Aunt Dimity Goes West, the 13th in the Aunt Dimity series, finds Lori Shepherd struggling to recover her strength and her peace of mind after she was almost killed in the last Aunt Dimity adventure, Aunt Dimity and the Deep Blue Sea. Her constant nightmeres and precarious moods have her lawyer husband, Bill, and twin five-year olds walking on eggshells. When Bill suggests that the group -- Lori, the twins, and their nanny -- leave England for the American West, Lori jumps at the chance for a new environment.
The Aerie
Lori and her entourage's new Colorado home is far from the shack that she imagined. It's a spectacular mountaintop vacation home, complete with a library and a huge kitchen. The estate, built over an abandoned mine, is just outside of the small town of Bluebell, a town whose inhabitants are remarkably similar to the townspeople in Lori's English village of Finch.
No sooner does Lori arrive in Colorado, however, than she starts hearing stories about ghosts and a curse on the property -- something to do with the abandoned mine and an accident that happened over 100 years ago. When she learns that the owner's wife left in a rush several months ago and refuses to go near their beautiful home, Lori decides to investigate. She is hampered by the charming, but inscrupable caretaker, who seems to know much more than he is telling.
Aunt Dimity Goes West is a fun, light-hearted read, with likeable characters. Fans or the series will enjoy the change of scenery and the cameos by favorite characters from previous books. New readers will enjoy the tightly-written prose and fast pace as well as getting acquainted with this series' charming protagonist.
About Aunt Dimity
Aunt Dimity was a childhood friend of Lori's mother. She was an Englishwoman, who, when she died left Lori a cottage and a curious way of comminicating with her -- even beyond the grave. Far from being sinister, Dimity is a true confidante and companion. The reader becomes acquainted with her in the first book in this series and she is a constant throughout.
About Nancy Atherton
Nancy Atherton is the author of 13 Aunt Dimity mysteries, the first of which, Aunt Dimity's Death, was voted one of the century's top 100 favorite mysteries by the Independent Mystery Bookseller's association. Unlike her fictional counterpart, Ms. Atherton is American and lives in Colorado Springs.
Other Cozy Reviews
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- Silenced by Syrah by Michele Scott
- Ground to a Halt by Claudia Bishop
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