Review: "Aunt Dimity and the Summer King," by Nancy Atherton

Lori Shepherd and her dear departed, but ever-accessible, Aunt Dimity are back to solve another mystery in the not-so-bucolic English village of Finch.

Lori, a Yank transplant who inherited her cozy cottage from Dimity, has welcomed baby Bess to her family, which includes her husband, Bill Willis, and twins Will and Rob. Lori is besotted with her infant, but also wants to take off the extra pounds she put on during pregnancy. As part of her exercise regimen, Lori packs Bess into her pram, and heads off down a lonely old farm lane.

The route seems to have gone unused for years, and is thoroughly rutted. As Lori pushes on, a wheel falls off the carriage.

Before she can panic, an elderly gentleman arrives on the scene. He has a kindly aspect, and is wearing a crown made of grapevines. He introduces himself as Arthur Hargreaves, or “the Summer King,”  as his grandchildren have dubbed him. His home, Hillfont Abbey, is nearby.

Lori is charmed by his manners and the efficient way he fixes the pram. But when she returns home and tells her story, she is met with shock and awe—even from Aunt Dimity. It seems the Hargreaves have been at the center of a feud between Finch and the adjoining village of Tillcote, a tiff that has lasted for generations.

Since Lori has never heard this story before, and she has a sense of curiosity that never knows when to quit, she is determined to suss out the root of the feud. Meanwhile, however, she is also perturbed by the fact that three cottages in the village are vacant. Is a developer about to swoop down on them and destroy the quaint Cotswold village?

One of the cottages — “Pussywillows” — belongs to Amelia Thistle,who is set to marry Bill’s father. In town to celebrate are Willis Sr.’s harpy sisters, Charlotte and Honoria, who are intent on making life miserable for everyone but their brother.

Lori confides in Dimity, who communicates with her through a journal. Dimity’s questions and advice steer Lori in the right direction. All comes to a happy end — even the evil sisters get their comeuppance.

Atherton’s series -- this is the 21st installment -- strikes just the right note for cozy readers. Lori is feisty and often foolish. Although the crimes are gentle, they are suspenseful. Finch is not a perfect village, and has its fair share of unpleasant, annoying characters.

But readers can sink into the milieu that includes Lori’s honey-colored cottage, Stanley the cat, and Sally Cook’s tearoom, and that makes each visit to Finch a joy, and each adventure with Aunt Dimity a satisfying one.

Review: "Aunt Dimity and the Wishing " by Nancy Atherton

Why haven’t I visited the delightful Cotswold village of Finch until now?

Nancy Atherton’s 19th Aunt Dimity novel is a fun romp through one of my favorite regions of the world. I just can’t imagine why I, an avid mystery reader since age 9 (Nancy Drew), have overlooked this series.

In Aunt Dimity and the Wishing Well, I met Lori Shepherd, the narrator, her husband, Bill Willis, and their twin sons, Will and Rob. The couple are Americans who have settled in the gorgeous area that extends through several counties in south-central England. The Cotswolds is noted for the warm, golden stone that has been used to construct many of its buildings. Narrow roads weave through charming villages and past stately homes. I remember with fondness a cream tea I enjoyed on one sunny autumn day in the Cotswolds.

The residents of Finch are having a more typical English day as the book opens—it is raining. Most of them are attending the funeral of Hector Huggins, a villager who, as the Brits themselves would say, “kept himself to himself.” He had no close friends or, as far as anyone knew, any relatives.

But before the service is over, Jack MacBride, a handsome, cheerful Aussie, arrives and announces that he is Hector’s nephew. Jack has come to Finch to put his uncle’s estate into order.

The women of Finch are agog. Jack is a an affable hunk. Perhaps even more importantly, they will have a chance to finally see inside Ivy Cottage, Hector’s home. It is protected by an iron gate, and he never invited anyone in.

Lori, who loves to be in the know about everything that happens in the village, offers to help Jack clean out his uncle’s possessions and garden. She brings along Bree Pym, a native New Zealander. Bree has a Kiwi’s distrust of the man from Oz, but he’s impossible to dislike. His use of Australian slang is a delight: “Aldous Winterbottom tells me the electric’s still on and the phone’s still on, so I should be snug as a tick on a sheep’s backside.”

As the three take a look around the garden, they discover an old well. They clear away the weeds to find a plaque affixed to it: “Speak and Your Wish Shall be Granted.”

The trio is delighted, and, for fun, Lori shouts into the well, “Make it stop raining.”

The next day, the sun comes out.

Word of the wishing well spreads quickly through the village, and soon the overgrown path to the magic spot is flattened down. Some villagers sneak in at night. Jack can’t stop the influx, because wishes are coming true!

Elspeth Binney’s niece gets a commission to photograph the village for an upcoming book on the Cotswolds. Mr. Barlow gets to work on a Jaguar XE. Teashop owner Sally Pyne is visited by a cooking magazine editor, who promises to put her on the cover of his magazine.

It’s not long, though, before one villager’s wish becomes another’s curse. What will the farmers do without rain? Peggy Taxman surely can’t be outdone by her baker tenant. Lori hurts herself because Mr. Barlow is too busy fixing luxury cars to complete the carpentry work he promised to do.

Besides, no one really believes in magic. Who’s working the strings behind the screen?

The villagers’ frustrations come to a head in a riotous fight between Peggy and Sally. But with Aunt Dimity’s help, the truth behind the magic well is revealed.

And just who is Aunt Dimity? She’s a family friend who left Lori a fortune, a cottage and a blank journal. Through this little blue book, the wise and redoubtable Dimity advises Lori, and lets her reflect upon her concerns.

There’s nothing like a cozy village mystery to brighten a dreary day, especially one set in the golden lanes of the Cotswolds. I’m glad to have found a new favorite. Now, I’m off to read number one in the series, Aunt Dimity’s Death. I’ve got some catching up to do.