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Introducing Aunt Dimity, Paranormal Detective: The First Two Books in the Beloved Series
An irresistible introduction to everyone's favorite bestselling cozy mystery series. Watch out for Nancy Atherton's latest, Aunt Dimity and the King's Ransom, coming in July 2018 from Viking! Over the course of her New York Times bestselling series, Nancy Atherton's Aunt Dimity has become enormously popular. Now, with the first two mysteries in one volume, Introducing Aunt Dimity, Paranormal Detective makes it easy to get a taste of the ghostly sleuth's delightful debut. In Aunt Dimity's Death, Aunt Dimity's American niece, Lori Shepherd, had long thought her mother's childhood tales of Aunt Dimity were merely comforting bedtime stories. But when a pair of lawyers informs her that her mysterious aunt has just died and made the down-on-her-luck Lori a rich woman, she finds a reason to believe. Aunt Dimity and the Duke finds the benevolent spirit helping Emma Porter--forty, fat, and frumpy--tame a Duke's overgrown garden and discover romance along the way. These two tales continue to enchant Atherton's devoted fans and, packaged together, are sure to attract even more new readers to the series.
460 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 25, 2009
52 people are currently reading
305 people want to read
About the author
Nancy Atherton
65 books1,185 followersNancy Atherton is not a white-haired Englishwoman with a softly wrinkled face, a wry smile, and wise gray eyes, nor does she live in a thatched cottage behind a babbling brook in a tranquil, rural corner of the Cotswolds.
She has never taken tea with a vicar (although she drank an Orange Squash with one once) and she doesn't plan to continue writing after her allotted time on earth (though such plans are, as well all know, subject to change without notice).
If you prefer to envision her as an Englishwoman, she urges you to cling to your illusions at all costs -- she treasures carefully nurtured illusions. She also urges you to read no further.
Because the truth is that Nancy Atherton is a dark-haired American with a generally unwrinkled face, a beaming smile, and hazel eyes, who lives in a plain house in Colorado Springs. She comes from a large, gregarious family (five brothers and two sisters!) and enjoys socializing as much as she enjoys solitude.
So if you are looking for her at a convention, don't look for a stately grande dame in a flowery dress. Look for a woman in jeans and sneakers who's bounding around like a hyperactive gerbil.
That'll be her. And she'd love to meet you.
Japanese: ナンシー アサートン
She has never taken tea with a vicar (although she drank an Orange Squash with one once) and she doesn't plan to continue writing after her allotted time on earth (though such plans are, as well all know, subject to change without notice).
If you prefer to envision her as an Englishwoman, she urges you to cling to your illusions at all costs -- she treasures carefully nurtured illusions. She also urges you to read no further.
Because the truth is that Nancy Atherton is a dark-haired American with a generally unwrinkled face, a beaming smile, and hazel eyes, who lives in a plain house in Colorado Springs. She comes from a large, gregarious family (five brothers and two sisters!) and enjoys socializing as much as she enjoys solitude.
So if you are looking for her at a convention, don't look for a stately grande dame in a flowery dress. Look for a woman in jeans and sneakers who's bounding around like a hyperactive gerbil.
That'll be her. And she'd love to meet you.
Japanese: ナンシー アサートン
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 47 reviews
May 16, 2012
Where have these books been all my life? They have all the stuff I love, Britishiness! Mystery! And a little romance as well. Just a fun read.
July 26, 2012
This is a two-fer, the first two stories in Nancy Atherton's series of Aunt Dimity books. Definitely hooked me into the rest of the series which I did like, however, think the first two are the best (so far).
May 2, 2013
I’ve already written a review elsewhere for the first of the two novels included in Aunt Dimity, Paranormal Detective. I began rereading that book, Aunt Dimity's Death, with the Audible Audio Edition. However, the reader, Teri Clark Linden, was so incredibly stilted and robotic that I finished off that novel through the paperback format of Introducing Aunt Dimity, Paranormal Detective. In short, Aunt Dimity’s Death is an utter delight, and a great introduction to the more than one dozen books that Nancy Atherton has so far written in this series.
