Helpful Score: 20
This was a wonderful book. My favorite cozy so far that I've read! The characters are terrific and have been brought to life. The mystery/ghost/fantasy aspect is different and catches the imagination. I loved the descriptions of Aunt Dimity's cottage and grounds. You feel like you are there with them. I'm looking forward to the other books in the series.
Helpful Score: 16
First of all, allow me to say that I truly enjoyed this book. It moved along at a reasonable pace, neither too quickly nor too slowly. The characters are well-developed, and interesting enough that I want very much to know more about them.
That being said, however, I did not get what I expected from this book. To me, a mystery is synonymous with a whodunit - there has been some crime commited (usually murder, though sometimes theft), and the protagonists must discover the who, or sometimes just the how, of things. That is not what this book is about.
I would classify this as a quest story. That the quest is as much mental & spiritual as it is physical does not diminish this. Yes, there is something that must be discovered, but you will find no crimes here, and the only corpses died of natural causes.
Really, this is much more a story about how much and, sometimes, how little we know about our parents. About how our parents seem to us, at least for a time, to be nearly perfect, and how difficult it is to live up to that. But it is also about love - not only romance, though that is certainly included, but also about the love for family.
So, if you're looking for Miss Marple, move along. But if you're looking for a book that will catch you and hold you until the last page, you've come to the right place.
That being said, however, I did not get what I expected from this book. To me, a mystery is synonymous with a whodunit - there has been some crime commited (usually murder, though sometimes theft), and the protagonists must discover the who, or sometimes just the how, of things. That is not what this book is about.
I would classify this as a quest story. That the quest is as much mental & spiritual as it is physical does not diminish this. Yes, there is something that must be discovered, but you will find no crimes here, and the only corpses died of natural causes.
Really, this is much more a story about how much and, sometimes, how little we know about our parents. About how our parents seem to us, at least for a time, to be nearly perfect, and how difficult it is to live up to that. But it is also about love - not only romance, though that is certainly included, but also about the love for family.
So, if you're looking for Miss Marple, move along. But if you're looking for a book that will catch you and hold you until the last page, you've come to the right place.
Helpful Score: 8
Wonderful and lighthearted book with a romance, a mystery from the past, and a helpful spirit. While it is technically the first in the series, I recommend reading Aunt Dimity and the Duke first.
Helpful Score: 6
Aunt Dimity's death is an enjoyable read. The characters are so much fun to be around that I hated to put the book down.
Helpful Score: 3
First book in the series and it was absolutely wonderful. If you haven't read Aunt Dimity, start now!
