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Aunt Dimity Mystery #6
Aunt Dimity Beats the Devil
The charming sixth installment of the bestselling Aunt Dimity series. Watch out for Nancy Atherton's latest, Aunt Dimity and the King's Ransom, coming in July 2018 from Viking! With rain crashing down on her Range Rover, as it climbs up a steep embankment on the Northumberland moors, Lori Shepherd is beginning to doubt the wisdom of her decision to evaluate a rare book collection at Wyrdhurst Hall. The grim, neo-gothic hall that greets her upon arrival is full of surprises-including a charming, secretive stranger, and a cache of World War I letters that tell a tale of doomed love and hint at a hidden treasure. It will take all of Dimity's supernatural skills to help Lori solve the puzzle and restore peace to a family haunted by its tragic past.
253 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2000
119 people are currently reading
1129 people want to read
About the author
Nancy Atherton
56 books1,176 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
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 272 reviews
November 14, 2017
This is one of my favorite books so far in the Aunt Dimity series. I'm glad that Lori's "passionate nature" and "roving eye", as Dimity calls it (pg. 148) are finally discussed. I was wondering why in many of the previous books Lori finds herself attracted to various men (cousin Gerald in Aunt Dimity's Good Deed, both Julian Bright, the Roman Catholic priest, and Kit Smith, the homeless man, in Aunt Dimity's Christmas, and Adam Chase in this book). I was wondering why this happily married woman was attracted to someone other than her husband in each of the books. It seemed as if it was part of the plot in each book, and I didn't really relate to this aspect of Lori's character. She always remains faithful to her husband, but she seems to find, and then place, herself in compromising situations. I think she's playing with matches and that if she doesn't want to get burned, she should stop. This book discusses this character trait more openly. I am interested to see whether it continues in the series. I hope not. It was getting a bit predictable.
May 21, 2019
Could not wait to read this on Halloween so I plunged right in, and I am so pleased that I did! Nancy Atherton’s Aunt Dimity Beats the Devil (Aunt Dimity #6) is a grand read. Lori Shepherd is offered a chance to go to an old Victorian country home on the moors in Northumbria to check out her old boss’ niece’s library full of what Lori hopes are fabulous book collections that previously belonged to her uncle. Lori needs a break so off she goes! Getting to her destination is very definitely not Lori’s idea of a good time, but she eventually arrives at Wyrdhurst Hall. Trouble finds Lori on the moors in horrendous weather, and things appear to go downhill from there. Finally at Wyrdhurst Hall Lori ‘feels’ much if not all is ‘wrong’, and then there is the resident ghost with which Lori will deal. The author exposes Lori’s emotions - attraction to a male who is not Bill, her husband, abject fear, jealousy, and you should read what Aunt Dimity tells Lori in just two words! The best read! Highly recommended! 4.5 stars.
September 29, 2022
* I take my writing seriously and consider comments the reward. Please do not leave “like button” clicks, until you are accompanying them with remarks for me. *
I inhaled this whole book in one day! Any sentence by Nancy Atherton is uplifting. I savour her for when I need an emotional boost. Her mysteries are exciting and always exceptionally original. There has been a small paranormal presence, conversing with Dimity through a journal. It was all right because I adore Lori’s family and always-varying friends. It is high praise that this is my favourite so far! THIS is more like the paranormal I yearn for in adult books! We don’t see a ghost but at last: a spookier entity effects the emotional behaviour of hall occupants....
Lori’s mystery involvement is always established neatly. She spends a week with the poorly-matched owners of Wyrdhurst Hall to assess their book collection, a job she enjoyed in Chicago, USA. The older husband seems to be a bossy creep to a loveable wife. Readers don’t know who is responsible for overall unease, trespassing, and lies that surface frequently. My sole suggestion is that a vehicular mishap was unnecessary to meet Adam Chase, the hall’s temporary neighbour. Lori is glad to confer with someone outside the hall, when she and the mistress feel threatened by human disturbances. The paranormal, Lori can handle and I love the examination of wartime letters, leading to a much older story that it is important to unravel. I am always far more enraptured with long dormant mysteries than modern nuisances!
I seethed over unjust, criminal treatment and stupidity of a Father disapproving of an heir’s lover. However the unearthing, understanding, and consequences of this situation are of the most paramount kind. What the revelations signify for some in the present day is staggering, life-changing, and the most emotional ending any reader could wish for in any novel. I was enthralled with every page, from stem to stern!
I inhaled this whole book in one day! Any sentence by Nancy Atherton is uplifting. I savour her for when I need an emotional boost. Her mysteries are exciting and always exceptionally original. There has been a small paranormal presence, conversing with Dimity through a journal. It was all right because I adore Lori’s family and always-varying friends. It is high praise that this is my favourite so far! THIS is more like the paranormal I yearn for in adult books! We don’t see a ghost but at last: a spookier entity effects the emotional behaviour of hall occupants....
