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Aunt Dimity Mystery #15
Aunt Dimity Down Under
Lori Shepherd travels to New Zealand in Aunt Dimity's fifteenth charming adventure.
Mystery readers everywhere continue to be won over by Nancy Atherton's popular cozy series. In the latest installment, Lori Shepherd is bereft when she learns that her beloved neighbors, Ruth and Louise Pym, may be dying. Summoning her to their sickroom, the elderly sisters have a favor to ask: Will Lori find their long-lost brother, Aubrey, before death claims them? Despite her misgivings, Lori sets out for distant New Zealand-where Aubrey fled after being cast out of the family in disgrace. With the help of a charming kiwi bird and her otherworldly friend, Aunt Dimity, Lori tries to heal a family broken by deceit.
Watch out for Nancy Atherton's latest, Aunt Dimity and the Widow's Curse , coming in May 2017 from Viking!
Mystery readers everywhere continue to be won over by Nancy Atherton's popular cozy series. In the latest installment, Lori Shepherd is bereft when she learns that her beloved neighbors, Ruth and Louise Pym, may be dying. Summoning her to their sickroom, the elderly sisters have a favor to ask: Will Lori find their long-lost brother, Aubrey, before death claims them? Despite her misgivings, Lori sets out for distant New Zealand-where Aubrey fled after being cast out of the family in disgrace. With the help of a charming kiwi bird and her otherworldly friend, Aunt Dimity, Lori tries to heal a family broken by deceit.
Watch out for Nancy Atherton's latest, Aunt Dimity and the Widow's Curse , coming in May 2017 from Viking!
226 pages, Kindle Edition
First published February 4, 2010
77 people are currently reading
999 people want to read
About the author
Nancy Atherton
63 books1,184 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 285 reviews
November 29, 2023
Everyone in Finch is looking forward to the wedding of the century when Nell Harris marries Kit Smith. None more so than Lori Shepherd who saved Kit's life. When Emma Harris calls, Lori assumes she's in for a good gossip but Emma has some bad news - the wedding is postponed indefinitely- the Pym sisters are dying! What? The Pyms have been a staple of Finch literally forever! They can't be dying. Ruth and Louise have one last request for Lori- find Aubrey! Who on earth is Aubrey? A visit with the Pym family lawyer reveals Ruth and Louise were not the only children of their parents. They once had an older brother, the black sheep of the family who was banished long ago. Surely he must be long dead by now and Lori will need only look for a gravesite. Not so fast. While Aubrey died in the First World War, he left behind a son in New Zealand! Lori's search for Aubrey Junior will take her to New Zealand and hopefully back again before the Pyms pass from this earth. The search won't be easy as Lori encounters one unexpected twist after another. Will she make it home in time to see Ruth and Louise one last time? Will the Pym sisters rally and recover if Lori finds Aubrey?
Oh no! This book is a sad one and not much of a mystery. This book is mostly travelogue as Lori searches for the Pyms' next of kin. I feel like we've done that already. We met a bad boy who was banished to Australia, we searched with Lori for the next of kin. This seemed to be an excuse to send Lori (without the family) to New Zealand. This story has a more somber tone and Lori even keeps herself together. I almost missed her jumping to conclusions and flirting with handsome strangers. She was focused on getting home to her family and her village and there isn't really a mystery for her to try to solve. The book needs a map and a family tree. Maybe even a timeline which would be helpful. I did find photos of Nancy Atherton's trip to New Zealand so I can picture the sites Lori sees.
Aunt Dimity provides travel information having met Kiwis during the war but doesn't have much more to add to Lori's investigation. We do learn a bit more about Dimity's life story. I really liked that part. While Lori read Dimity's letters to Beth and edited the storybook, we never got to see any of that. We know very little about Dimity other than what was revealed in the first book. I want to read those letters and the stories!
Don't leave us Ruth and Louise! We finally get some actual concrete dates in this novel. This story takes place in 2001, much earlier than the publication date of 2010. We know that because of the frequent mentions of filming of the Lord of the Rings films. The first one was scheduled to be released in December, which gives us a date of October 2001. Ruth and Louise are the best of neighbors and honorary aunts. I adore them and want them to live forever. I estimated their age to be about 106 in 2001. It's still SAD to think of them leaving. I'm hoping a future book will be back dated or feature a time slip or flashback or something. I love their zany way of speaking in tandem an how they always seem to know everything that's going on. They're eccentric enough to be accepting of modern values but old-fashioned enough to be naïve about finances. I can't imagine Finch without them.
Aubrey Jeremiah Pym was the twins' older brother. He was the black sheep of the family; a scoundrel who drank, gambled, womanized and stole from the parish box. His crimes certainly don't seem that bad to me from a modern perspective. Not even from an Edwardian perspective actually. Many upper class men got away with that sort of behavior all the time. There's a different standard for the son of the local clergyman though and Aubrey did not live up to his father's standards. How sad. Mr. Pym banished his only son and disowned the young man. He was only 20 for goodness sakes! Aubrey went to New Zealand where he married money and joined the ANZAC troops to fight in the Great War, as it was known. Sadly, Aubrey was blown to bits during the war in Gallipoli. Luckily for his sisters, Aubrey had a son, Aubrey Jeremiah Pym, Junior. AJ had a tragic childhood but was nothing like his father. AJ survived, thrived, married late and raised a family. Unfortunately his son, Edmund Hillary Pym, was more like his grandfather than his father. While AJ was a doting and loving husband, father and grandfather, Ed was not. Ed copied all of Aubrey, Sr.'s bad behaviors and no one seems to understand the concept of genetics or generational trauma. Ed is just "bad" like Aubrey, Sr. Ed was a great disappointment to his parents who followed family tradition and banished their son. Ed was cruel to his wife and parents, and dismissive of his daughter. He claimed to love her but didn't try to overcome his addictions to be a better son and father. He did not live life well and has paid the ultimate price for it.
