Nancy Atherton

Lori Shepherd's life has been going through a series of rough patches lately: trying to survive on temp job after temp job, moving from one low cost apartment in a seedy neighborhood to another, and coping with the recent death of her Mother and the guilt she feels for not being there before she passed away. The one thing she clings to are the stories her Mother told her about Aunt Dimity, a fictitious British woman, very ordinary in every way, but who could make an adventure out of show more anything, like going to Harrod's to buy a flashlight. They always seem to lighten her mood when she thinks of them.

When she arrives at her empty apartment one night, she finds an envelope from the Boston law firm of Willis & Willis stating that Aunt Dimity passed away and mentioned her in her will. The letter also requests that she drop by their office as soon as possible to discuss the next steps. Still trying to comprehend that Aunt Dimity was a real person rather than a figment of her Mother's imaginative stories, Lori gives in to her curiosity and sets off on an adventure to a tiny cottage in England where Dimity's ghost can't find eternal rest until Lori uncovers the story of what happened to Dimity's great love during WWII.

"Aunt Dimity's Death" was a very charming little mystery. No dead bodies piling up, no poisonings or stabbings or murders of any kind -- which is more in line with my tastes in reading, but I found myself so caught up in the tale that I couldn't put it down. Aunt Dimity proves a wonderful spirit guide to keep Lori on track, nudging her in the right direction when she needs it and reminding her of what's important in her life. She also shows Lori that the past isn't always quite as we remember it. Lori remembered the Dimity stories, but only what she wanted to remember. When she reads the actual stories, penned in Dimity's own hand, she realizes how much she pushed aside -- the same way she'd pushed aside aspects of her own life: family, love, work.

I loved the mixture of love story and mystery with a bit of humor and the supernatural thrown in to keep the tale fun and interesting. Definitely a great intro to the Aunt Dimity series, and I intend to read every single one. show less

I first read Aunt Dimity's Death some 10 or 15 years ago, and I loved it. I never continued with the series at the time, and, as I wanted to read the entirety of Nancy Atherton's heart-warming series, I've reread this book again to start myself off and refresh my memory.

I had completely forgotten how charming this modern-day fairy tale was! Downtrodden librarian Lori Shepherd is startled to discover that Aunt Dimity, who she'd always thought was an imaginary heroine in her mother's stories, show more actually lived -- or had lived until very recently. Lori is called upon by the terms of Dimity Westwood's will to accomplish a task. But, Lori discovers, the real task she needs to fulfill so that the dead can rest in peace is a very different one altogether. Along the way, Lori, with the help of a good-hearted and winsome young lawyer, solves more than one mystery. I can't wait to move on to the next book, Aunt Dimity and the Duke.

A warning for those experiencing Aunt Dimity's Death through the Audible Audio Edition: Reader Teri Clark Linden is the worst reader I've ever encountered -- with the exception of Joyce Bean, one of the readers of Carolyn Chute's Beans of Egypt, Maine. She isn't quite as robotic as the voice on my GPS or the voices on the cartoon-creation website Xtranormal.com, but she's close. Linden ruined the book so much that I had to finish the novel in the paperback format of Introducing Aunt Dimity, Paranormal Detective: The First Two Books in the Beloved Series. An earlier version of Aunt Dimity's Death on cassette with Christina Moore as the narrator is so, so much better! show less

I grabbed this because I like a good (or, for that matter, bad) cozy on a lazy rainy day, and since I was going to spend a week at a medieval re-enactment, a "cozier than thou cozy" about a renaissance fest seemed like the perfect thing to bring for a rained-out afternoon.

And that is when I read it! I liked it okay - the portrayal of the re-enactors was much better than I was expecting, the scene-setting was fun, the mystery plot didn't drag too badly - but then I got to the bit where the show more protagonist is sexually assaulted, and I had to put the book down and go out into the rain for a bit.

It's not even that it's badly done - her reaction, and the town's, is believable, especially the way she has an emotional breakdown, assumes it's due to being "childishly emotional" rather than "having just had to physically defend myself from sexual assault", and then decides to spend the next week worrying about her husband's reaction to the assault rather than her own, decides it was all because she wore a low-cut top, and agrees with everyone else in town that the apparently serial rapist is just a bit of a merry womanizer.

Like I said, totally 100% believable, but not at ALL what I find "cozy". (I was also less than comforted by the fact that she blames herself for the actual bad guy [not the rapist]'s mental breakdown, because she didn't realize he was flirting with her and therefore it was clearly all her fault he thought he was a failure and decided to attempt murder??)

It's kind of depressing when a book that is clearly about a woman, by a woman, and for women doesn't seem to have actually made up its mind on the question of whether women are people.

The cover's great, though. I agree with the other reviewers on that. show less

Aunt Dimity and the Widow’s Curse by Nancy Atherton is a 2017 Viking Books publication.

Another wonderful visit with Lori and the gang in the friendly, but gossipy, village of Finch!!

I know I’ve told this story before, but Aunt Dimity is a special series for me. It is the first ‘modern’ cozy series I ever read. I usually grabbed the darkest, most twisted mystery/suspense novels on the market, but I received an ‘Aunt Dimity’ book as a gift, and eventually, mostly out of pure, and show more quite skeptical, curiosity, I finally decided to give it a try.

I’ve been a cozy mystery fan ever since. This series still remains one of my favorites, and is always consistent, never losing its charm, even after twenty-two installments!

In this chapter, Lori’s elderly friend and champion quilter, Mrs. Craven, makes a startling confession to Lori, that has her very worried. Concerned, Lori and Bree, set off to Old Cowerton, looking for proof to back up Mrs. Craven’s claims, and will have you asking, ‘How well do I really know my neighbors?’

The author immediately puts me into a Cotswolds state of mind in the first chapter, reacquainting me with the village regulars, and reminding me of the quirky, but wonderful, homey, sense of community that Finch offers.

From there, we learn Bob and the boys are camping, which leaves Lori free to pursue her ‘case’ at Aunt Dimity’s urging.

For those of you, who follow this series, you know that these mysteries are not the traditional murder variety, and are usually more about the characters, but does indeed solve a mystery along the way. While, Lori’s amateur sleuthing skills are a bit unconventional, they eventually get the job done, with the help of 'Aunt Dimity'.

*It's not absolutely necessary to read the series from start to finish to enjoy the later installments. I've skipped around quite a bit myself, but I would check out a few older installments for background so you will understand the characters and setting more.

I especially enjoyed this installment, which calls attention selfless acts of kindness, which often pays off in ways we never thought possible. The characters Lori and Bree meet in Old Cowerton, were well drawn, and the plot is rich with deceptively benign details, that come together quite nicely.

There are some laugh out loud moments, some girl bonding, and a host of interesting characters to round out the puzzling mystery behind the seemingly angelic, Mrs. Craven. The story ends with a nice warm and fuzzy feeling, but, as always, I’m always sad to have to end my visit with these characters, all of whom feel like old family friends.

So, until next time… show less