Lori’s mystery involvement is always established neatly. She spends a week with the poorly-matched owners of Wyrdhurst Hall to assess their book collection, a job she enjoyed in Chicago, USA. The older husband seems to be a bossy creep to a loveable wife. Readers don’t know who is responsible for overall unease, trespassing, and lies that surface frequently. My sole suggestion is that a vehicular mishap was unnecessary to meet Adam Chase, the hall’s temporary neighbour. Lori is glad to confer with someone outside the hall, when she and the mistress feel threatened by human disturbances. The paranormal, Lori can handle and I love the examination of wartime letters, leading to a much older story that it is important to unravel. I am always far more enraptured with long dormant mysteries than modern nuisances!
I seethed over unjust, criminal treatment and stupidity of a Father disapproving of an heir’s lover. However the unearthing, understanding, and consequences of this situation are of the most paramount kind. What the revelations signify for some in the present day is staggering, life-changing, and the most emotional ending any reader could wish for in any novel. I was enthralled with every page, from stem to stern!
October 13, 2009
I have read all of this series and like it a lot. Probably because she's living my dream life. An American girl receives a large inheritance from a friend of her mother's in England and goes to live there in a charming Cotswold cottage. I do like the Aunt Dimity speaking from the grave plot device. I AM getting a little tired of Lori's roving eye motif. Does EVERY single book HAVE to have some attractive man that she becomes attached to and who falls for her? Having said that, this is probably my favorite Dimity book. I was interested in all the characters, guessed only parts of it was honestly touched and saddened by the story of Clair and Edward.
November 25, 2020
Really enjoyed the story. Looked the spookiness and the tragic tale of the long ago lovers.
October 10, 2012
I love the Aunt Dimity stories, and this one is the perfect Halloween cozy because it takes place in a haunted house. Lori travels to Northumberland to catalog an old library at Wyrdhurst Hall. Naturally, she and Dimity encounter all sorts of weird happenings and manage to solve a mystery or two while there. I enjoy these books so much....they are so relaxing and fun to read!
August 19, 2017
.
I really enjoy this series. Getting to know the new characters in a familiar setting is like going back home for a visit and meeting someone new. Aunt Dimity never fails to guide and entertain.
I really enjoy this series. Getting to know the new characters in a familiar setting is like going back home for a visit and meeting someone new. Aunt Dimity never fails to guide and entertain.
August 28, 2017
This felt more like a ghost story than a mystery for most of its length, though not a scary one at all. Cuddly and undemanding, it was a great book to read during a summer vacation.
November 25, 2008
very eerie and creepy for Nancy Atherton... sad too.
May 24, 2018
This book needed way more Aunt Dimity and much less of Lori "romance".
December 15, 2018
Aunt Dimity to the rescue again! Lori's old friend Stan, asks her to catalog a library and see if there is any value there. Lori figures out pretty quickly that the owner of the library also wanted her to investigate his niece's impetuous marriage and of course, does so, guided, naturally by a ghost, but a ghost Aunt Dimity doesn't approve of. One thing leads to another, and of course everything ends up happily ever after. This is one of the first series of cozy mysteries after all. Or at least the first I became aware of. A few things in there are a real stretch and perhaps unduly complicated and I'm tempted to give another star for Atherton trying to remove do her part to remove the stigma of homosexuality, but it really was a stretch. This was nicely done but not extremely well done.
May 9, 2022
I really enjoyed this one. A bit more of a mystery, another ghost to deal with, some history to figure out and a castle.
October 30, 2022
Hatte ein ganz wenig "ghost whisperer" Vibe. 😊
June 14, 2017
This is the perfect fluffy book for a chilly autumn evening! Curling up with a cup of tea and a hilarious ghost mystery just before Halloween- it doesn't get any better than that! I like ghost stories when the spirits are friendly, like Aunt Dimity and her ghostly cohorts.
This book doesn't have Bill or the twins in it, because Lori is traveling to a haunted mansion to categorize their ancient library. As if I needed another reason to love her character- she's a bookish person with a bookish job!
Lori is at her best in this book, full of courage and fear, independent but needing help, flirty but faithful to her husband, brilliant and sometimes stupid, trusting and skeptical, all at once! She is such a beautifully complex and well-rounded person. It just adore her raw humanity! In this story, I really love how she gets all motherly toward everyone, trying to take care of them and guide them. She is such a caring and compassionate person.
And there is a new cast of supporting characters around Lori, each with their own background and their own voice. Each person has such a distinct personality, and their own way of interacting with the other characters in different circumstances. It just makes for interesting story-telling to see them all pushing through the mystery together.