Aubrey Aroha Pym is just 18 and already she's lost everyone dear to her. Her mother left, her grandparents died and her father drank himself to death. She's hurt, angry and dealing with a lot of trauma. Aubrey is an intelligent girl but right now she can't see past her hurt. She resents her dad and is trying to outrun her past. Poor girl! I hope she gets a lot of therapy and when she's older can come to terms with her family history. I do believe Ed loved her in his own way but his addictions overcame all else. Personally, I found the search for Bree boring. They learned she was into LOTR early on so I would have cut to the chase and gone straight to Hobbiton or wherever PJ and crew were filming that week. I'd start there with the main team wherever the cast and crew were because that's surely where the jobs are and the most fans. Hello yes please I want to go there and join in the fun! I'm not a Ringer per se but I enjoyed the films and New Zealand looked so beautiful. Of course this is a novel so Lori has to chase Bree all over the country. By the end of the novel, I think Bree is still a little immature but growing up fast. She's smart and has a plan for her life. I didn't think she'd like Finch but I enjoy how she's shaking up local society, especially Peggy. Peggy OF ALL PEOPLE should know EXACTLY how Bree is feeling. Peggy lost her dad, her home, her fiancé, her baby and her BFF turned out to be a back stabber. However, Peggy is the least empathetic person in Finch and disapproves of Bree. Bree knows it and deliberately provokes Peggy. THAT is going to prove to be an interesting showdown.
Cameron Mackenzie is Lori's New Zealand guide. An old school friend of Bill's, the real mystery is how why Cameron is so helpful. He says he owes Bill his life. That keeps Lori's nosiness occupied trying to imagine why! Cameron is handsome and a rugged horse trainer yet Lori has no interest in a flirtation. GASP! Cameron is happily married with two sons of his own and he'd never betray Bill by flirting with Bill's wife but I was happily surprised that Lori didn't even imagine Cameron trying to flirt with her. Cameron is fun with a great sense of humor. He's loyal and kind, helpful and sympathetic. He DOES flirt with a hotel desk clerk to get the information they need. It's shameless and he knows it, Lori knows it but it's necessary because time is of the essence. Cameron is a good guy. I hope Bill and the twins can join Lori and Bill's family in New Zealand. That would be fun to see. The twins will never want to leave. Maybe just keep them away from LOTR filming locations. If they see all that stunt riding, they'll get so excited and want to try it. I can only imagine what their teacher and headmistress would say about that story!
Other characters we meet include Fortescue Makepeace, a delightfully eccentric solicitor. Lori's visit with him is so cozy! He's not as intense as Willis, Sr., more relaxed and charming. However, he's bound not to share certain information with certain people and that makes things a little complicated. In New Zealand, we meet A.J. Pym's landlady. She's a piece of work! She's so horrid. I can't believe she would sell a deceased lodger's belongings to pay rent yet she didn't ask Lori and Cameron for ID. Bridgette, the nurse who attended Ed, is very cool and collected. She's all business and doesn't seem to really care about Ed's life and legacy. How sad for him. Daniel Rivers, an artist, may have broken Bree's heart. Her new friend Allison, a waitress, believes Bree wanted to shack up with Daniel but he's a happily married man. Allison is the one who jumps to conclusions! Aunt Dimity hits on the correct reason Bree visited Daniel. He seems fun and friendly. I wouldn't expect him to be the sort girls throw themselves at. Amanda seems kind but she abandoned her daughter and never thought to check in with the grandparents or make sure her daughter was OK. I'd be wondering if the grandparents were still alive and check on that periodically. I think Amanda does feel guilty and deep down she loves her daughter but can't overcome the trauma of her past with Ed.
Angelo Velusuonno, an American restauranteur, is a real character. For the record, Yonkers is not near Buffalo nor do they have New York accents. At least they didn't in the 1920s-1940s. Angelo is a hoot. He's over-the-top, friendly and welcoming to fellow Americans. His wife seems to be able to keep up with him and quite lovely. Kitta and Kati, a pair of Finnish "Ringers" have come to New Zealand to stalk the LOTR film cast and sneak a peak at filming. They draw Bree into their fun, for a time. They seem like fun to hang out with and being older they should be more level headed but Bree is an adult and they can't control her. I question Lori's expertise as a rare books appraiser. She should know what that unusual script is! Ringers? Hello? Of course she has a tattoo in Elvish. I know lots of people have them. Roger, the tattoo artist, sounds like a remarkable person. He's calm and even tempered. Amazing, after what happened. He can probably do Elvish tattoos in his sleep at this point.
Bill is always the patient, long suffering husband. The twins are very sweet and experiencing their first death of elderly loved ones. Luckily they have Grandpa visiting to spoil them and kiss away their hurts while Mummy is away. Not that Lori does much parenting... We get a solution to the nanny problem in this book. Now Anneliese is married, Bill is a workaholic and Lori is always off on adventures forgetting she has children, someone needs to stay with the twins! I wonder if Aunt Dimity could make herself known to them and watch over them if needs be? She goes with Lori though so I don't think so. Dear Reg comes along for the trip too. He enjoyed it immensely and made some new friends.
While I liked learning more about New Zealand and traveling in the footsteps of the LOTR cast, this novel just didn't wow me. It was too much travel and too sad. I hope the next one set in Finch goes back in time or gives us more ghosts. If Dimity can be a ghost, why not the Pym sisters?
Anzac biscuits are yummy, a crunchy sweet oatmeal cookie. I made Anzac biscuits with golden syrup and shredded coconut chopped fine in the food processor. It's important to use old-fashioned oats and bake at the lower 325 degree temperature. I tried it with quick oats and baking at 350. My cookies burned on the edges and were sticky in the middle. I couldn't get them off the paper to the cooling rack. Apparently though, the tasters in the house fished the cookies out of the trash and insisted they weren't burned. I liked the chewy texture of those better but both are good.
