Aunt Dimity's Death
About Aunt Dimity's Death
The debut that kicked off twenty-two books (and counting...) of the bestselling, beloved Aunt Dimity series. Watch out for Nancy Atherton's latest, Aunt Dimity and the King's Ransom, coming in July 2018 from Viking!
Lori Shepherd thought Aunt Dimity was just a character in a bedtime story... Until the Dickensian law firm of Willis & Willis summons her to a reading of the woman's will. Down-on-her-luck Lori learns she's about to inherit a siazable estate--if she can discover the secret hidden in a treasure trove of letters in Dimity's English country cottage.
What begins as a fairy tale becomes a mystery--and a ghost story--in an improbably cozy setting, as Aunt Dimity's indominable spirit leads Lori on an otherworldly quest to discover how, in this life, true love can conquer all.
What readers say
Lori inherits a Cotswolds cottage from a woman she thought was only a character in her childhood bedtime stories, and readers enjoy the charming setting, the warm, ghostly Aunt Dimity and a story that is more heartfelt puzzle than murder mystery. Critics note very low stakes and a heroine who can be self-pitying, and some find the early-1990s details dated.
Best for: Readers who want a cozy, uplifting story with a gentle ghost and very little violence.
Summary of public reader reviews, updated October 2026.
