Aunt Dimity and The King’s Ransom is cozy AF.
I know, probably not how you expected me to begin this book review. Especially with the name “Aunt Dimity” in the title. But, “cozy AF” is the best way to describe this light, cute, and almost wholesome mystery.
It begins with a cozy family living in a cozy Cotswold village. *swoon* Main character Lori is overstressed, so her too-perfect-to-be-true husband books them a romantic weekend away at a nearby English coastal village, complete with staying at a historic inn, long walks in nature, and good food. We’re talking all the hygge vibes here, so you can imagine how much I was salivating over the first few chapters.
When Lori is separated from her husband by extremely inclement weather, she ends up sheltering at another historic country inn while the flood waters recede. However, this particular inn — The King’s Ransom — happens to be… haunted!
Maybe.
Kinda.
Okay, barely. The King’s Ransom is barely haunted.
I originally picked up Aunt Dimity and The King’s Ransom, by Nancy Atherton, because it sounded like a good ghost story wrapped in a cozy mystery, a la Wendy Webb novels. However, the spooky aspects of this book ended up being rather tame, and not just by my desensitized standards.
I’m pretty sure that no one would be scared of anything in this book. There are a few creepy comments (said by small English children, which inherently makes them creepier) and a few suspiciously creaking doors in the dead of night, but other than that, the paranormal activity is pretty tepid.
[A side note: Aunt Dimity and The King’s Ransom does take a dive into magical realism since the titular Aunt Dimity is, well, dead. Lori “talks” with her by speaking aloud to a diary, and Aunt Dimity’s reply magically fills in its blank pages, offering sage advice, heartfelt constructive criticism, and a good deal of perspective.
There’s nothing scary about this, but the reader does have to suspend some disbelief in order to embrace this exchange that occurs regularly throughout the novel. One should also keep in mind that these Aunt Dimity books are a series, and this whole Talk-With-The-Dead-Through-A-Book Thing might be more easily accepted at face value if you’ve read the previous books in the series.]
When Lori’s not séance-ing with Aunt Dimity, she’s out and about her with newfound friend, a church bishop, trying to solve some mysteries. Because, what else is she going to do while stranded in a quaint English village?
However, like the ghost business, these “mysteries” are also rather tame. There are basically three cases to be solved:
1) is there a ghost haunting The King’s Ransom (and keeping Lori awake at night)?
2) is the inn’s ex-con chef being lured back into bad habits by a shady Frenchman?
3) and, finally, the humdinger of ’em all… why is The King’s Ransom called The King’s Ransom?
*pauses to let the crickets chirp*
Yeaaaaaaaaah. I think Jessica Fletcher and Aurora Teagarden investigate more hard-hitting mysteries than these. I mean, I don’t think the last one can even be categorized as a mystery; that’s just solved by historical research. Morbid ol’ me kept waiting for a body to turn up, but it seems this wasn’t that kind of mystery.
Which, I admit, is kind of a nice change of pace. Not everything has to be so murder-y, right?
While the level of intrigue in Aunt Dimity and The King’s Ransom isn’t exactly gripping, it’s enough to propel the story forward. It’s fun joining Lori & Co as they make inquiries around the village to try to get to the bottom of what’s happening at The King’s Ransom. And, I did appreciate how all the “mysteries” came together in the end.
I know it sounds like I was disappointed with this book, but that’s actually not the case. I felt a little misled by the jacket copy, perhaps, but not disappointed.
Aunt Dimity and The King’s Ransom is a fun, engaging romp through the English countryside. This is a great read for those who want a spot of mystery with very little to keep you up at night. As for the vernacular used in the book, fans of Debbie Macomber and my beloved Irish Country Doctor series will certainly appreciate this one.
Have you read any books in the Aunt Dimity series? I’d love to hear your thoughts on them!
And, stay tuned for my book-inspired recipe: Cauliflower and White Cheddar Soup.
This sounds great. I am spending a week in the Cotswolds this summer so I am excited to read this! Is this a series and if so do I need to start with book one?
Tami, this is the PERFECT book to read while in the Cotswolds! 🙂 It is part of a series, but I was able to jump right into this one without having read the previous books. So, if you wanted to start with this book, I think you’d be fine. However, I’ve heard good things about the series in general from other bloggers, so you might want to consider reading book #1 before your vacation. Hope you like it!
Wait a minute! Not *everything* has to be murdery? 😂 Hahahaha I love this review, and I am completely with you on small English children – they can make *anything* creepy!
Right?!?!? All I can hear right now is that little creepy English girl from THE OTHERS, staring at Nicole Kidman through her old-fashioned communion veil and saying “Are you mad?! I am your daughter!” UGHHHHHHHHH. SO CREEPY. 🙂