Oh no! This book is a sad one and not much of a mystery. This book is mostly travelogue as Lori searches for the Pyms' next of kin. I feel like we've done that already. We met a bad boy who was banished to Australia, we searched with Lori for the next of kin. This seemed to be an excuse to send Lori (without the family) to New Zealand. This story has a more somber tone and Lori even keeps herself together. I almost missed her jumping to conclusions and flirting with handsome strangers. She was focused on getting home to her family and her village and there isn't really a mystery for her to try to solve. The book needs a map and a family tree. Maybe even a timeline which would be helpful. I did find photos of Nancy Atherton's trip to New Zealand so I can picture the sites Lori sees.
Aunt Dimity provides travel information having met Kiwis during the war but doesn't have much more to add to Lori's investigation. We do learn a bit more about Dimity's life story. I really liked that part. While Lori read Dimity's letters to Beth and edited the storybook, we never got to see any of that. We know very little about Dimity other than what was revealed in the first book. I want to read those letters and the stories!
Don't leave us Ruth and Louise! We finally get some actual concrete dates in this novel. This story takes place in 2001, much earlier than the publication date of 2010. We know that because of the frequent mentions of filming of the Lord of the Rings films. The first one was scheduled to be released in December, which gives us a date of October 2001. Ruth and Louise are the best of neighbors and honorary aunts. I adore them and want them to live forever. I estimated their age to be about 106 in 2001. It's still SAD to think of them leaving. I'm hoping a future book will be back dated or feature a time slip or flashback or something. I love their zany way of speaking in tandem an how they always seem to know everything that's going on. They're eccentric enough to be accepting of modern values but old-fashioned enough to be naïve about finances. I can't imagine Finch without them.
Aubrey Jeremiah Pym was the twins' older brother. He was the black sheep of the family; a scoundrel who drank, gambled, womanized and stole from the parish box. His crimes certainly don't seem that bad to me from a modern perspective. Not even from an Edwardian perspective actually. Many upper class men got away with that sort of behavior all the time. There's a different standard for the son of the local clergyman though and Aubrey did not live up to his father's standards. How sad. Mr. Pym banished his only son and disowned the young man. He was only 20 for goodness sakes! Aubrey went to New Zealand where he married money and joined the ANZAC troops to fight in the Great War, as it was known. Sadly, Aubrey was blown to bits during the war in Gallipoli. Luckily for his sisters, Aubrey had a son, Aubrey Jeremiah Pym, Junior. AJ had a tragic childhood but was nothing like his father. AJ survived, thrived, married late and raised a family. Unfortunately his son, Edmund Hillary Pym, was more like his grandfather than his father. While AJ was a doting and loving husband, father and grandfather, Ed was not. Ed copied all of Aubrey, Sr.'s bad behaviors and no one seems to understand the concept of genetics or generational trauma. Ed is just "bad" like Aubrey, Sr. Ed was a great disappointment to his parents who followed family tradition and banished their son. Ed was cruel to his wife and parents, and dismissive of his daughter. He claimed to love her but didn't try to overcome his addictions to be a better son and father. He did not live life well and has paid the ultimate price for it.
Aubrey Aroha Pym is just 18 and already she's lost everyone dear to her. Her mother left, her grandparents died and her father drank himself to death. She's hurt, angry and dealing with a lot of trauma. Aubrey is an intelligent girl but right now she can't see past her hurt. She resents her dad and is trying to outrun her past. Poor girl! I hope she gets a lot of therapy and when she's older can come to terms with her family history. I do believe Ed loved her in his own way but his addictions overcame all else. Personally, I found the search for Bree boring. They learned she was into LOTR early on so I would have cut to the chase and gone straight to Hobbiton or wherever PJ and crew were filming that week. I'd start there with the main team wherever the cast and crew were because that's surely where the jobs are and the most fans. Hello yes please I want to go there and join in the fun! I'm not a Ringer per se but I enjoyed the films and New Zealand looked so beautiful. Of course this is a novel so Lori has to chase Bree all over the country. By the end of the novel, I think Bree is still a little immature but growing up fast. She's smart and has a plan for her life. I didn't think she'd like Finch but I enjoy how she's shaking up local society, especially Peggy. Peggy OF ALL PEOPLE should know EXACTLY how Bree is feeling. Peggy lost her dad, her home, her fiancé, her baby and her BFF turned out to be a back stabber. However, Peggy is the least empathetic person in Finch and disapproves of Bree. Bree knows it and deliberately provokes Peggy. THAT is going to prove to be an interesting showdown.
Cameron Mackenzie is Lori's New Zealand guide. An old school friend of Bill's, the real mystery is how why Cameron is so helpful. He says he owes Bill his life. That keeps Lori's nosiness occupied trying to imagine why! Cameron is handsome and a rugged horse trainer yet Lori has no interest in a flirtation. GASP! Cameron is happily married with two sons of his own and he'd never betray Bill by flirting with Bill's wife but I was happily surprised that Lori didn't even imagine Cameron trying to flirt with her. Cameron is fun with a great sense of humor. He's loyal and kind, helpful and sympathetic. He DOES flirt with a hotel desk clerk to get the information they need. It's shameless and he knows it, Lori knows it but it's necessary because time is of the essence. Cameron is a good guy. I hope Bill and the twins can join Lori and Bill's family in New Zealand. That would be fun to see. The twins will never want to leave. Maybe just keep them away from LOTR filming locations. If they see all that stunt riding, they'll get so excited and want to try it. I can only imagine what their teacher and headmistress would say about that story!