There's a little of everything in this book- tragic accidents, historical mysteries, romance, ghostly apparitions, intrigue, burglary, crime, action, suspense, hidden treasure, cozy tea times by the fire, and of course the delightful Aunt Dimity giving timely advice to the intrepid Lori.
I love this whole series!
This book doesn't have Bill or the twins in it, because Lori is traveling to a haunted mansion to categorize their ancient library. As if I needed another reason to love her character- she's a bookish person with a bookish job!
Lori is at her best in this book, full of courage and fear, independent but needing help, flirty but faithful to her husband, brilliant and sometimes stupid, trusting and skeptical, all at once! She is such a beautifully complex and well-rounded person. It just adore her raw humanity! In this story, I really love how she gets all motherly toward everyone, trying to take care of them and guide them. She is such a caring and compassionate person.
And there is a new cast of supporting characters around Lori, each with their own background and their own voice. Each person has such a distinct personality, and their own way of interacting with the other characters in different circumstances. It just makes for interesting story-telling to see them all pushing through the mystery together.
There's a little of everything in this book- tragic accidents, historical mysteries, romance, ghostly apparitions, intrigue, burglary, crime, action, suspense, hidden treasure, cozy tea times by the fire, and of course the delightful Aunt Dimity giving timely advice to the intrepid Lori.
I love this whole series!
September 20, 2020
Aunt Dimity books continue to delight. Lori is asked to go to Northumberland to catalog a private library owned by her friend Dickie. She is also asked to keep her eyes and ears open because Dickie is the guardian of a woman living at the castle and all is not right. In this book, we meet a writer of stories about World War I, and a Captain Guy Manning stationed in the services there.
The castle is haunted and Lori sets out to help with this issue with Aunt Dimity's help.
A good cozy and well worth the read.
The castle is haunted and Lori sets out to help with this issue with Aunt Dimity's help.
A good cozy and well worth the read.
August 11, 2016
Aunt Dimity Beats the Devil by Nancy Atherton.
This story seemed to have everything that makes a mystery fun to read. Lori shepherd travels to an old English Hall that appears to be haunted. She's been called on to appraise a unique book collection. The books reveal a bit more than just their age. She soon begins to learn of a romance that may have the reasoning behind the haunting. Aunt Dimity attempts to guide Lori away from those that may become harmful to her by writing her messages.
I am actually beginning to appreciate this series and Aunt Dimity.
This story seemed to have everything that makes a mystery fun to read. Lori shepherd travels to an old English Hall that appears to be haunted. She's been called on to appraise a unique book collection. The books reveal a bit more than just their age. She soon begins to learn of a romance that may have the reasoning behind the haunting. Aunt Dimity attempts to guide Lori away from those that may become harmful to her by writing her messages.
I am actually beginning to appreciate this series and Aunt Dimity.
July 30, 2012
One of the reasons that I like the Aunt Dimity series so much is that the author always (thus far) includes snippets of history - just enough to interest one in doing further reading on the subject. In this book, World War I and some of its horrors provides the background for several of the characters.
Ghosts, gothic castles, lonely moors, star-crossed young lovers, and another delicious recipe (Claire's Lace Cookies) at the end! Great summer, winter or anytime reading!
Ghosts, gothic castles, lonely moors, star-crossed young lovers, and another delicious recipe (Claire's Lace Cookies) at the end! Great summer, winter or anytime reading!
January 19, 2013
Another great read in the Aunt Dimity series! Haunted castle and past tragedies play a delicious part in this latest book with Lori Shepherd taking a trip to the north of England to evaluate a book collection and encountering much more than she bargained for.
October 3, 2022
Not my favorite in the series, but a passable way to spend a few hours when my brain is not at full capacity.
July 30, 2018
Ugh. Ugh. Ugh.
It's kind of hard to believe a book like this would be written in such a casual way. (Maybe it's because this is the sixth book in the series? Whatever, I don't really care) I can hardly believe anybody would want to read this, and yet I do know it is a depraved world. I just don't really want to know about it.
Anyway. Let's get to some specifics. (The whole book will be spoiled, probably, but I don't care about that, either. I don't think anyone should read it)
First, Aunt Dimity. Pretty important character, right? She's in the title, after all. But no, she's not the elderly woman who goes around solving mysteries, like my mom thought by reading the title. She's Lori's dead aunt who communicates to Lori by 'writing' in an empty journal. Thus, Lori isn't scared of ghosts, because she actually knows one.
