Tuesday, August 31, 2010

Nancy Atherton - Aunt Dimity's Death (1992)


This is a nice rambling little mystery, part of a larger series which can be read out of order - something I did without any problems. I actually began the series reading Aunt Dimity: Vampire Hunter. No, there wasn't a real vampire in sight. These aren't those kind of books. Think of them as Devonshire tea books - fluffy scones with jam, cream and a good strong cup of tea. That's as far from a vampire as you can get.

The first book covers how two Americans, Lori Shepherd and Bill Willis, meet and how they end up living in a picturesque little cottage in a equally picturesque little village in England. It's all very idyllic with limited reality involved, but I don't look for reality when I read. I want to ESCAPE!

The mystery begins during World War 2 as the Americans land in England and a fighter plane, flown by a young Scottish lad, is shot down just off the English coast. Why does it matter in the 1990s? Because he had a young fiancee named Dimity, and she became a character in a series of stories to a little girl named Lori, told to her by her mother Beth. Sound confusing? It won't once you begin reading. It's a sweet little premise for a story. No hard edges and lots of pretty moments with many uniquely absurd characters - my favourite was Reginald, he's a pink stuffed bunny. Who cannot resist a pink bunny?!

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