Other characters we meet include Fortescue Makepeace, a delightfully eccentric solicitor. Lori's visit with him is so cozy! He's not as intense as Willis, Sr., more relaxed and charming. However, he's bound not to share certain information with certain people and that makes things a little complicated. In New Zealand, we meet A.J. Pym's landlady. She's a piece of work! She's so horrid. I can't believe she would sell a deceased lodger's belongings to pay rent yet she didn't ask Lori and Cameron for ID. Bridgette, the nurse who attended Ed, is very cool and collected. She's all business and doesn't seem to really care about Ed's life and legacy. How sad for him. Daniel Rivers, an artist, may have broken Bree's heart. Her new friend Allison, a waitress, believes Bree wanted to shack up with Daniel but he's a happily married man. Allison is the one who jumps to conclusions! Aunt Dimity hits on the correct reason Bree visited Daniel. He seems fun and friendly. I wouldn't expect him to be the sort girls throw themselves at. Amanda seems kind but she abandoned her daughter and never thought to check in with the grandparents or make sure her daughter was OK. I'd be wondering if the grandparents were still alive and check on that periodically. I think Amanda does feel guilty and deep down she loves her daughter but can't overcome the trauma of her past with Ed.
Angelo Velusuonno, an American restauranteur, is a real character. For the record, Yonkers is not near Buffalo nor do they have New York accents. At least they didn't in the 1920s-1940s. Angelo is a hoot. He's over-the-top, friendly and welcoming to fellow Americans. His wife seems to be able to keep up with him and quite lovely. Kitta and Kati, a pair of Finnish "Ringers" have come to New Zealand to stalk the LOTR film cast and sneak a peak at filming. They draw Bree into their fun, for a time. They seem like fun to hang out with and being older they should be more level headed but Bree is an adult and they can't control her. I question Lori's expertise as a rare books appraiser. She should know what that unusual script is! Ringers? Hello? Of course she has a tattoo in Elvish. I know lots of people have them. Roger, the tattoo artist, sounds like a remarkable person. He's calm and even tempered. Amazing, after what happened. He can probably do Elvish tattoos in his sleep at this point.
Bill is always the patient, long suffering husband. The twins are very sweet and experiencing their first death of elderly loved ones. Luckily they have Grandpa visiting to spoil them and kiss away their hurts while Mummy is away. Not that Lori does much parenting... We get a solution to the nanny problem in this book. Now Anneliese is married, Bill is a workaholic and Lori is always off on adventures forgetting she has children, someone needs to stay with the twins! I wonder if Aunt Dimity could make herself known to them and watch over them if needs be? She goes with Lori though so I don't think so. Dear Reg comes along for the trip too. He enjoyed it immensely and made some new friends.
While I liked learning more about New Zealand and traveling in the footsteps of the LOTR cast, this novel just didn't wow me. It was too much travel and too sad. I hope the next one set in Finch goes back in time or gives us more ghosts. If Dimity can be a ghost, why not the Pym sisters?
Anzac biscuits are yummy, a crunchy sweet oatmeal cookie. I made Anzac biscuits with golden syrup and shredded coconut chopped fine in the food processor. It's important to use old-fashioned oats and bake at the lower 325 degree temperature. I tried it with quick oats and baking at 350. My cookies burned on the edges and were sticky in the middle. I couldn't get them off the paper to the cooling rack. Apparently though, the tasters in the house fished the cookies out of the trash and insisted they weren't burned. I liked the chewy texture of those better but both are good.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 3, 2011
Lori has been called many things in her life, but diplomatic is not one of them - she loses her temper easily, speaks hastily, and isn't too concerned when facts get in the way of a good theory. So why has she been chosen by the Pym sisters for a task that may need "the utmost" diplomacy"? Because the Pym sisters see her traits in a different light - they think she's "strong-willed, determined, and naturally inquisitive", and they want her to go to New Zealand in search of their long-lost nephew, one they just discovered they had. So off to New Zealand to find Aubrey, deliver a letter from the Pym sisters, and fly back home to her own darling twins. But of course things are not that straightforward, and Lori is now looking for a great-grandniece who has scarpered, thus taking Lori on trips through both islands of scenic New Zealand. This travelogue part of the story was of great interest to me, and I was pleased to recognize places, plants, and creatures from our own very enjoyable trip to New Zealand. The main difference was that I didn't have an invisible (dead) friend who wrote messages to me in a blue journal!
February 21, 2010
This book was more a traveloge than anything else. We headed 23 hours from England to New Zealand where we learned some Maori phrases, saw Auckland, some of Wellington, ChristChurch and some costal areas, the volcanic portion of the country with a native guide. Aunt Dimity was knowledgeable about the country but she didn't really have too much to add, and really the only reason we heard so much about the country was that we were chasing a young girl all around the place. NZ native, Cameron and our main character Lori Shepherd would get to where they thought this missing gal, Bree, was only to find she'd just left. No, I didn't enjoy this too much. It was a merciful quick read, though.
August 19, 2017
.
This series offers cozy mysteries with amusing and quirky characters, in the life of Lori and her Aunt Dimity. Each one has been a fun and entertaining read to be sure.
It is appreciated that each book is able to stand on its own and usually concludes with an HEA.
This series offers cozy mysteries with amusing and quirky characters, in the life of Lori and her Aunt Dimity. Each one has been a fun and entertaining read to be sure.
It is appreciated that each book is able to stand on its own and usually concludes with an HEA.
June 22, 2011
Notes from about 3/4 of the way through: So far its a bit disappointing, as many of the last Aunt Dimity books have been. Its more like a travelogue. Lori (our heroine) is once again just running from place to place to place. And here's a question - why is Lori always in the company of a man (referring to her guide)? Most of these men are interchangeable. Why couldn't the charactor of the guide in this book, Cameron, have been written as a woman? Lori has tons of men friends. In previous books she fell for men left and right regardless of poor Ben, her long-suffering knight in shining armor who is left guarding the homefront time and again, with the author using the excuse of a busy law practice to keep Ben tied down. Lori doesn't have that many great girlfriends to keep her company on her treks and adventures, so why can't the author use more female supporting charactors? Maybe she's afraid of losing the romance readership. This book just seems like an excuse for the author to take a trip to New Zealand and write it off as a business expense.
