"Every back road is somebody's main road. No matter
how rough or remote it might be, a road always leads somewhere,
and for someone, that somewhere is home." - Aunt Dimity
& the Summer King
American
Lori Shepherd, her husband Bill, her twin sons, and her new
baby continue to enjoy life in England. Finch is a small village
where everyone minds everyone else's business in a protective,
caring way. Lori has enjoyed bonding with her new baby girl,
but now she's ready to get back out in the world. Lori treks
down a forgotten wagon trail running behind her father-in-law's
property.
She discovers
a beautiful place called Hillfont Abbey, overgrown and neglected,
but full of activity. A new friendship is forged when Arthur
Hargreaves climbs over the wall to help Lori with her daughter
and a defective pram. Arthur (aka the Summer King) isn't well
liked in Finch because he's from Tillcote. A feud has been
ongoing between Finch and Tillcote for centuries. Lori's not
sure how upset the villagers will be when they hear she's
friends with a Hargreaves, of all people, but she can't wait
to hear about the feud.
Lori's
main concern, though, is the amount of cottages available.
An agent is bringing prospective buyers around but there are
no takers. She's concerned a company will buy them and begin
the process of turning their active village into a summer
retreat. Aunt Dimity advises Lori to check with the local
care taker about the condition of the cottages, and ask the
villagers about the estate agent. What Lori hears concerns
her so she's off to have it out with the agent. What she discovers
has her fearful for everyone in Finch.
Sorry,
folks, no bodies in this episode but there is a mystery. I
have to say this is one of the most enjoyable mysteries I've
read that didn't have a dead body or two. Atherton gives us
plenty of clues and offers a suspect or two concerning the
cottages. She also updates fans on Lori's post baby time,
introduces us to her husband's aunts and reminds us of just
how unique the Finch villagers really are. The aunts are scary,
to the say the least, and the villagers continue to entertain.
There is also a Pinwheel Cookie recipe at the back of the
book.
Aunt
Dimity and the Summer King is the perfect summer read.
Reviews
of other titles in this series
Aunt
Dimity and the Wishing Well
Aunt
Dimity and the Village Witch
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