Peace is threatened again on the Lickey

This is the third and last of the Pentecost books (after The Song of Pentecost and Pentecost and the Chosen One).

It's winter. At Earlswood lake, the only recently orphaned Otter decides to leave his home for ever. Following what he believes is his Lucky Star, he settles in the pond at the foot of The One Hundred Steps, just below Lickey-Top. But the pond belongs to Owl, and when Pentecost and Fox, thinking Otter won't stay, come to greet him, he challenges them.

For Pentecost, this is another chance to prove he's a hero by saving his family from the eviction Owl is threatening them with, if he manages to fulfill Otter's outrageous conditions and rescue Otter's hostage, the always grumbling Uncle. But as always, the Cockle-Snorkle is here to "play both ends against the middle".

Like the first two books, this is again a real nice animal story with some funny passages. As an adult, I was slightly annoyed by the many moralizing bits, but I would recommend it to all children.

6/10