Aunt Dimity and the Enchanted Cottage (Aunt Dimity Mystery, #25)

by Nancy Atherton

In the twenty-fifth installment of the bestselling Aunt Dimity series, when an inscrutable newcomer arrives in Finch, Lori is determined to befriend him--and in the process discovers Finch's own heart-wrenching past

It's early May in the small English village of Finch and the air is crackling with excitement: a newcomer is about to move into Pussywillows, a riverside cottage with a romantic reputation. Will the cottage's newest resident prove yet again its enchanting ability to matchmake? But when Crispin Windle arrives, no one knows what to make of him: seemingly a loner, he repels every welcoming gesture and appears altogether uninterested in being a part of the community. Soon, the townspeople have all but dismissed him.

Only Lori and Tommy Prescott, a young army veteran who recently moved to Finch, refuse to give up. They orchestrate a chance meeting that leads to a startling discovery: the remains of a Victorian woolen mill that once brought prosperity to Finch. But it also contains a dark secret about Finch’s past. Will Mr. Windle make himself an outcast for good by digging up Finch’s history? Or will he offer the town a chance to heal—and finally allow the town to help him heal, too?

• ISBN10: 0593295773
• ISBN13: 9780593295779
• Publish Date: 3 May 2022
• Publish Status: Active
• Publish Country: US
• Publisher: Penguin Books Ltd
• Imprint: Viking
• Format: Hardcover
• Pages: 256
• Language: English
• URL: https://penguinrandomhouse.com/books/isbn/9780593295779

Reviews

[annieb123]

Originally posted on my blog: Nonstop Reader.

Aunt Dimity and the Enchanted Cottage is the 25th (!) book in the Aunt Dimity village cozy mystery series by Nancy Atherton. Due out 3rd May 2022 from Penguin Random House on their Viking imprint, it's 240 pages and will be available in hardcover, audio, and ebook formats. It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links and references throughout. I've really become enamored of ebooks with interactive formats lately; it makes it so easy to find information with the search function.

It's always a delight when a beloved long running series gets a new entry, and this was no exception. It's very much like a visit with a dear friend. The books are safe. They're comfortable; and the author is competent and dependable. Despite being a very long running series, this one could be read as a standalone. The author is adept enough to provide the necessary back-story without info dumping or bewildering the reader.

This is not an action packed thriller - it's a sedate country village cozy. There are light paranormal elements, the titular Aunt Dimity is no longer living and offers life advice and benevolent guidance from beyond the veil. For fans of the series, this is another fine visit to the village of Finch and its inhabitants. For fans coming to the series now, I recommend at least the first book (they're all consistently pretty good) to get up to speed, before reading this one.

The language is (as always) squeaky clean and unproblematic.

The unabridged audiobook format has a run time of 6 hours, 27 minutes and is narrated by Christina Moore (linked interview is about another book, but does provide audio of Ms. Moore's voice). I found her voice very gravelly and very American. It's certainly true that the main protagonist is an American, but the books are mostly set in England and to me personally, the narrator's accent was abrasive. It wasn't by any means a disaster, I had no trouble completing the read, but it was distracting and not very complementary to this specific book. Sound and production quality were high throughout the recording.

Four stars for the book overall, three for the audiobook.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.