Aunt Dimity and the Duke, the second book in both this volume and the series, is a sort of prequel to the Aunt Dimity series, and it tells the story of Emma and Derek, who play an ancillary role in Aunt Dimity’s Death. Emma Porter, a 39-year-old computer engineer recently dumped by her longtime boyfriend, visits Cornwall on a vacation full of garden tours at the same time as widower Derek Harris heads to Cornwall for an assignment restoring a stained-glass window at an ancient manor house, Penford Hall. The manor’s titular duke, Grayson Alexander, hires Emma to restore his grandmother’s garden (indirectly on the advice of Aunt Dimity, we discover later). Within the first few pages, even for those who haven’t read Aunt Dimity’s Death, it’s pretty clear that these two kind and lonely souls are destined to be together, but the fun lies in discovering how they’re brought together. To keep from spoiling the fun, let’s just say that there’s a mystery at Penford Hall and a centuries-old family prophecy that throw Emma and Derek together.
Most readers will realize who killed bad-boy rock star Lex Rex about 100 pages from the end, before either Emma or Derek do, but that really doesn’t detract much from enjoying the novel. That’s because there’s a more striking mystery that Derek and Emma solve and because their budding romance — and yet another — turn this mystery novel into a fairy tale that’s sweet without being cloying.
Those who have already savored the first Aunt Dimity book will welcome the return of the identical Pym sisters; indeed, the kindly spinsters direct Emma to a tour of Penford Hall, which leads to her meeting first the His Grace, Grayson Alexander, and then Derek. However, those who begin with Aunt Dimity and the Duke won’t feel at a loss in the least. It’s a charming book in its own right, and you’ll enjoy the mystery and the romances.
Aunt Dimity and the Duke, the second book in both this volume and the series, is a sort of prequel to the Aunt Dimity series, and it tells the story of Emma and Derek, who play an ancillary role in Aunt Dimity’s Death. Emma Porter, a 39-year-old computer engineer recently dumped by her longtime boyfriend, visits Cornwall on a vacation full of garden tours at the same time as widower Derek Harris heads to Cornwall for an assignment restoring a stained-glass window at an ancient manor house, Penford Hall. The manor’s titular duke, Grayson Alexander, hires Emma to restore his grandmother’s garden (indirectly on the advice of Aunt Dimity, we discover later). Within the first few pages, even for those who haven’t read Aunt Dimity’s Death, it’s pretty clear that these two kind and lonely souls are destined to be together, but the fun lies in discovering how they’re brought together. To keep from spoiling the fun, let’s just say that there’s a mystery at Penford Hall and a centuries-old family prophecy that throw Emma and Derek together.
Most readers will realize who killed bad-boy rock star Lex Rex about 100 pages from the end, before either Emma or Derek do, but that really doesn’t detract much from enjoying the novel. That’s because there’s a more striking mystery that Derek and Emma solve and because their budding romance — and yet another — turn this mystery novel into a fairy tale that’s sweet without being cloying.
Those who have already savored the first Aunt Dimity book will welcome the return of the identical Pym sisters; indeed, the kindly spinsters direct Emma to a tour of Penford Hall, which leads to her meeting first the His Grace, Grayson Alexander, and then Derek. However, those who begin with Aunt Dimity and the Duke won’t feel at a loss in the least. It’s a charming book in its own right, and you’ll enjoy the mystery and the romances.
February 23, 2016
A light read but very endearing with a sweet British charm. The characters were all slightly eccentric and came to life in my head. I'm in the middle of a crazy chaotic time in my life right now and anything heavy would go in one eye and out the other. So I'm cartainly happy that this book has about 20 volumes in it's series. Very light, completely unbelievable (Dimity is a ghost and can conveniently write notes at times) but easy, fun and wonderful characters. 4 stars for being able to keep my mind on any book right now.
November 28, 2009
read the 1st,never got to the 2nd-a little sappier than I like
July 16, 2012
Aunt Dimity's Death
Date I read this book: May 14th, 2012
★★
Um... I don't know how this is a mystery... it was more in the vein of "The Forgotten Garden"... full review to come.