Next, the actual plot of the book. Lori is being controlled by Claire, who, you guessed it, is dead! Poor Claire's soul is 'afflicted', and so her ghost/spirit/whatever you want to call it is actually dwelling in Lori. It would be utterly creepy if Lori wasn't even bothered by it. She actually was relieved to know that a ghost was controlling her actions! Lori, kindhearted woman that she is, wants to help Claire. I guess no one told her that Claire is dead. Probably no one told the author, because for all practical purposes, Claire is still around. She and Edward (another dead person) even get married! The worst part of it might be that it wasn't creepy. I didn't feel exceptionally disturbed (except by the depravity of the world). So what that ghosts are all around, influencing real people? It's not like they're demonic. All we need to do is find the treasure, and the spirits of dead people will be quieted and satisfied, never to bother anyone again. Not only is that unwholesome to read about, it's also unrealistic. In reality, these 'dead people' would be demons. And they'd be a lot more horrifying and creepy than they were portrayed. And they wouldn't leave you, not without God's intervention. Demon possession is too serious to just skew like this, and make ghosts these poor, afflicted souls who need some help.
Okay, so we've established that this book is practically satanic. Let's throw in some political worldviews, as well! Let's shove down the reader's throats some feminism; Lori may be a mother, but she's stronger and more capable than her husband. Bill can't seem to control their twins at all. And, thanks to Lori's experience with twins, she can undergo glowing eyes, creepy laughing, and generally scary circumstances without flinching. At least, she could, if Claire wasn't in her, blanching at everything reminding Claire of her horrible past. Not only that, but there are two specific men that are portrayed as tyrants. Just to throw that in there.
Don't worry, it just gets better! Now we find out that Nicole's husband is homosexual. Poor Nicole, that's why it wasn't a very good marriage. Don't worry, that can be fixed very easily. Just let the guy go off with his male friend, annul the marriage, and let Nicole marry the handsome military man who saved the day. But we can't just let it rest without calling someone homophobic. Because it's not understandable that Uncle Dickie would be furious that his niece married such a creepy ick?
To top it all off, the characters enjoyed swearing from time to time. Not too much--just enough to let readers know that the author has no problem with those words.
To really top it all off, let's have some inappropriate feelings and actions between Lori and Adam. But don't worry, it wasn't Lori's fault. It was Claire's fault! Yeah, that's it. We can blame all that on Claire, because she was so sad that she could never marry Edward, and she had to express her passion somehow. Everything wraps up in a nice little bow; nobody actually has to realize they did something inappropriate, and change. Not to mention that Adam's express purpose was to seduce Lori.
Underneath all that garbage, there was some semblance of an interesting plot. The terrorism twist was interesting, and I would have paid more attention if there all of the above hadn't happened. But when I finally got to that point, I was reading so fast, because I didn't want to be reading the book anymore. So, I basically just skimmed it.
Conclusion? Don't read this book.
It's kind of hard to believe a book like this would be written in such a casual way. (Maybe it's because this is the sixth book in the series? Whatever, I don't really care) I can hardly believe anybody would want to read this, and yet I do know it is a depraved world. I just don't really want to know about it.
Anyway. Let's get to some specifics. (The whole book will be spoiled, probably, but I don't care about that, either. I don't think anyone should read it)
First, Aunt Dimity. Pretty important character, right? She's in the title, after all. But no, she's not the elderly woman who goes around solving mysteries, like my mom thought by reading the title. She's Lori's dead aunt who communicates to Lori by 'writing' in an empty journal. Thus, Lori isn't scared of ghosts, because she actually knows one.
Next, the actual plot of the book. Lori is being controlled by Claire, who, you guessed it, is dead! Poor Claire's soul is 'afflicted', and so her ghost/spirit/whatever you want to call it is actually dwelling in Lori. It would be utterly creepy if Lori wasn't even bothered by it. She actually was relieved to know that a ghost was controlling her actions! Lori, kindhearted woman that she is, wants to help Claire. I guess no one told her that Claire is dead. Probably no one told the author, because for all practical purposes, Claire is still around. She and Edward (another dead person) even get married! The worst part of it might be that it wasn't creepy. I didn't feel exceptionally disturbed (except by the depravity of the world). So what that ghosts are all around, influencing real people? It's not like they're demonic. All we need to do is find the treasure, and the spirits of dead people will be quieted and satisfied, never to bother anyone again. Not only is that unwholesome to read about, it's also unrealistic. In reality, these 'dead people' would be demons. And they'd be a lot more horrifying and creepy than they were portrayed. And they wouldn't leave you, not without God's intervention. Demon possession is too serious to just skew like this, and make ghosts these poor, afflicted souls who need some help.
Okay, so we've established that this book is practically satanic. Let's throw in some political worldviews, as well! Let's shove down the reader's throats some feminism; Lori may be a mother, but she's stronger and more capable than her husband. Bill can't seem to control their twins at all. And, thanks to Lori's experience with twins, she can undergo glowing eyes, creepy laughing, and generally scary circumstances without flinching. At least, she could, if Claire wasn't in her, blanching at everything reminding Claire of her horrible past. Not only that, but there are two specific men that are portrayed as tyrants. Just to throw that in there.