(I'm experimenting with the use of a voice recorder to make notes as I'm reading)
(I'm experimenting with the use of a voice recorder to make notes as I'm reading)
November 24, 2017
As always, I enjoyed this installment of the Aunt Dimity series, although it was a bit of a travelogue of New Zealand. Still, I'd love to go to New Zealands....
I'll miss the Pym sisters, though. There is a trend in cozy mysteries for the "elderly spinster twin sisters", but the Pyms were two of the better examples.
I'll miss the Pym sisters, though. There is a trend in cozy mysteries for the "elderly spinster twin sisters", but the Pyms were two of the better examples.
April 9, 2011
Aunt Dimity Down Under is the fifteenth book in the paranormal cozy mystery "Aunt Dimity" series and the FIRST novel in a cozy mystery series that has ever brought tears to my eyes.
Lori Shepherd and the entire town is abuzz with the preparation for the wedding between Nell and Kit; the most beautiful couple in all of Finch. However, the wedding is put on hold when Finch's notorious elderly twins -- the Pym sisters Ruth and Louise -- are suddenly on their death-bed. Because Lori is well-known for her sleuthing and ability to solve various mysteries over the years, she is called upon by the Pym sisters to locate their long-lost relative named Aubrey. Lori's lead takes her all the way to New Zealand, where she takes on one of the most important tasks she's ever had in her life -- and perhaps the lives of the Pym sisters as well.
Aunt Dimity Down Under is by far the best book in the series to date. The inevitable pending deaths of the Pym sisters is heartbreaking and just devastating to endure. I'm sure it had to happen at some point since Atherton has her characters age throughout the series, and the Pym sisters were rumored to be a century old in the very first Aunt Dimity book. This particular book is structured perfectly, with the mystery itself being the wild scavenger hunt Lori embarks on to find Aubrey Pym.
Aunt Dimity Down Under is a definite page-turner and I have no doubt current Aunt Dimity fans will absolutely remember this book forever. The emotional attachment is just too strong considering this is book #15 in the series. I highly recommend it!
The next book in this series is Aunt Dimity and the Family Tree, which released February 2011.
Read more book reviews at http://dreamworldbooks.com.
Lori Shepherd and the entire town is abuzz with the preparation for the wedding between Nell and Kit; the most beautiful couple in all of Finch. However, the wedding is put on hold when Finch's notorious elderly twins -- the Pym sisters Ruth and Louise -- are suddenly on their death-bed. Because Lori is well-known for her sleuthing and ability to solve various mysteries over the years, she is called upon by the Pym sisters to locate their long-lost relative named Aubrey. Lori's lead takes her all the way to New Zealand, where she takes on one of the most important tasks she's ever had in her life -- and perhaps the lives of the Pym sisters as well.
Aunt Dimity Down Under is by far the best book in the series to date. The inevitable pending deaths of the Pym sisters is heartbreaking and just devastating to endure. I'm sure it had to happen at some point since Atherton has her characters age throughout the series, and the Pym sisters were rumored to be a century old in the very first Aunt Dimity book. This particular book is structured perfectly, with the mystery itself being the wild scavenger hunt Lori embarks on to find Aubrey Pym.
Aunt Dimity Down Under is a definite page-turner and I have no doubt current Aunt Dimity fans will absolutely remember this book forever. The emotional attachment is just too strong considering this is book #15 in the series. I highly recommend it!
The next book in this series is Aunt Dimity and the Family Tree, which released February 2011.
Read more book reviews at http://dreamworldbooks.com.
February 27, 2013
If I weren't already interested in a trip to New Zealand, Atherton's description would have me googling frantically and buying guidebooks galore.
Lori's mission takes the form of a wild chase up and down the country, arriving in each new locale only to discover her quarry has just left.
A pain in the ass for our traveler, but lovely for us as Atherton takes the opportunity to familiarize us with New Zealand's scenery, attractions, and Maori traditions. Though it's all done with a rather light touch, it's still enough to pique the reader's interest and give the trip a (presumably) authentic feel.
I also get the impression that Atherton is a fantasy junkie. This book included several references to the LotR, while the previous book mentioned a character alias of Drogo Dragonfire. Woman after my own heart.
Speaking of heart, mine broke a little in reading this book. I finished the final pages feeling both elated and deflated all at once. There may even have been a slight watering of the eyes.
Aunt Dimity remains entertaining, charming, and fresh - a wonderful thing to be able to say 15 books in.
Lori's mission takes the form of a wild chase up and down the country, arriving in each new locale only to discover her quarry has just left.
A pain in the ass for our traveler, but lovely for us as Atherton takes the opportunity to familiarize us with New Zealand's scenery, attractions, and Maori traditions. Though it's all done with a rather light touch, it's still enough to pique the reader's interest and give the trip a (presumably) authentic feel.
I also get the impression that Atherton is a fantasy junkie. This book included several references to the LotR, while the previous book mentioned a character alias of Drogo Dragonfire. Woman after my own heart.
Speaking of heart, mine broke a little in reading this book. I finished the final pages feeling both elated and deflated all at once. There may even have been a slight watering of the eyes.
Aunt Dimity remains entertaining, charming, and fresh - a wonderful thing to be able to say 15 books in.
November 8, 2020
This book is a little sad on a normally light series, but it has a happy ending anyway. Lori travels to New Zealand to find a long-lost relative of the Pym sisters. A friend of Bill's meets her there and helps her get around. The descriptions of the landscape are awesome, and there's a bit of history of New Zealand that's very interesting. This is a reliable series, that I turn to when I need a light read.
May 7, 2013
A good story, interesting facts on New Zealand, a simple read.