Aunt Dimity has died. Lori Shepherd never knew that Aunt Dimity was real. She always assumed that she was a fictional character her mother made up for Lori's bedtime stories. Lori has been struggling since her mother's death, and now this news has rather rattled her. She shows up at the home of the lawyers Dimity has hired, Willis and Willis. The younger Willis, Bill, is overzealous and beyond excited to see Lori, his father is far more circumspect. They instantly insist that she stay with them as she begins the journey that Dimity Westwood has laid out for her.
An undertaking it will be. Dimity has requested that Lori travel to England and take up residence in her cottage and go through all her papers and edit and finally publish the official "Aunt Dimity Stories." She has a month, and Bill is tagging along. When Lori enters the cottage, it's as if the house has been waiting for her. In fact, strange things are going on in this house. Aunt Dimity's neighbors, Derek and Emma, don't bring it up themselves, seeing as that would be rude, but when asked directly if Aunt Dimity might be haunting her previous house, they both concur that that is the conclusion they have also reached. It's little things, like doors slamming and Lori being able to succeed at cooking anything when before she could barely manage toast. As time goes on, she is daunted by the enormity of what she must do but also the fact that there is a definite secret that Aunt Dimity was holding onto, Lori's mother also sensed it. Perhaps Dimity can not rest until that secret is revealed.
Anyone who is a mystery reader has heard of Nancy Atherton. She's a staple of the cosy mystery genre. She was recently going to be stopping in town to do a signing, which I sadly didn't make it to choosing sleep over fun during my trying semester, yet the arrival of Nancy made me finally pick up the first book, and the second, in this handy omnibus edition with it's adorable retro cover. The thing that really struck me was that for a "Paranormal Detective" she's pretty lame writing just one or two lines in a book and then fixing Lori's stuffed bunny and helping her become a magically good cook. Hell, if that's what it takes I could be a "Paranormal Detective!" I make a mean cookie. Also, the mystery part... not so much a mystery as just a simple love story that ended sadly. As for the paranormal, maybe that changes in subsequent volumes that I haven't read and she really does solve crimes more in the vein of Randall and Hopkirk (Deceased). But so far I'd say she's just a very intuitive woman who is matchmaking beyond the grave.
Speaking of the matchmaking. Lori really is a dumb, oblivious girl. Firstly, she really has done nothing with her life and the only thing really special about her is that her mother's best friend was Aunt Dimity. Because of this tenuous connection she gets everything she could hope for just because she remembers some stories she was told as a child? Hell, I want someone to show up and give me a cottage and a husband just for being able to sing the nonsense song "Lou the Gnu" that my dad made up! She never grasps the answers right in front of her. Likewise her ignorance of the fact that Dimity wasn't just helping her, but helping others, made me want to smack her over the head and say, hey, dumbo, Bill was handpicked and groomed by Dimity to be your husband, wake up and smell the coffee! So, I have to say, Lori, can't really stand her.
This series seems to be built on the fact that Dimity has a connection to children and supernatural powers that make her know what's right for everyone. So paranormal, not so much, I would go with supernatural. Also, stuffed animals are very important, which I heartily agree with. As for the rest of this series... I'm not sure if I'll continue. I like my cosies, but I also like my books to have a little mystery other than how long will the hero and heroine take to fall in love... unless you're Jane Austen of course.
Aunt Dimity and the Duke
Date I read this book: May 22nd, 2012
★★★★
Still not sure why people this this is a mystery series. Even more like "The Forgotten Garden" but with a little something else. Du Maurier?
Emma is forty. Emma is forty and alone. Her "boyfriend" has just married a lithe young thing in an obvious midlife crisis. So Emma is off to England to take a much needed holiday from her high tech job. She is there to indulge in her passion, gardening! She might not know much, but she does love plants and soil. At an out of the way public garden Emma runs into an odd duo. Two identical elderly twins who tell her that she must visit Penford Hall, further along in Cornwall. Emma is intrigued and heads there. Only the house is more than off the beaten track and once there the Duke, Grayson, is under the impression that she is the new gardener. She tries to explain that she was just there to see the gardens not to prepare them for a giant fete in a few months time. Yet Grayson insists that the twins where doing the bidding of Aunt Dimity, so that's that, she must stay.