Don't worry, it just gets better! Now we find out that Nicole's husband is homosexual. Poor Nicole, that's why it wasn't a very good marriage. Don't worry, that can be fixed very easily. Just let the guy go off with his male friend, annul the marriage, and let Nicole marry the handsome military man who saved the day. But we can't just let it rest without calling someone homophobic. Because it's not understandable that Uncle Dickie would be furious that his niece married such a creepy ick?
To top it all off, the characters enjoyed swearing from time to time. Not too much--just enough to let readers know that the author has no problem with those words.
To really top it all off, let's have some inappropriate feelings and actions between Lori and Adam. But don't worry, it wasn't Lori's fault. It was Claire's fault! Yeah, that's it. We can blame all that on Claire, because she was so sad that she could never marry Edward, and she had to express her passion somehow. Everything wraps up in a nice little bow; nobody actually has to realize they did something inappropriate, and change. Not to mention that Adam's express purpose was to seduce Lori.
Underneath all that garbage, there was some semblance of an interesting plot. The terrorism twist was interesting, and I would have paid more attention if there all of the above hadn't happened. But when I finally got to that point, I was reading so fast, because I didn't want to be reading the book anymore. So, I basically just skimmed it.
Conclusion? Don't read this book.
May 27, 2018
Aunt Dimity Beats the Devil by Nancy Atherton is the 6th book of the Aunt Dimity cozy mystery series set in 20th-century England.
Lori eagerly takes an assignment to catalog a private library in a Northumberland estate. But trouble starts even before she gets there: lost in a storm, she crashes the car down a hillside. Contrary to her loyal family-oriented nature, Lori is strongly attracted to her gorgeous hunky rescuer.
At Tarrant Hall, Lori learns her hostess Nicola believes her home is haunted, whenever her husband is away "on business". The house and its ugly furnishings have a strange hold on Lori; once she finds a series of love letters from WWII, Lori's personality and behavior change. She becomes fond of a different stuffed animal (Major Ted), ignores Aunt Dimity's warnings to flee, kisses the hunk.
Lori suspects the "ghost" is really a local gang of thieves. She explores more of the house, including a mysterious round tower. Together with the hunk, she learns much more was going on than she ever suspected, both in the present and in the past. Of course, good sense and romance prevail in the end. One of my favorites in the series so far.
Lori eagerly takes an assignment to catalog a private library in a Northumberland estate. But trouble starts even before she gets there: lost in a storm, she crashes the car down a hillside. Contrary to her loyal family-oriented nature, Lori is strongly attracted to her gorgeous hunky rescuer.
At Tarrant Hall, Lori learns her hostess Nicola believes her home is haunted, whenever her husband is away "on business". The house and its ugly furnishings have a strange hold on Lori; once she finds a series of love letters from WWII, Lori's personality and behavior change. She becomes fond of a different stuffed animal (Major Ted), ignores Aunt Dimity's warnings to flee, kisses the hunk.
Lori suspects the "ghost" is really a local gang of thieves. She explores more of the house, including a mysterious round tower. Together with the hunk, she learns much more was going on than she ever suspected, both in the present and in the past. Of course, good sense and romance prevail in the end. One of my favorites in the series so far.
June 4, 2020
Challenges: HEA-athon June 2020 - Name in title (9); RRRCs - October 2019 (belated)/Mystery (3); March Mystery Madness - Bingo/Publication year divisible by 5; MMM Cover Scavenger Hunt - Art (7, painting), book (10, journal), flower (11, fresh), creepy (13, devil in flame), person (26, painting), fire (29, fireplace), five words in title (31); Steeped in Books/Stacking the Series - Level 7b/Book 6. One of my favorite Aunt Dimity books to date. A ghost story within a ghost story circa The Great War. Family is recognized and reunited; the dead are remembered and honored. An old romance finds resolution; a new romance begins. Aunt Dimity and Reginald at their best.
January 20, 2018
I'm rounding up about half a star.
This book is worth reading for fans of the series, though definitely not the best starting place. Lori is once again the POV character, and Aunt Dimity is fairly active, but most of the cast are newcomers. A central mystery has a rather bizarre and random-feeling resolution, but other aspects of the story wrap up in satisfying and even moving ways.
This book is worth reading for fans of the series, though definitely not the best starting place. Lori is once again the POV character, and Aunt Dimity is fairly active, but most of the cast are newcomers. A central mystery has a rather bizarre and random-feeling resolution, but other aspects of the story wrap up in satisfying and even moving ways.
May 1, 2022
3.5 -- This was not as cozy as the other Dimity novels thus far. It was a bit more supernatural, which was ok, but I missed the small-village-and-cottage feel. The story improved as it went along, and I appreciated that the story had a happy ending.
