Following Lori Shepherd’s whirlwind tour of New Zealand in the last Aunt Dimity book, Nancy Atherton brings her back to Finch to solve a local mystery in Aunt Dimity and the Family Tree (2011).
Lori’s father-in-law, Willis, Sr. (not to be confused with her husband, Bill), has completed renovations on an old dump, now showplace, near her Cotswolds cottage, and the book begins with his fabulous housewarming party, which goes off without a hitch only because the women of the village save the day.
Late that night, Deirdre and Declan Donovan arrive for their interviews, and Willis, Sr. hires them to be his servants. The Donovans seem just a little too good to be true, though, and Lori is suspicious of their motives when old family items disappear, furniture is moved around, and strange sounds go bump in the night. Are they out to rob Willis, Sr.?
To complicate matters, Aunt Dimity’s ghost has come up with a plan for Sally Pyne, she of the village tearoom, to save face with the townspeople while meeting up with her Mexican love, which involves Willis, Sr. masquerading as “Lady Sarah”‘s American cousin while entertaining the good senor.
The Aunt Dimity series is quirky, lovable, and sometimes predictable, but it’s in a good way that you always know what you’ll get: a charming cozy in which everything turns out well in the end.
Before I left for London I checked to see what was playing at the theaters and found out that two mysteries are opening soon — “The Secret of Sherlock Holmes” and “Deathtrap” — but too late for me. Of course the most famous mystery in London theater history is Agatha Christie’s “Mousetrap,” but I saw it recently at our community theater and wanted to try something new.