Her fellow inmates at the house are Grayson's washed up cousin who used to be a model and her manager. Yet all Susannah talks about is the late rock star Lex Rex who died off the coast in Grayson's boat. There are the usual taciturn servants but more importantly, there is the widower Derek and his two children, Nell and Peter. Derek has been hired by Grayson, whom he knew peripherally in college, to restore the stained glass window in the church on the grounds. Susannah soon falls prey to an accident, or perhaps an attack and is rushed to the hospital. Grayson fears that it will be the Lex Rex incident all over again. If he can just get everything put to rights and get the celebrations underway, the house will be safe and perfect forever... or so he hopes. Aunt Dimity did promise him. If Dimity has her way perhaps Derek and Emma's broken hearts will mend together and there will be happy endings for all.
I found this second book in the Aunt Dimity series far more enjoyable then the first. This prequel follows Emma and the ordeals her and Derek go through on their way to wedded bliss. Because it isn't even a surprise that they will be the couple matched, they're already married to each other when we meet them in the first book! Not to say that Aunt Dimity won't match a few more along the way, it's what she does. What drew me to this story was the Cornish Coast with dreams of Du Maurier and death on the jagged rocks. Yes, I know it was a lot of my own romanticism that made this book work for me, but there you have it! Also, the gardens! The descriptions of these gorgeous and abundant gardens built in and around the remains of a great house made me want this place to truly exist so that I could go there. Like ruins overrun with flora. The Secret Garden on crack. I want to go to there!
Aside from that, there really wasn't much else. We did have something actually resembling a mystery in this "mystery" series, which was a nice change of pace, but still, the romances where too contrived. The children and their belief in their father's happiness and the weird and convoluted theories about their dead mother's soul and the stained glass window that there father was there to repair bordered on the ludicrous. I will say this one did make me want to pick up the next in the series... but it was these characters, not Lori and Bill from the previous installment that made this book work, so perhaps I might skip the rest. Bland Bill and wet rag Lori. So perhaps I should thank this omnibus because if it wasn't for the fact I wanted to finish the whole book I wouldn't have read the enjoyable second story. So even if the next one doesn't work, at least I'll always have the one with the Duke.
On a final note, does anyone find it odd just how magically happy the ending was? I mean, even the meany Susannah came out better. It made me feel like when Bernard and Mannie write and children's story on Black Books and they end it with, "and they all drank lemonade." Add in a few strawberries and there you have Aunt Dimity and the Duke.
Date I read this book: May 14th, 2012
★★
Um... I don't know how this is a mystery... it was more in the vein of "The Forgotten Garden"... full review to come.
Aunt Dimity has died. Lori Shepherd never knew that Aunt Dimity was real. She always assumed that she was a fictional character her mother made up for Lori's bedtime stories. Lori has been struggling since her mother's death, and now this news has rather rattled her. She shows up at the home of the lawyers Dimity has hired, Willis and Willis. The younger Willis, Bill, is overzealous and beyond excited to see Lori, his father is far more circumspect. They instantly insist that she stay with them as she begins the journey that Dimity Westwood has laid out for her.
An undertaking it will be. Dimity has requested that Lori travel to England and take up residence in her cottage and go through all her papers and edit and finally publish the official "Aunt Dimity Stories." She has a month, and Bill is tagging along. When Lori enters the cottage, it's as if the house has been waiting for her. In fact, strange things are going on in this house. Aunt Dimity's neighbors, Derek and Emma, don't bring it up themselves, seeing as that would be rude, but when asked directly if Aunt Dimity might be haunting her previous house, they both concur that that is the conclusion they have also reached. It's little things, like doors slamming and Lori being able to succeed at cooking anything when before she could barely manage toast. As time goes on, she is daunted by the enormity of what she must do but also the fact that there is a definite secret that Aunt Dimity was holding onto, Lori's mother also sensed it. Perhaps Dimity can not rest until that secret is revealed.