October 7, 2021
An enjoyable comfortable mystery with a little paranormal. I enjoyed it immensely
March 2, 2024
It is nice to have a simple mystery to listen to while falling asleep. Nothing earth-shattering but I looked forward to getting into bed to listen to the next chapter.
August 5, 2025
A fun entertaining read with a bit of romance, mystery and deception!
March 2, 2017
Solid.
There are some annoyances, but the author knows they are annoyances needed to support her plot and treats them accordingly, so as the book went on, they became less annoying.
There are some annoyances, but the author knows they are annoyances needed to support her plot and treats them accordingly, so as the book went on, they became less annoying.
January 16, 2013
Why you ask, did I only give three stars when I usually give Aunt Dimity books five stars?
Sigh.
Well, in order to tell you that.... I have to discuss some SPOILERS.
SPOILER ALERT!
This is the sixth book in the Aunt Dimity series.
What bothered me about this book:
I feel like Lori's roving eye is going to show up in each book. I didn't notice it that much in the first few I read but after reading this and the last book (Aunt Dimity's Christmas), I am afraid, but hope it is not a pattern.
First of all, I hated that the ghost of Claire "took over Lori's mind." Moreover, I was just grossed out and did not like the fact that Claire/Lori made out with Adam (Claire's grandson who looks like Claire's boyfriend). Ewwww!!!! I also just don't like that Lori made out with a man other than her husband while her husband and twin babies are at home. She has been tempted in previous books but always had more self control. I guess when a ghost takes over her mind, she can't resist temptation.
The other aspect of this book that bothered me was that the actual "mystery" was rather convoluted as was the solution (terrorists). I feel the "terrorists" pretending to be ghosts were not properly introduced to the reader so at least, I never suspected the Publican and his friends.
Finally, we never did find out why Adam was beat up at the mausoleum. Was it in fact the terrorists? I'm unclear.
What I loved about the book:
Well, in classic Aunt Dimity style this is a "cozy" cozy mystery. It takes place in a castle in the northern Moors of England. All the characters are well developed and endearing. There are many moments of great wit in the dialogue as well as in Lori's thoughts. Oh, and I love the rich descriptions of the castles, the portraits, the hidden staircase, the fires in the fireplaces, the Moors, the weather, the village, the food and just everything.
I still love the Aunt Dimity series even though this was a bit bizarre... to say the least.
Sigh.
Well, in order to tell you that.... I have to discuss some SPOILERS.
SPOILER ALERT!
This is the sixth book in the Aunt Dimity series.
What bothered me about this book:
I feel like Lori's roving eye is going to show up in each book. I didn't notice it that much in the first few I read but after reading this and the last book (Aunt Dimity's Christmas), I am afraid, but hope it is not a pattern.
First of all, I hated that the ghost of Claire "took over Lori's mind." Moreover, I was just grossed out and did not like the fact that Claire/Lori made out with Adam (Claire's grandson who looks like Claire's boyfriend). Ewwww!!!! I also just don't like that Lori made out with a man other than her husband while her husband and twin babies are at home. She has been tempted in previous books but always had more self control. I guess when a ghost takes over her mind, she can't resist temptation.
The other aspect of this book that bothered me was that the actual "mystery" was rather convoluted as was the solution (terrorists). I feel the "terrorists" pretending to be ghosts were not properly introduced to the reader so at least, I never suspected the Publican and his friends.
Finally, we never did find out why Adam was beat up at the mausoleum. Was it in fact the terrorists? I'm unclear.
What I loved about the book:
Well, in classic Aunt Dimity style this is a "cozy" cozy mystery. It takes place in a castle in the northern Moors of England. All the characters are well developed and endearing. There are many moments of great wit in the dialogue as well as in Lori's thoughts. Oh, and I love the rich descriptions of the castles, the portraits, the hidden staircase, the fires in the fireplaces, the Moors, the weather, the village, the food and just everything.
I still love the Aunt Dimity series even though this was a bit bizarre... to say the least.
January 24, 2023
Eager for some adult time away from the twins, Lori accepts a job offer from her old boss to travel to Northumberland to appraise a library of books at Wyrdhurst Hall, a Victorian era home owned by Dickie Byrd, scrap iron king of Newcastle. Dickie gave the home to his niece, Nicole, and her new husband, Jared as a wedding gift. As Lori arrives in Northumberland, a terrible gale with darkening fog moves in and Lori runs her beloved Range Rover over the cliff. She barely survives long enough to reach the safety of a fisherman's hut where a handsome stranger warms her back to life. He relays the gossip from the village that Wyrdhurst Hall is haunted. Not afraid of ghosts, Lori pushes on, only to discover something is not quite right at Wyrdhurst Hall. The Victorian-obsessed groom leaves taxidermy animals in Lori's room, ditches the women to travel to Newcastle on mysterious business, a secret passage in the library reveals a terrible noise, terrifying Lori out of her wits. Soon Lori discovers there really is something happening at Wyrdhurst and is determined to protect the fragile bride, Nicole, possibly from her own husband. Aunt Dimity arrives to pressure Lori to leave but Lori won't go without discovering the truth.
