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A review by bookwyrm_lark
Aunt Dimity and the King's Ransom by Nancy Atherton
4.0
Excerpted from my full review on The Bookwyrm's Hoard blog:
For my money, Aunt Dimity and the King’s Ransom is one of the best Aunt Dimity books in several years, full of warmth and gentle humor and mysteries that, while they pique the reader’s interest, are neither deadly nor particularly dangerous. ‘Aunt Dimity’ is the cozy series to end all cozy series. This book, while not as involved as the early novels in the series, has all the comfort and charm of a cup of tea and a generous plate of scones. Lori’s attic room, the cyclone (hurricane) that strands her, the villagers’ friendliness and Christopher’s warmth, even the ghost stories, all contribute to the overall feeling of having found a safe and welcoming shelter from the storms and stresses of life.
The way the villagers pull together to help not only their neighbors from the low-lying farms, but also Lori and a busload of French tourists stranded by the rising waters, is a lesson in community and a reminder of the essential goodness of (most) people—a reminder emphasized by another of the story’s subplots, and by several incidents throughout the book.
The village bookstore and its history-loving proprietor offer another treat for booklovers. As a former bookseller myself, I chuckled appreciatively at Horatio’s ability to locate a book on any requested subject. “Mongolian throat singing?” asks his assistant. “Travel. Third shelf from the top. Beige cover, black type.” It felt so familiar, as did the descriptions of the bookshop itself.
I doubt that English village life today is quite as, well, cozy as that of Shepney, and modern England is far more diverse than the one pictured in the Aunt Dimity books. For all their charm, Atherton’s bucolic, idyllic English villages are not a realistic portrayal of Britain today. But when I recently found myself craving the bookish equivalent of a warm chair by the fire, a hot cup of tea and a tasty scone, Aunt Dimity and the King’s Ransom proved to be just the treat I needed.
*****
A final note: My favorites in the series remain books 1 and 2, though they are really book 1 and its prequel: Aunt Dimity’s Death and Aunt Dimity and the Duke. Those two in particular have been among my most frequently reread “comfort books” for nearly two decades.
For my money, Aunt Dimity and the King’s Ransom is one of the best Aunt Dimity books in several years, full of warmth and gentle humor and mysteries that, while they pique the reader’s interest, are neither deadly nor particularly dangerous. ‘Aunt Dimity’ is the cozy series to end all cozy series. This book, while not as involved as the early novels in the series, has all the comfort and charm of a cup of tea and a generous plate of scones. Lori’s attic room, the cyclone (hurricane) that strands her, the villagers’ friendliness and Christopher’s warmth, even the ghost stories, all contribute to the overall feeling of having found a safe and welcoming shelter from the storms and stresses of life.
The way the villagers pull together to help not only their neighbors from the low-lying farms, but also Lori and a busload of French tourists stranded by the rising waters, is a lesson in community and a reminder of the essential goodness of (most) people—a reminder emphasized by another of the story’s subplots, and by several incidents throughout the book.
The village bookstore and its history-loving proprietor offer another treat for booklovers. As a former bookseller myself, I chuckled appreciatively at Horatio’s ability to locate a book on any requested subject. “Mongolian throat singing?” asks his assistant. “Travel. Third shelf from the top. Beige cover, black type.” It felt so familiar, as did the descriptions of the bookshop itself.
I doubt that English village life today is quite as, well, cozy as that of Shepney, and modern England is far more diverse than the one pictured in the Aunt Dimity books. For all their charm, Atherton’s bucolic, idyllic English villages are not a realistic portrayal of Britain today. But when I recently found myself craving the bookish equivalent of a warm chair by the fire, a hot cup of tea and a tasty scone, Aunt Dimity and the King’s Ransom proved to be just the treat I needed.
*****
A final note: My favorites in the series remain books 1 and 2, though they are really book 1 and its prequel: Aunt Dimity’s Death and Aunt Dimity and the Duke. Those two in particular have been among my most frequently reread “comfort books” for nearly two decades.