Anyone who is a mystery reader has heard of Nancy Atherton. She's a staple of the cosy mystery genre. She was recently going to be stopping in town to do a signing, which I sadly didn't make it to choosing sleep over fun during my trying semester, yet the arrival of Nancy made me finally pick up the first book, and the second, in this handy omnibus edition with it's adorable retro cover. The thing that really struck me was that for a "Paranormal Detective" she's pretty lame writing just one or two lines in a book and then fixing Lori's stuffed bunny and helping her become a magically good cook. Hell, if that's what it takes I could be a "Paranormal Detective!" I make a mean cookie. Also, the mystery part... not so much a mystery as just a simple love story that ended sadly. As for the paranormal, maybe that changes in subsequent volumes that I haven't read and she really does solve crimes more in the vein of Randall and Hopkirk (Deceased). But so far I'd say she's just a very intuitive woman who is matchmaking beyond the grave.
Speaking of the matchmaking. Lori really is a dumb, oblivious girl. Firstly, she really has done nothing with her life and the only thing really special about her is that her mother's best friend was Aunt Dimity. Because of this tenuous connection she gets everything she could hope for just because she remembers some stories she was told as a child? Hell, I want someone to show up and give me a cottage and a husband just for being able to sing the nonsense song "Lou the Gnu" that my dad made up! She never grasps the answers right in front of her. Likewise her ignorance of the fact that Dimity wasn't just helping her, but helping others, made me want to smack her over the head and say, hey, dumbo, Bill was handpicked and groomed by Dimity to be your husband, wake up and smell the coffee! So, I have to say, Lori, can't really stand her.
This series seems to be built on the fact that Dimity has a connection to children and supernatural powers that make her know what's right for everyone. So paranormal, not so much, I would go with supernatural. Also, stuffed animals are very important, which I heartily agree with. As for the rest of this series... I'm not sure if I'll continue. I like my cosies, but I also like my books to have a little mystery other than how long will the hero and heroine take to fall in love... unless you're Jane Austen of course.
Aunt Dimity and the Duke
Date I read this book: May 22nd, 2012
★★★★
Still not sure why people this this is a mystery series. Even more like "The Forgotten Garden" but with a little something else. Du Maurier?
Emma is forty. Emma is forty and alone. Her "boyfriend" has just married a lithe young thing in an obvious midlife crisis. So Emma is off to England to take a much needed holiday from her high tech job. She is there to indulge in her passion, gardening! She might not know much, but she does love plants and soil. At an out of the way public garden Emma runs into an odd duo. Two identical elderly twins who tell her that she must visit Penford Hall, further along in Cornwall. Emma is intrigued and heads there. Only the house is more than off the beaten track and once there the Duke, Grayson, is under the impression that she is the new gardener. She tries to explain that she was just there to see the gardens not to prepare them for a giant fete in a few months time. Yet Grayson insists that the twins where doing the bidding of Aunt Dimity, so that's that, she must stay.
Her fellow inmates at the house are Grayson's washed up cousin who used to be a model and her manager. Yet all Susannah talks about is the late rock star Lex Rex who died off the coast in Grayson's boat. There are the usual taciturn servants but more importantly, there is the widower Derek and his two children, Nell and Peter. Derek has been hired by Grayson, whom he knew peripherally in college, to restore the stained glass window in the church on the grounds. Susannah soon falls prey to an accident, or perhaps an attack and is rushed to the hospital. Grayson fears that it will be the Lex Rex incident all over again. If he can just get everything put to rights and get the celebrations underway, the house will be safe and perfect forever... or so he hopes. Aunt Dimity did promise him. If Dimity has her way perhaps Derek and Emma's broken hearts will mend together and there will be happy endings for all.
I found this second book in the Aunt Dimity series far more enjoyable then the first. This prequel follows Emma and the ordeals her and Derek go through on their way to wedded bliss. Because it isn't even a surprise that they will be the couple matched, they're already married to each other when we meet them in the first book! Not to say that Aunt Dimity won't match a few more along the way, it's what she does. What drew me to this story was the Cornish Coast with dreams of Du Maurier and death on the jagged rocks. Yes, I know it was a lot of my own romanticism that made this book work for me, but there you have it! Also, the gardens! The descriptions of these gorgeous and abundant gardens built in and around the remains of a great house made me want this place to truly exist so that I could go there. Like ruins overrun with flora. The Secret Garden on crack. I want to go to there!