March 12, 2021
I love these books and am so glad I started reading them again!
This may be my second favorite in the series (my favorite overall is the first -- that was wonderful!), in large part because Lori is on her own in New Zealand to do a favor for friends. Well, not quite on her own -- a college friend of Bill's is acting as her guide and of course she has Reginald with her. And, also of course, Dimity is along for the trip.
Reading about New Zealand and its geography, culture and people was beyond wonderful! I went to Google Maps and Google Satellite several times so I could see (sort-of) some of the amazing places I was reading about. By the end of the book I was beginning to wonder whether my promise to myself after visiting Hawaii with Teem -- not to be on a plane for that long again -- was something I really wanted to keep. No one's going anywhere at the moment, though, so it's definitely something I don't need to decide right away. And, until I do, I'll keep the fantasy alive by remembering some of the best passages from this book.
This may be my second favorite in the series (my favorite overall is the first -- that was wonderful!), in large part because Lori is on her own in New Zealand to do a favor for friends. Well, not quite on her own -- a college friend of Bill's is acting as her guide and of course she has Reginald with her. And, also of course, Dimity is along for the trip.
Reading about New Zealand and its geography, culture and people was beyond wonderful! I went to Google Maps and Google Satellite several times so I could see (sort-of) some of the amazing places I was reading about. By the end of the book I was beginning to wonder whether my promise to myself after visiting Hawaii with Teem -- not to be on a plane for that long again -- was something I really wanted to keep. No one's going anywhere at the moment, though, so it's definitely something I don't need to decide right away. And, until I do, I'll keep the fantasy alive by remembering some of the best passages from this book.
November 2, 2019
Comforting read, but not too intellectually stimulating! Aunt Dimity didn't seem particularly pertinent to this story...
January 18, 2021
As always, charming and full of surprise and delight. But also tears in this one.
September 27, 2021
This story was obviously contrived in order for the author to give the reader a written tour of New Zealand, and talk a bit about "Lord of the Rings". Ignore the implausibility of the storyline and "enjoy the view".
August 4, 2017
Ok, I just finished this and was bored out of my skull. Since something is compelling me to read through every book in the series, despite my usual good judgment, I decided I had to do something to make me like this author more. I went to her Facebook page where I discovered a plethora of posts on her most recent trip to England---complete with bits of Chawton Cottage that I'd not yet discovered. She may not be great at keeping her characters or stories consistent, but she's a fellow Janeite so I must grant her more leniency than I have in the past...
I, fellow author and fellow Janeite, hereby and hereafter vow to stop being such a grump when it comes to the scatterbrained musings of Nancy Atherton and her editing team. Though I must, for my own sense of integrity, rate and report honestly my feelings and findings, I vow to do so in a more gracious way and to pick my battles with this series with more thoughtfulness than before. (So if you think my review below breaks the spirit of this vow, you may not want to read any I've written before it...)
I wanted to read this book because it tells the story of Bree---a character I've come to semi-like in the stories following this one. However, the far-fetched goose chase around New Zealand did get ridiculous after a bit and I found myself becoming annoyed that this was more a highlighted travelogue than any kind of mystery. The references to LOTR were sort of ok...except for the fact that so much of the technology the author describes in the settings of this book and those surrounding it doesn't seem consistent with the technology available to the average person in the late 1990s when the film was being made. I also really didn't appreciate the way the author compared getting a meaningful tattoo to the very harmful mental illness involved in cutting.
Again, I find myself asking...is this author really trying to write an unlikable character in Lori? Is Atherton meaning to make her out to be as ignorant, selfish, spoiled, and condescending as she is in every. single. book? Although so many of the details surrounding the village of Finch and its people are significantly inconsistent, the one consistency the reader can always count on is an extreme loathing for Lori. Please Mrs. Atherton, if you're reading this, please tell me! If this is on purpose, it would change my entire perspective regarding these bafflingly addictive books... Among other things, it would allow me to stop feeling so ashamed every time I succumb to the temptation to read another one...
I, fellow author and fellow Janeite, hereby and hereafter vow to stop being such a grump when it comes to the scatterbrained musings of Nancy Atherton and her editing team. Though I must, for my own sense of integrity, rate and report honestly my feelings and findings, I vow to do so in a more gracious way and to pick my battles with this series with more thoughtfulness than before. (So if you think my review below breaks the spirit of this vow, you may not want to read any I've written before it...)
I wanted to read this book because it tells the story of Bree---a character I've come to semi-like in the stories following this one. However, the far-fetched goose chase around New Zealand did get ridiculous after a bit and I found myself becoming annoyed that this was more a highlighted travelogue than any kind of mystery. The references to LOTR were sort of ok...except for the fact that so much of the technology the author describes in the settings of this book and those surrounding it doesn't seem consistent with the technology available to the average person in the late 1990s when the film was being made. I also really didn't appreciate the way the author compared getting a meaningful tattoo to the very harmful mental illness involved in cutting.
Again, I find myself asking...is this author really trying to write an unlikable character in Lori? Is Atherton meaning to make her out to be as ignorant, selfish, spoiled, and condescending as she is in every. single. book? Although so many of the details surrounding the village of Finch and its people are significantly inconsistent, the one consistency the reader can always count on is an extreme loathing for Lori. Please Mrs. Atherton, if you're reading this, please tell me! If this is on purpose, it would change my entire perspective regarding these bafflingly addictive books... Among other things, it would allow me to stop feeling so ashamed every time I succumb to the temptation to read another one...
May 26, 2011
To me the Aunt Dimity series is one of those rare gems that should go on and on forever. I love coming back to Finch each year and meeting up with old friends and just peeking in on what Lori and her family are up to. You really have to read these books in order to see Lori for all her flaws and loyalties. She loves her family and friends and will do anything for them. Even if it means traipsing to the end of the earth to bring a final happiness to two dearly loved friends.
