Aunt Dimity and the enchanted cottage

Review by Booklist Review

The residents of Finch, a tiny village in the Cotswalds, are gathered for a Finch tradition--the moving-van vigil, in which locals observe new arrivals. They are soon disappointed: along come unmarked moving boxes and shabby furniture, and there's barely a glimpse of their new neighbor, bachelor Crispin Windle. Later that day, Lori Shepherd and her friend Tommy see Windle with a look of such despair on his face that they are concerned. The residents of Finch swing into action with "Windle Watch," hoping to learn more while providing a steady stream of visitors bringing casseroles, books, and crafts. Meanwhile, Lori's friend Bree inadvertently passes along a bit of gossip about her soon to be uncle-in-law, Mr. Barlow, greatly angering him, and her guilt causes her to break off her engagement with Barlow's nephew. With ghostly Aunt Dimity's help, all ends happily as Lori and friends unravel the Windle mystery as he shares a tragic part of Finch's history with his new neighbors. The caring community, its quirky characters, and the warm depiction of family life will appeal to readers of Donna Andrews' Meg Langslow cozies.

From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.

---

Review by Publisher's Weekly Review

In Atherton's gentle 25th paranormal cozy featuring Lori Shepherd, a self-described "friend, neighbor, gossip-monger par excellence, and community volunteer," and Lori's confidante, the late Dimity Westwood (after 2019's Aunt Dimity and the Heart of Gold), the residents of the Cotswolds village of Finch are all atwitter, because a mysterious man has bought Pussywillow Cottage. The house is said to be enchanted, and it's believed that anyone who lives there is destined to find true love. Unfortunately, the new owner, Crispin Windle, a 75-year-old retired professor with an air of sadness, doesn't live up to the locals' expectations. Aunt Dimity, who communicates via elegantly handwritten messages penned in an old blue journal, urges Lori to offer the elderly man her friendship. This act leads to Lori's discovery of a harrowing secret buried in Finch's past. Those who want to escape into a world where all problems can be resolved through kindness, without the need for fisticuffs or firearms (or much crime solving), will be satisfied. Those seeking action, excitement, or a knotty puzzle should look elsewhere. Agent: Annelise Robey, Jane Rotrosen Agency. (May)

(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved

---

Review by Library Journal Review

In her 25th outing, Aunt Dimity and her neighbors in the English village of Finch fail in their attempt to befriend standoffish newcomer Crispin Windle until they discover the ruins of a Victorian woolen mill--and the graves of children who worked there, whom they work together to identify. With a 30,000-copy first printing.

(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

---