Life and Otter Miracles by Hazel Prior

Otterly enthralling gentle novel

Having recently moved from Birmingham to Devon, Phoebe and her father, Al, are surprised to come across a baby otter which seems to be all alone. They take it to the local otter sanctuary and gradually begin to get to know the other otters and people there.

Meanwhile Al is getting to know the locals in his new job of delivering parcels, and Phoebe is coping with her chronic illness.

There are some mysterious goings on around the village, and Phoebe enjoys using her powers of deduction to resolve them, however one mystery is really worrying her as she gradually works through her list of suspects. Can she figure it out?

In amongst all this are wonderful experiences of otters, nature and friends. Plus the goings on of suspected villains.

At the beginning of each chapter are stunningly beautiful drawings of otters. The Acknowledgement section at the end hold some interesting information, so don’t skip that!

After a wonderful start, I did find the book ebbed a little for a few chapters in the middle, but then it quickly picked up my interest again and swam on to a fitting end.

Another wonderful novel from this author, where some characters from previous books make a welcome cameo appearance. There is so much to love and treasure in this story, mixed in with life’s realities too, which all goes to make this an otterly enthralling read.

Setting: Devon

Publisher: Transworld Publishers

Publication Date: 14 September 2023