This novel is quite a departure from the previous books. The first half reads like a creepy Gothic novel. I wondered if this was going to be a modern day Victorian Gothic story. The clues all pointed Lori in that direction but I KNEW that wouldn't work in modern times for various reasons. The second half of the novel features some huge surprises. I guessed at some of the small reveals but the big one comes out of nowhere! I did not see that coming AT ALL! I don't even think any of the clues pointed in that direction. I was right there with Lori on her assumptions. I liked the search for the books and the letters. The history was sad but interesting. It focuses on WWI this time instead of WWII. Still dark and depressing at times but also hopeful and optimistic with a pure love story at the center. I missed the village of Finch, especially the Pym sisters and Nell. Nell and Bertie should have been there. Bertie would have enjoyed meeting Major Ted. Aunt Dimity has a minor role and it's really bizarre how Lori reveals her secret to a near stranger (with Dimity's approval).
Lori is a little more of a sympathetic character in this novel, for the most part. What I did not like AT ALL about the plot and this series in general is how Lori ends up lusting after a man who is not her husband in pretty much every single book. In this instance though, I guess it makes sense but it's weird. Poor Bill! He's the greatest and eager to embrace fatherhood even though at 19 months, the boys are at a difficult age. It would be nice of Lori to spend time with the husband she professes to love so much. He wants to take her away to Scotland after her work is done. Lori's stubbornness comes in handy in this novel though as mysterious events happen around her. I admire her for not being scared and running off. She's determined to fight to protect a more vulnerable woman. I would have taken Nicole and hightaled it out of there.
I love Stan! He's so blunt and crude but I appreciate his honesty. He sets the wheels in motion and sends Lori off on an adventure she'll never forget. I'm not sure why Anneliese is Lori's nanny now. I thought she had a family and farm of her own to take care of and a job? Dickie Byrd is a man after Stan's own heart. They're both blunt, sometimes a little too much but Dickie is a doting, loving uncle and truly cares about Nicole.
I liked Adam at first but was there no other way to keep Lori alive? He seems attracted to her even though she reveals she is married. I grew to appreciate him more as the story went on even after Lori confronted him in the end. I kind of guessed his connection to Wyrdhurst but not the rest of it. I think he learned a lesson and can be forgiven. Captain Manning is a good guy. He's a little too serious at first and doesn't trust anyone, especially Adam. Turns out he has his reasons. I was rooting for him to succeed.
Wyrdhurst is a character in and of itself. A neo-gothic folly, it resembles a medieval castle complete with turrets and arrow slits. Um OK. It has secret passageways and perhaps even an evil ghost. I think the ghost is old Josiah Byrd who built Wyrdhurst and lived there until just after WWI. He was a tyrant, an old devil and was buried in a mausoleum on the property. I'm certain he's not in heaven with Dimity and he's probably the ghost that haunts the place. Josiah had one daughter born of his old age, Claire, who died of the Spanish flu in 1918. How terrible! Lori has reason to believe Claire wasn't a simple spinster and held a dark secret. Claire's story was not uncommon but Josiah went above and beyond most Victorian gothic fathers. Her story was incredibly sad.
Claire's great-niece, Nicole, is similar to Claire. Raised by her doting uncle, the only child of his old age, Claire has been sheltered and is very naïve. She's emotionally fragile and I suspect her husband Jared is gaslighting her. He's obsessed with the Victorian era and even has a twirling moustache! A twirling mustachioed villain? How stereotypical. Yet he ignores his beautiful young wife except to arrange her life just so. He treats her like a child and she's in awe of him. There's a big flaw in their marriage though that raised a big red flag for me. That's not very Victorian of him. I had a suggestion of where to look for him in Newcastle and I was a little surprised to be on the right track. I don't like Jared at all so I hoped he was the villain so Nicole could be free. I liked her but I didn't understand her. I liked her better once she started to resemble her uncle more. I think she learned from Lori how to have a backbone. I felt sorry for her and wanted her to be free and happy, however,
If Jared isn't a villain then certainly the villagers are tying to scare away the Hollanders to retaliate against Jared for not hiring them/firing them. Either that or the villagers have been stealing from or using Wyrdhurst for some reason like smuggling. I think they're stealing things from the towers, possibly with Jared's cooperation. He loves money and wants to be more classy than he is (hence the reason for selling the library). What on earth is going on and can Aunt Dimity help Lori figure it out?