Aside from that, there really wasn't much else. We did have something actually resembling a mystery in this "mystery" series, which was a nice change of pace, but still, the romances where too contrived. The children and their belief in their father's happiness and the weird and convoluted theories about their dead mother's soul and the stained glass window that there father was there to repair bordered on the ludicrous. I will say this one did make me want to pick up the next in the series... but it was these characters, not Lori and Bill from the previous installment that made this book work, so perhaps I might skip the rest. Bland Bill and wet rag Lori. So perhaps I should thank this omnibus because if it wasn't for the fact I wanted to finish the whole book I wouldn't have read the enjoyable second story. So even if the next one doesn't work, at least I'll always have the one with the Duke.
On a final note, does anyone find it odd just how magically happy the ending was? I mean, even the meany Susannah came out better. It made me feel like when Bernard and Mannie write and children's story on Black Books and they end it with, "and they all drank lemonade." Add in a few strawberries and there you have Aunt Dimity and the Duke.
December 15, 2017
Normally when you put a character's name in the title it involves them doing something. But this edition is a complete fop. Aunt Dimity is dead and she can't cross over. She knows what's holding her back, but she doesn't want help. (So why bother to announce yourself?!) The cast of characters are well written if sometimes a bit trite. You can see where the first book ends coming a mile away, and yet there's more. The second book is a bit more like a detective story, but it's unclear where it falls in the timeline. Aunt Dimity seems to be alive for some reason and it's heavy on the Christian themes. All in all, I would have been just fine reading the first book, and I've no desire to read the rest of the series.
October 8, 2020
Two charming books in one.
In the first we are introduced to Aunt Dimity via Lori, the daughter of Aunt Dimity’s dear friend. Lori was summoned to a lawyer’s office to hear the results of a will. Of course it was Aunt Dimity’s will. However there were certain conditions that needed to be met.
These entailed Lori heading over to England with the young lawyer, Bill, in tow. In Finch, a small town, Lori was to stay at Aunt Dimity’s cottage to fulfill her obligations.
In the second book, the action takes place before the time of the first book. We learn the history of Emma and Derek, from the first book; meet up with the Pym sisters; and meet more people who have been touched by Aunt Dimity.
Can’t wait to read more in the series.
In the first we are introduced to Aunt Dimity via Lori, the daughter of Aunt Dimity’s dear friend. Lori was summoned to a lawyer’s office to hear the results of a will. Of course it was Aunt Dimity’s will. However there were certain conditions that needed to be met.
These entailed Lori heading over to England with the young lawyer, Bill, in tow. In Finch, a small town, Lori was to stay at Aunt Dimity’s cottage to fulfill her obligations.
In the second book, the action takes place before the time of the first book. We learn the history of Emma and Derek, from the first book; meet up with the Pym sisters; and meet more people who have been touched by Aunt Dimity.
Can’t wait to read more in the series.
July 15, 2018
Somebody gave me this book, thinking I'd like it, and they were absolutely right. Mystery, romance, England, practically-sentient stuffed animals, handsome princes - sorry, lawyers and builders - and happy endings, this has everything I love in a series. Very cosy cosies.
If you want 'realism' and grit, stay away from this - but if you like gentle mystery, kindness, romance, and a bit of supernatural whimsy, you'll love this series.
If you want 'realism' and grit, stay away from this - but if you like gentle mystery, kindness, romance, and a bit of supernatural whimsy, you'll love this series.
February 12, 2022
My mistake; I should not have finished. As it was, I did not read the second story in the book. I can deal with a bit of the outrageous, but the whole episode with the extreme wealth and solicitousness of the lawyers was my first indication that I was reading a fairy tale. I know odd things happen which are not always able to be explained, but not like some of the "magic" in this book. No thank you!
November 21, 2018
i thought i'd read all of the Aunt Dimity novels, but when I saw this one, i didn't realize it was the first 2 books combined into one. i did start reading the first one (aunt diminty's death) and realized
i has\d read it before. the second one(Aunt Diminty and the Duke) I had no memories of reading.
it was fun learning about so of the other characters that appear in the series.
May 5, 2023
This was a combination of the first two books in the series. I enjoyed both of them and will continue to read.
The first was a good introduction to Aunt Dimity but I enjoyed the second books story and side characters more.
