Aunt Dimity and the Buried Treasure

March 21, 2016
Atherton’s amiable 21st paranormal cozy featuring Lori Shepherd (after 2015’s Aunt Dimity and the Summer King) highlights the benefits and hazards of uncovering the past. In the attic of her house in the Cotswolds village of Finch, Lori comes across a gold bracelet inlaid with garnets that must have belonged to her ghostly aunt, Dimity Westwood. This discovery prompts Dimity to tell the story of a post-WWII misunderstanding with a man she knew only as Badger; she asks Lori to try to locate Badger, even though he would be almost 90 years old. Reluctantly, Lori agrees to visit Dimity’s old stomping grounds in London, where she encounters three pensioners known as the Battle of Britain boys, who put her on the right trail. Meanwhile, “metal detectorist” James Hobson arrives in Finch, causing a stir with his hobby. The use of a metal detector by various villagers produces objects that reveal things better left hidden. Atherton smoothly blends history, village life, and the otherworldly. Agent: Annelise Robey, Jane Rotrosen Agency.

May 1, 2016
The Aunt Dimity series continues to delight, even without a dead body. When Lori Shepherd finds a gold and garnet bracelet in her attic, her ghost-companion Aunt Dimity, with whom Lori communicates through Dimity's journal, tells her about a postwar romance involving the bracelet. At Dimity's request, Lori seeks out veterans in her British village who may remember a man who called himself Badger, in hopes of giving him a message Dimity was never able to convey. In the meantime, life in the village takes an exciting turn when a new couple move in and introduce the locals to metal detecting. Soon any manner of objects are discovered under the soil, allowing villagers to right old wrongs. Lori's journey takes her to an anthropologist who tells her about a secret literally in her own backyard. The use of historical detail here, especially the fascinating stories behind found objects, showcase Atherton's ability to keep this unique and long-running series fresh and enjoyable. A natural for fans of M. C. Beaton's Agatha Raisin.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2016, American Library Association.)

December 1, 2015

Lori Shepherd discovers a garnet-set gold-and-silver bracelet in the attic, a gift from a long-ago suitor of Aunt Dimity that she asks to be returned, but it looks suspiciously like jewelry from buried treasure just unearthed in town. The last four series titles have all debuted on the New York Times extended best sellers list.

Copyright 2015 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.