The recipe for Claire's Lace cookies is a good one. My grandmother used to make "Karo lace" cookies for Christmas and it's the same thing. They're addicting!
I hope the next story brings us back to Finch. This one was too disconnected from the previous books to make sense.
This novel is quite a departure from the previous books. The first half reads like a creepy Gothic novel. I wondered if this was going to be a modern day Victorian Gothic story. The clues all pointed Lori in that direction but I KNEW that wouldn't work in modern times for various reasons. The second half of the novel features some huge surprises. I guessed at some of the small reveals but the big one comes out of nowhere! I did not see that coming AT ALL! I don't even think any of the clues pointed in that direction. I was right there with Lori on her assumptions. I liked the search for the books and the letters. The history was sad but interesting. It focuses on WWI this time instead of WWII. Still dark and depressing at times but also hopeful and optimistic with a pure love story at the center. I missed the village of Finch, especially the Pym sisters and Nell. Nell and Bertie should have been there. Bertie would have enjoyed meeting Major Ted. Aunt Dimity has a minor role and it's really bizarre how Lori reveals her secret to a near stranger (with Dimity's approval).
Lori is a little more of a sympathetic character in this novel, for the most part. What I did not like AT ALL about the plot and this series in general is how Lori ends up lusting after a man who is not her husband in pretty much every single book. In this instance though, I guess it makes sense but it's weird. Poor Bill! He's the greatest and eager to embrace fatherhood even though at 19 months, the boys are at a difficult age. It would be nice of Lori to spend time with the husband she professes to love so much. He wants to take her away to Scotland after her work is done. Lori's stubbornness comes in handy in this novel though as mysterious events happen around her. I admire her for not being scared and running off. She's determined to fight to protect a more vulnerable woman. I would have taken Nicole and hightaled it out of there.
I love Stan! He's so blunt and crude but I appreciate his honesty. He sets the wheels in motion and sends Lori off on an adventure she'll never forget. I'm not sure why Anneliese is Lori's nanny now. I thought she had a family and farm of her own to take care of and a job? Dickie Byrd is a man after Stan's own heart. They're both blunt, sometimes a little too much but Dickie is a doting, loving uncle and truly cares about Nicole.
I liked Adam at first but was there no other way to keep Lori alive? He seems attracted to her even though she reveals she is married. I grew to appreciate him more as the story went on even after Lori confronted him in the end. I kind of guessed his connection to Wyrdhurst but not the rest of it. I think he learned a lesson and can be forgiven. Captain Manning is a good guy. He's a little too serious at first and doesn't trust anyone, especially Adam. Turns out he has his reasons. I was rooting for him to succeed.
Wyrdhurst is a character in and of itself. A neo-gothic folly, it resembles a medieval castle complete with turrets and arrow slits. Um OK. It has secret passageways and perhaps even an evil ghost. I think the ghost is old Josiah Byrd who built Wyrdhurst and lived there until just after WWI. He was a tyrant, an old devil and was buried in a mausoleum on the property. I'm certain he's not in heaven with Dimity and he's probably the ghost that haunts the place. Josiah had one daughter born of his old age, Claire, who died of the Spanish flu in 1918. How terrible! Lori has reason to believe Claire wasn't a simple spinster and held a dark secret. Claire's story was not uncommon but Josiah went above and beyond most Victorian gothic fathers. Her story was incredibly sad.
Claire's great-niece, Nicole, is similar to Claire. Raised by her doting uncle, the only child of his old age, Claire has been sheltered and is very naïve. She's emotionally fragile and I suspect her husband Jared is gaslighting her. He's obsessed with the Victorian era and even has a twirling moustache! A twirling mustachioed villain? How stereotypical. Yet he ignores his beautiful young wife except to arrange her life just so. He treats her like a child and she's in awe of him. There's a big flaw in their marriage though that raised a big red flag for me. That's not very Victorian of him. I had a suggestion of where to look for him in Newcastle and I was a little surprised to be on the right track. I don't like Jared at all so I hoped he was the villain so Nicole could be free. I liked her but I didn't understand her. I liked her better once she started to resemble her uncle more. I think she learned from Lori how to have a backbone. I felt sorry for her and wanted her to be free and happy, however,
If Jared isn't a villain then certainly the villagers are tying to scare away the Hollanders to retaliate against Jared for not hiring them/firing them. Either that or the villagers have been stealing from or using Wyrdhurst for some reason like smuggling. I think they're stealing things from the towers, possibly with Jared's cooperation. He loves money and wants to be more classy than he is (hence the reason for selling the library). What on earth is going on and can Aunt Dimity help Lori figure it out?
The recipe for Claire's Lace cookies is a good one. My grandmother used to make "Karo lace" cookies for Christmas and it's the same thing. They're addicting!
I hope the next story brings us back to Finch. This one was too disconnected from the previous books to make sense.
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