Bestseller Ross's enticing 21st mystery set in the small North Carolina town of Abbotsville (after 2019's Miss Julia Takes the Wheel) finds Miss Julia Murdoch's next-door neighbor, Mildred Allen, dealing with the declining mental faculties of her husband, Horace; the self-imposed estrangement of her daughter, Tonya, who until recently was her son, Tony; and the sudden appearance of an unknown grandchild. Naturally, Mildred turns to her friend Miss Julia for advice. Though Miss Julia has been trying lately to be less of a busybody, she can't resist lending a hand, and it doesn't take her long to realize that something about Mildred's grandchild is more than a little suspicious. Meanwhile, Miss Julia sees what she can do to help Etta Mae Wiggins, who's in danger of losing her Handy Home Helper job. Miss Julia, who has vowed to be less judgmental and opinionated, decides in the end that maybe her meddling is warranted. Never mind the minimal crime element. This amusing tale will please cozy fans. Agent: Deborah Schneider, Gelfman Schneider Literary. (Apr.)

Ever helpful, Miss Julia steps in when a grandchild her friend Mildred has never met suddenly arrives in town, even as Mildred deals with her husband's mysterious illness. But there's just something so odd about this child. Next in a long-standing, New York Times best-selling series.

A chronic meddler meddles some more in the business and personal lives of friends. No lessons are learned. Reflecting on her life, Miss Julia Murdoch thinks the time has come for her to set her pride aside, judge less, and learn to live and let live instead of trying to tweak the world around her to become the best version of itself. But like a police officer called back to one last case, Miss Julia's got a thing or two to do before she gives up her meddling ways--or, as she thinks of it, doing the Lord's work in everyone's best interest. First off is helping neighbor Mildred Allen, who has her hands full of her husband Horace's memory problems, which are a real burden for Mildred, as she likes to remind people. Mildred's estranged daughter, Tonya, has sent her a young girl whom Tonya apparently adopted and abandoned, a bit like a care package but more like an I-don't-care package. Mildred generously allows the girl, whom Tonya calls Penelope, to act as a nursemaid to Horace during the times she isn't being watched by Miss Julia and Lillian, her household help. Miss Julia and Lillian are on the verge of getting Penelope to open up when she informs them that her name isn't Penelope but Alicia. Just imagine! In addition to getting Mildred to bond with the girl, Miss Julia's also determined to help poor Etta Mae Wiggins, the best certified nursing assistant at the Handy Home Helpers. When Etta Mae finds out that her boss, Lurline Corn, may be ready to clean house and sell the business, she's beyond worried, but Miss Julia has a plan or five up her sleeve to make sure Etta Mae comes out on top. As fast, feisty, and full of personality as its heroine. Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

Thirty years after New York Times best-selling author Ross debuted her beloved series (in Miss Julia Speaks Her Mind, 1999), Miss Julia continues to, well, speak her mind in the charming latest installment. Miss Julia Murdoch has made a promise to herself: she's getting out of the "knowing-what's-best business" and letting people fend for themselves. But what is she to do when her next-door neighbor has family drama that is more than one person can handle on her own? Or when she finds out dear Etta Mae is facing potential unemployment? Miss Julia can't just stand idly by! Soon she is caught up in helping her friends overcome their obstacles, proving that when it comes to friendship, Miss Julia knows a thing or two. Written with Ross's signature Southern charm and wit, the newest Miss Julia will delight long-time fans of the series and will entice new readers to get to know her. Perfect as a standalone, this is definitely one to have on libraries' contemporary-fiction shelves.