"A wonderful addition to this mystery series"

American expatriates Bill Willis and Lori Shepherd were staying with his parents in Boston when someone in their English village of Finch killed "Pruneface" Hooper. When the married couple with different last names returns home to Finch, the news of the homicide stun both of them because the last murder in Finch occurred in 1872.

Eleven days pass without the case being solved because everyone seemed to have a reason to see the mean-spirited gossip Pruneface dead. Deciding it is time to get involved, Lori turns to her sleuthing guide the spirit of "Aunt" Dimity Westwood, former resident of Lori's cottage. Through Dimity's blue journal, the ghost and Lori communicate. Though the townsfolk remain reticent, Lori and Dimity accompanied by Nicholas Fox, the visiting nephew of the vicar begin to investigate.

The seventh Aunt Dimity tale retains the freshness of the series as the supernatural and the mortal combine forces to uncover the identity of a killer. Nicholas gives readers a different view of Lori especially since Bill is in London for most of the novel. The who-done-it is fun to try to figure out as most of the villagers had cause to see Pruneface dead. Anyone who enjoys a contemporary English village mystery with a large dose of the paranormal will enjoy AUNT DIMITY: DETECTIVE and Nancy Atherton's previous supernatural-amateur sleuth stories.

Harriet Klausner

Reviewed by Harriet Klausner
Posted September 18, 2001