Devastating news has hit Lori Shepherd. The Pym sisters have taken ill and are not expected to live much longer. In their need to finish their last requests, they have asked Lori to find Aubrey Pym their scandalous brother who was run off by their father decades before. Apparently, Aubrey was a bit of a cad and coming from a religious family, this action was not tolerated.
After meeting with the Pym family solicitor, Fortescue Makepeace, Lori heads off to New Zealand to begin this sacrosanct journey. With the help of Cameron Mackenzie, a dashing but unavailable friend of Lori’s husband Bill, the duo travel throughout New Zealand being one-step behind the beneficiary of the Pym family fortune - a fortune that has an interesting history of its own.
Aunt Dimity Down Under reads more like a travelogue then a mystery. There really is no “who-done-it” to figure out, just a wild romp through a country with breathtaking lands and welcoming people.
The ending has a nice lead into the next book, Aunt Dimity and the Family Tree, where Lori’s now retired father-in-law moves to town and is renovating the Fairworth House.
Devastating news has hit Lori Shepherd. The Pym sisters have taken ill and are not expected to live much longer. In their need to finish their last requests, they have asked Lori to find Aubrey Pym their scandalous brother who was run off by their father decades before. Apparently, Aubrey was a bit of a cad and coming from a religious family, this action was not tolerated.
After meeting with the Pym family solicitor, Fortescue Makepeace, Lori heads off to New Zealand to begin this sacrosanct journey. With the help of Cameron Mackenzie, a dashing but unavailable friend of Lori’s husband Bill, the duo travel throughout New Zealand being one-step behind the beneficiary of the Pym family fortune - a fortune that has an interesting history of its own.
Aunt Dimity Down Under reads more like a travelogue then a mystery. There really is no “who-done-it” to figure out, just a wild romp through a country with breathtaking lands and welcoming people.
The ending has a nice lead into the next book, Aunt Dimity and the Family Tree, where Lori’s now retired father-in-law moves to town and is renovating the Fairworth House.
May 24, 2017
I hate to start a series on book 15 but that's the one I needed for a challenge (a book set in New Zealand) so that's where I began. I really liked it and will definitely be starting the series at book 1 to familiarize myself with Lori and her family as well as, the Pym sisters when they were healthy and presumably fun.
On their deathbed, the Pym sisters ask Lori Shepherd to find Aubrey. Now you ask WTH is Aubrey? Well that's Lori's question as well and when she finds out that he is in New Zealand, she's off on an adventure to find the long-lost relative. Lori's adventure takes her all over the North and South Islands searching for Aubrey who seems to always be one-step ahead of her.
I have always been interested in visiting New Zealand and Atherton's descriptions have just reinforced my desire. The islands sound absolutely gorgeous and the people have that laid back quality that makes life so unstressful and enjoyable (unlike life in New Jersey). I particularly liked her references to the Maori and their traditions - the native people of New Zealand and Australia are eminently fascinating.
April 10, 2016
I would give this book 2.5 stars if possible, but I have to round up or down, so it's down. This is the only book I've read in the "Aunt Dimity" series, so the undeveloped characters may be developed elsewhere. The good thing about this is New Zealand -- there is a lot of information for anyone interested in New Zealand. Other than that, it's just a little silly. The protagonist lives in an idyllic little village in England and has the perfect life with lots of perfect people as friends and neighbors. It's all very quaint, in the tritest sense of the word. She "communes" with dead Aunt Dimity through a journal. She is asked by two elderly and frail twins, who speak in tandem, to go on a quest to New Zealand to find their brother. In New Zealand a day later, she meets up with a good friend of her husband's who takes her all over the country looking for Aubrey. That's where (and only where) it gets interesting . . . as another reviewed aptly put it . . . it becomes a travelogue. Because I am interested in New Zealand, I liked it. But as a novel or a mystery, like I said, it was silly.
September 7, 2012
I love this series, especially the eccentric characters in the small English village of Finch. I have grown quite attached to some of them, so this book actually brought tears to my eyes. If you like books set in charming English country villages, historical detail (or travelogue as in this book) and a nice "cozy," mystery, start with the first book in the series, "Aunt Dimity's Death." These books need to be read in order or you miss out on important details and the introdution of new characters. I made the mistake of reading only one of the books out of order because this one was not available at the library, and was upset to find out something that had happened to characters in this book. Beautiful descriptions of New Zealand in this book, including a charming and friendly New Zealand bird, the Fantail. It reminds me of cute little birds in Disney cartoons.
August 20, 2023
Wow - I thought this would be a sweet little English mystery, but, YOWZA! I lasted 22 pages. How is this dreck published?!? Lori is hateful, the voice is TERRIBLE, and it’s absolutely sophomoric. I got two of the books in the series out of the library but they’ll both be going back. I should have known since the author is American. There’s ZERO British “essence” - other than ham handed British tropes (the manors, the twee names, Savile Row mentions). Just god awful
August 3, 2016
My first and last Aunt Dimity book. Another reviewer got it in one in her comment that this book looks like an excuse to go to New Zealand and write it off on tax. Totally implausible chase through the country, totally implausible and terribly flimsy plot.
January 7, 2018
I have enjoyed all of the Aunt Dimity books to date, but this one has been my favorite. Not only did it follow Lori on another great mysterious journey with new quirky characters, but it painted such a wonderful picture of New Zealand. I have never been there and now it is on my bucket list. :)
October 25, 2020
I found this book hard to read as Lori seemed to have lost track of her poor low income life style and now takes for granted being able to fly first class on the plane and spent a lot of time complaining about having to make a trip to a beautiful country really was a turn off
June 15, 2016
One of my favorite series and I loved adding beautiful New Zealand into the mix.
January 23, 2023
Reread - this is one of my favorite Aunt Dimity books. Every time I read it, I want to book a trip to New Zealand.