They are lighthearted, fun and easy to read. This series would make excellent palate cleansers or if you just want to pick up something quick and easy.
The first was a good introduction to Aunt Dimity but I enjoyed the second books story and side characters more.
They are lighthearted, fun and easy to read. This series would make excellent palate cleansers or if you just want to pick up something quick and easy.
July 17, 2023
Stumbled on this series midway through to test drive before vacation. Became hooked and just had to start at the beginning. These books provide the origin story for several characters and how they meet. They will make you long to get out of your comfort zone, see where life takes you, and to find deeper connection with people you know at a surface level.
August 1, 2017
Grandma recommended this series as fun, light reading. A bit of a mystery but not with violence or sex. I would say it lived up to that, very harmless stuff really. I liked the first book better than the second book. Nice to read something fluffy that isn't strictly about a romance.
April 16, 2018
It was a charming read that was selected by my book club.
January 30, 2019
This was my first foray into the “cozy mystery” genre and I was pleasantly surprised. This is a charming and entertaining book and I look forward to reading more about Aunt Dimity.
September 13, 2019
Really fun to read.
October 30, 2019
This was a fantastic book! I loved the mysteries, and it was funny too. The second one was better than the first because it was happier. But still.... 10/10 will recommend
March 8, 2020
Loved it
Read
January 22, 2025This is the 1st two of her books in one. I currently have her series up to #24. These are fast fun reads. There is one more book, so far, after The Heart of Gold.... which I've ordered!
October 4, 2016
Bought this on recommendation, and thought for a while that I'd found a did. However, after a couple more chapters it started to grow on me and by the time I started Aunt Dimity and the Duke I was hooked ;-D
Will definitely be checking out more titles from this series.
Will definitely be checking out more titles from this series.
April 5, 2016
*I read this version with the first two books together, but I also reviewed them seperately. Here are my reviews:
I thought this book was delightful, fun, and unique. It begins with Lori, a 30 something woman whose mother has died, and she is trying to cope with failures and sorrow at every turn. That is until she gets a message to meet with a Mr Willis at a law firm and discovers that the stories her mother had told her as a child were about a real woman. A real woman who has left her with a special charge, to read 40 years worth of correspondance between herself, Dimity, and Lori's mother. It is while she is doing this, she learns to open up to life again, and even love.
This is a series, and I can't wait to read the next book.
The second in the Aunt Dimity series, it is the story of Emma, an American computer specialist who has just been left by her boyfriend of 15 years. Emma goes on a vacation to England, partly to escape, and partly to explore the beautiful gardens. While she is there, she meets some ladies that send her to the Duke's home, where instead of visiting a garden, she ends up being hired to create one.
It is while she is in the midst of this, that she meets Derek, and despite her better judgement, begins to fall in love. It is also then, that she and Derek discover that there might be more to the Duke's fortune than meets the eye, and that it is possible that he might be guilty of terrible things, including murder.
I really enjoyed this book. It was another light mystery with a sweet romance entwined in it. And of course, behind the scenes is Aunt Dimity, guiding everyone to where they need to be.
I thought this book was delightful, fun, and unique. It begins with Lori, a 30 something woman whose mother has died, and she is trying to cope with failures and sorrow at every turn. That is until she gets a message to meet with a Mr Willis at a law firm and discovers that the stories her mother had told her as a child were about a real woman. A real woman who has left her with a special charge, to read 40 years worth of correspondance between herself, Dimity, and Lori's mother. It is while she is doing this, she learns to open up to life again, and even love.
This is a series, and I can't wait to read the next book.
The second in the Aunt Dimity series, it is the story of Emma, an American computer specialist who has just been left by her boyfriend of 15 years. Emma goes on a vacation to England, partly to escape, and partly to explore the beautiful gardens. While she is there, she meets some ladies that send her to the Duke's home, where instead of visiting a garden, she ends up being hired to create one.
It is while she is in the midst of this, that she meets Derek, and despite her better judgement, begins to fall in love. It is also then, that she and Derek discover that there might be more to the Duke's fortune than meets the eye, and that it is possible that he might be guilty of terrible things, including murder.
