Aunt Dimity's Death

In the midst of radiation therapy, I needed a book that was an easy read, that was soothing, that was kind. I thought Aunt Dimity's Death might well suit. This mystery was perfect, a cup of hot tea on a rainy day. As a bonus, the ruminations on life and grief were perfect three months after I lost my mother, my best friend.

The book was a gentle look at longstanding friendship and newfound friends. The mystery was secondary to the story of people in a new situation. Still, the author played fair with all the facts available to the reader as soon as they are to the characters. In short, this book was a balm to my mind.

Highly recommended for fans of cozy mysteries. I've already gotten the next book in the series. ( )

Loved this first installment in the Aunt Dimity series. ( )

Atherton, Nancy. Aunt Dimity’s Death. Aunt Dimity Mystery No. 1. Penguin, 1992.
I ran into the Aunt Dimity series when I was looking through a list of recommended Cozy mysteries. The series now runs to 20 volumes with a major publisher. This first number gives some hints at what may have made the rest of the series successful. It has a likable, somewhat complicated, first-person heroine. It mashes up comfortable locales with just enough local color to be believable. It also mashes up genres—a little mystery, a little ghost story, a little romance. Aunt Dimity’s ghost answers questions when she feels so inclined by making writing appear on blank pages of a journal, Aunt Dimity, herself, is perhaps the weakest element of the mix. The angst the story says she felt does not come through in her voice which is given to us only in her postmortem journal and tales other characters recount about her. I have no idea how the series will continue, but it evidently has, and I will probably read one or two more to see how Atherton gets out of the corner into which she has painted herself. 3.5 stars. ( )

When I was 16 I LOVED this book. Then I reread it. When I was 20. And learned that the author had faded out in spots on purpose. So it is clever. Delightful. If you can tear out a couple of pages, it would be perfect. ( )

Aunt Dimity of childhood stories is real person and Lori must solve mystery of her haunting cottage, guilt for death of her fiancé in WWII, inherits and finds true love herself. Very cozy, not really a detective story per se.