cover image A Piggly Wiggly Christmas

A Piggly Wiggly Christmas

Robert Dalby, Putnam, $24.95 (272p) ISBN 978-0-399-15677-9

Dalby returns to Second Creek, Miss., for a reliably charming Christmas. Mayor "Choppy" Hale Dunbar and his new wife, Gaylie Girl, team up with the local wealthy ladies' club, the Nitwitts, to plan a celebration for Second Creek that will revitalize the town square and bring tourism back, but an electrical fire severely damages the square and threatens to derail the festivities and the town's Christmas. In the meantime, Gaylie's son, Petey, falls in love with the daughter of formidable Nitwitt Renza Belford. Will the tensions be too much for the holiday season? And will the Nitwitts manage to save Christmas for Second Creek? The outcome, of course, is never in doubt, but series fans will find what they're accustomed to: a colorful cast, quirky plot, and heaping helpings of down-home goodness. (Nov.)