I really enjoyed this book. It was another light mystery with a sweet romance entwined in it. And of course, behind the scenes is Aunt Dimity, guiding everyone to where they need to be.
December 21, 2011
This books collects the first two Dimity stories. The first story is charming, fairytale-like and pure 100% fluff. I don't mean this in a bad way, only to say that if feel-good fluff is not your cup of tea, than this is not the book for you. And when I say tea, I mean pots full of strong English village tea filled with lemon bars and quirky, charming characters.
What I liked best about the first story was a thread about a lifetime of letter-writing between two friends during and following WWII. This touched on two of my favorite topics so it was easy to overlook any treacle and fully embrace the feel-good nature of the story.
The second story establishes how one of the secondary characters meet and introduces the reader to more of the oddball characters that will likely inhabit future stories.
This is a BBC Mystery series on paper. I can practically envision the chintz, tea and muddy Wellies just in reading along.
What I liked best about the first story was a thread about a lifetime of letter-writing between two friends during and following WWII. This touched on two of my favorite topics so it was easy to overlook any treacle and fully embrace the feel-good nature of the story.
The second story establishes how one of the secondary characters meet and introduces the reader to more of the oddball characters that will likely inhabit future stories.
This is a BBC Mystery series on paper. I can practically envision the chintz, tea and muddy Wellies just in reading along.
February 17, 2012
I enjoyed these books very much. They are light reading with charming characters and that is what I like about them. These are people I would like to know. These are not great books that are going to ask deep questions and cause you to think deep thoughts and that's why I like them. I save them for when I need a vacation from deep questions and thoughts. I look forward to each book being published as I look forward to a quick lunch with an old friend to catch up on our lives. These are gentle books. Thank you for that Nancy Atherton. Sometimes I need a gentle book with charming characters to hang out with.
January 22, 2013
Introducing Aunt Dimity, Paranormal Detective is really 2 books, the 1st 2 in a series. In Aunt Dimity's Death, the 1st book, Aunt Dimity's American niece, Lori Shepherd, had long thought her mother's childhood tales of Aunt Dimity were merely comforting bedtime stories. But when a pair of lawyers informs her that her mysterious aunt has just died and made the down-on-her-luck Lori a rich woman, she finds a reason to believe.
Not your typical detective story, a bit predictible, but a very pleasant, fun read. Lori and one of the lawyers, the son in the father-son firm, travel to England to do some things in Aunt Dimity's English cottage. Aunt Dimity's spirit helps out.
Not your typical detective story, a bit predictible, but a very pleasant, fun read. Lori and one of the lawyers, the son in the father-son firm, travel to England to do some things in Aunt Dimity's English cottage. Aunt Dimity's spirit helps out.
July 21, 2011
Very fun! I went to the bookstore trying to find copies of the Mrs. Pollifax novels to buy as a gift (but apparently they are no longer printed). This was suggested to me as an alternate and I had to buy the book for myself. I couldn't conceive of giving a book to someone that I hadn't read myself and boy am I glad I did, read it myself that is. Aunt Dimity sounds like a fun lady to meet, and her version of paranormal is one I can really get behind (it is the special kind that makes sure you don't burn crumpets and make perfect oatmeal raisin cookies every time).
November 11, 2009
Finished the first novel in this double-novel book, Aunt Dimity's Death. I'll save the second, Aunt Dimity and the Duke for a little while; I'm almost finished with Her Fearful Symmetry and TWO ghosts communicating by writing are one too many to be reading about at the same time!
February 23, 2016
The first two of Aunt Dimity's mysteries are in this one book--a great way to get a taste for the English countryside cozy mysteries sprinkled with a bit of the paranormal. Love these mysteries--perfect for a vacation or just to tuck into your bag during the week. Not too much of a mystery, no blood or gore--but great characters!
March 11, 2010
What a wonderful character - and she's not really even in the book! This book has the first two of the Aunt Dimity series; because of the clever writing and good characters, I bought number 3 and will be reading it shortly!
November 26, 2010
These mysteries are gentle. They are set in England in the present. Aunt Dimity seems to have a knack for solving mysteries that pop up in her vicinity, much like Agatha Christie's Miss Jane Marple. These stories are enjoyable and are good for bedtime reading.
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