget his past.  Fraser actually begins her story not in Lumby but with Tom as events unfold in a way that destroys his marriage and potentially his career.  This was a great way to reveal information central to the story but that the majority of the characters would not discover until much later in the book.  Revealing this information at the beginning helps to understand Tom, what he is seeking from Lumby, and why he reacts to things the way he does.

The one flaw that I found with this Lumby book was how quickly the town initially welcomed Tom.  Yes, they desperately needed a veterinarian to replace Ellen but in every book there have been comments about how Lumby doesn't like outsiders.  This was certainly demonstrated in the reservations the town displayed when Pam and Mark Walker began renovating Montis Inn.  On the other hand, Tom seemed to have the trust of the town before it was earned.  Only one person seemed to proceed with caution as Dennis Beezer's reporter instincts told him that Tom was hiding something.  The quick acceptance seemed a little out of character for the town.

Overall, this was another fun Lumby tale and I'm glad that I discovered this series.  At this point I only have one book left to read and review - Lumby on the Air - and then I'll have to wait for the next book to come out.

I borrowed The Promise of Lumby from my local library and there was no expectation of a review from anyone.

Here are the links to my reviews of the other books in this series:

The Lumby Lines
Stealing Lumby
Lumby's Bounty


Note: All opinions provided on this blog are my own. If a product was given to me for review, the source of that product is noted in the post. Links to Amazon.com are affiliate links and I do earn a small percentage for each item purchased through those links. Any other referral or associate links will be noted within the post.