June 3, 2020
Perfectly adequate cozy but I'm not moved to read any more of them. (Side note, what was with the Lord of the Rings tie-in? The real-world specifics seemed very out of place.)
May 7, 2017
Another delightful and lovely book in this series! This time Lori is on her way to New Zealand to find the long-lost brother of the Pym sisters, and naturally she is taking her stuffed bunny, Reginald, along with her, in addition to the journal through which her deceased Aunt Dimity communicates with Lori from the beyond.
Be sure to read this book with a map and Google nearby, because you will want to look up photos and maps of all the beautiful places that Lori visits in New Zealand! The way the writer describes the natural beauties of the mountains, oceans, and sweet little towns, makes you want to look it up. And it's all real and true-to-life, right down to the massive carrot for the Carrot Festival in a little mountain town. (They really have a massive carrot! I looked up a picture of it!) Reading this book made me feel like I had visited New Zealand myself.
The plot was pretty straight-forward, but with many little details that made it fun and engaging. I still think it's hilarious that Aunt Dimity is a ghost who talks to Lori through a journal. I still love Lori's delightfully stubborn character, and her relationships with everyone in her little town. I love seeing Lori meet new people in every book, making friends and enemies, and being her own wild self.
This fluffy little read kept my attention, and I'm enjoying every book in this series, despite the fact that they aren't great literature. The writing is good, clear, and funny! The characters are adorable and complex. I love it all!
Be sure to read this book with a map and Google nearby, because you will want to look up photos and maps of all the beautiful places that Lori visits in New Zealand! The way the writer describes the natural beauties of the mountains, oceans, and sweet little towns, makes you want to look it up. And it's all real and true-to-life, right down to the massive carrot for the Carrot Festival in a little mountain town. (They really have a massive carrot! I looked up a picture of it!) Reading this book made me feel like I had visited New Zealand myself.
The plot was pretty straight-forward, but with many little details that made it fun and engaging. I still think it's hilarious that Aunt Dimity is a ghost who talks to Lori through a journal. I still love Lori's delightfully stubborn character, and her relationships with everyone in her little town. I love seeing Lori meet new people in every book, making friends and enemies, and being her own wild self.
This fluffy little read kept my attention, and I'm enjoying every book in this series, despite the fact that they aren't great literature. The writing is good, clear, and funny! The characters are adorable and complex. I love it all!
July 26, 2018
A strange series in that the main character, Lori, talks with he mother's best friend, the late Aunt Dimity, through a book. Lori talks and the spirit of Dimity writes her portion of the conversation. Each time the sessions end the writing disappears. In this manner we have travelled from Chicago to a small village in England where Lori, her husband, her children and her father-in-law have spent about 10 years telling us tales of love, loss, intrigue, jealousy, friendships and lost chances. Each new story gives us a bit of mystery, a bit of danger and a lot of family - neighborly interaction. The small village of Finch has many odd characters and many very stable ones. There are additions and losses over time as the community is the center of each story.
Briefly here we have the possible loss of one set of twins ( Lori has twin boys who will give the village the required set of twins if needed ) and the finding of a lost relative as far away as Australia/New Zealand who now has a full family if only briefly. These stories make you laugh, remember your family and childhood neighbors and cry over simple things that meant something once and now you realize the loss was more than you thought.
Briefly here we have the possible loss of one set of twins ( Lori has twin boys who will give the village the required set of twins if needed ) and the finding of a lost relative as far away as Australia/New Zealand who now has a full family if only briefly. These stories make you laugh, remember your family and childhood neighbors and cry over simple things that meant something once and now you realize the loss was more than you thought.
December 28, 2020
Disappointing
I've read all the earlier Aunt Dimity books. I used to enjoy them and thought the concept of Aunt Dimity was original. However, the protagonist of the series, Lori Shepherd, has evolved into a whining, needy idiot. Lori is a college graduate and supposedly smart. Here are a few of her statements: "New Zealand is . . . pretty far away from here [England] isn't it?" (Chapter 5) "Do they have private detectives in New Zealand?" (Chapter 6) And when asking about the hotel in Auckland New Zealand where she's staying, "Will it fall over when the volcanoes erupt?" ( Chapter 7) despite being told repeatedly that the volcanoes are extinct on that island. She can't operate a computer, make her own flight and travel arrangements, and she's just sooo worn out after flying first class and having a driver meet and pick her up (which she didn't have to arrange either). Geez, I'm done with this series.
I've read all the earlier Aunt Dimity books. I used to enjoy them and thought the concept of Aunt Dimity was original. However, the protagonist of the series, Lori Shepherd, has evolved into a whining, needy idiot. Lori is a college graduate and supposedly smart. Here are a few of her statements: "New Zealand is . . . pretty far away from here [England] isn't it?" (Chapter 5) "Do they have private detectives in New Zealand?" (Chapter 6) And when asking about the hotel in Auckland New Zealand where she's staying, "Will it fall over when the volcanoes erupt?" ( Chapter 7) despite being told repeatedly that the volcanoes are extinct on that island. She can't operate a computer, make her own flight and travel arrangements, and she's just sooo worn out after flying first class and having a driver meet and pick her up (which she didn't have to arrange either). Geez, I'm done with this series.
November 22, 2020
Talk about buying the book for its cover! The large kiwi on the copy I found definitely drew me in. I was not familiar with the series and the mysterious deceased title aunt who speaks to the main character, Lori, through the magic words that appear in the diary. Uh-huh. It's a Kiwi Twinkie to be sure, setting a high bar for the cozy mystery genre. I found Lori to be a most uninteresting protagonist, and was hard pressed to see what she added to the story. Between the supernatural words that speak to her in the diary, and Cameron who is her perfect man guide in New Zealand, there is no room for her to recognize an original thought if one did come her way. That being said, I enjoyed the chance to revisit New Zealand, and was glad that Lori at least had the sense to love it in the end.
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