Aunt Dimity: Detective (Aunt Dimity Series #7)

by Nancy Atherton

Overview

The delightful seventh installment of the bestselling and beloved Aunt Dimity series. Watch out for Nancy Atherton's latest, Aunt Dimity and the King's Ransom, coming in July 2018 from Viking!

When Lori Shepherd returns from her trip to America, she is shocked to hear that Prunella "Pruneface" Hooper has been killed. This is the first murder in the village of Finch in more than a century, and everyone is in an uproar. Before the town implodes in the wake of this scandal, Lori sets out to solve the murder. Unfortunately, nearly everyone in Finch had a reason to want Mrs. Hooper dead. With the help of the ghostly Aunt Dimity and Nicholas, the enigmatic (and charming!) self-defense instructor, Lori aligns motive, means, and opportunity to unravel this delightfully tangled and gossip-filled whodunnit.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781440627460
Publisher:	Penguin Publishing Group
Publication date:	01/28/2003
Series:	Aunt Dimity Series , #7
Sold by:	Penguin Group
Format:	eBook
Pages:	240
Sales rank:	296,889
File size:	221 KB
Age Range:	18 Years

About the Author

Nancy Atherton is the author of six Aunt Dimity novels: Aunt Dimity’s Death, Aunt Dimity and the Duke, Aunt Dimity’s Good Deed, Aunt Dimity Digs In, Aunt Dimity’s Christmas, and Aunt Dimity Beats the Devil (all available from Penguin). She lives next to a cornfield in central Illinois.

Editorial Reviews

Mystery lovers' favorite ghost discovers secrets, scandals, and resurrected family feuds when the nasty murder of busybody Prunella "Pruneface" Hooper disrupts the idyllic English village of Finch.

bn.com

For an American, Atherton nicely captures the British cozy spirit, but her ghostly gimmick is not for every taste. In her seventh appearance (after 2000's Aunt Dimity Meets the Devil), Lori Shepherd, her husband and two-year-old twins have returned home to a cold, rainy English April after a three-month family visit to the U.S. to find that there has been a murder in Finch, their idyllic Cotswold village. Prunella Hooper "Pruneface" to most villagers was found dead of a blow to the head in her home, Crabtree Cottage. Given her malicious nature, the residents of Finch aren't surprised by her death; in fact, they seem relieved and yet are strangely reticent to come forward with any information. The list of suspects seems endless. So, with the aid of the Pym sisters' gingerbread cookies (a recipe for which is provided at book's end) and the sage advice of phantom counselor Aunt Dimity, who appears to Lori supernaturally on the blank pages of a journal, Lori and the vicar's nephew, Nicholas, begin a quest to unearth the truth behind the murder. In the process, they uncover a multitude of village secrets, including a few pertaining to themselves. With eccentric village characters, a tightly woven, well-executed plot and a spunky heroine, Atherton has created a cozy as spicy and zestful as the Pym sisters' gingerbread. Series fans are sure to be pleased. For some, however, the fantasy of Aunt Dimity is like the edible gold leaf on the cookies a nice touch if you like it, but it would taste better plain. 5-city author tour. (Oct. 1) Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information.

Publishers Weekly

A newcomer to town quickly shows herself to be hateful, spiteful, and malicious, so her subsequent murder involves numerous suspects. Lori and her ghostly aunt investigate. A comfortable addition to the popular and enchanting "Aunt Dimity" series. Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information.

Library Journal

Praise for Nancy Atherton and the Aunt Dimity series

"Atherton smoothly blends history, village life, and the otherworldly."—Publishers Weekly

"Every scene is superbly crafted to perfection. Even if you have not read all the books in this series, I have not, you can enjoy and immerse yourself in this cozy mystery.” —Open Book Society

"I love the graceful style... the sense of tight-knit community, characters who aren’t afraid to be themselves, and, the unique paranormal element...I only wish I had learned about this series earlier." —Gotta Write Network

"In the realm of the cozy mystery, there are few series that can hold a candle to Atherton's Aunt Dimity series." —everydayebook.com
 
"Atherton is a superb writer who brings a lot of charm and wit to her story." —Suspense Magazine

"Always a charming read, the Aunt Dimity series is just right for when life gets too hectic and you need to slow down a bit." —Deadly Pleasures Magazine

"Let Nancy Atherton and Aunt Dimity remind you of the reason you got hooked on books in the first place. I promise you will be scouring bookstores for more of the series after you give it a taste." —CrimeCritics.com

From the Publisher