Book Review: Aunt Dimity Beats the Devil

Reviewed By: Harriet Klausner

Aunt Dimity Beats the Devil     Amazon US PB Amazon US HC Amazon Canada PB Amazon Canada HC
Nancy Atherton
Class/Genre:   Mystery   Cozy
Series: Aunt Dimity # 6
Viking, Oct 2000, $22.95, 224 pp.

Expatriate American Lori Shepherd leaves her Cotswold home to drive to Northumberland to evaluate the Wyrdhurst library rare book collection. However, instead of arriving safely at the Hall, a landslide caused by a torrential storm leads to an accident. Writer Adam Chase takes the unconscious Lori to his hovel. When Lori awakens, she feels an attraction to her rescuer that in turn makes her feel guilty since she just left her beloved spouse with their twin toddlers.

Still, Lori goes about her business and begins to scrutinize the collection. Soon, Lori hears eerie laughter and finds a cache of love letters written by Claire Byrd and W.W.I vet Edward Cresswell, who died in combat. However, an apparent ghost and someone knocking out Adam disturb the serenity of her work. With hints of treasure hidden in the castle, Lori with the help of her spirited Aunt Dimity begins a different type of investigation that could prove dangerous to this amateur sleuth.

On first glance, AUNT DIMITY BEATS THE DEVIL sounds inane, but talented Nancy Atherton turns the tale into an entertaining otherworldly cozy. The story line is simply fun to read due to the strong support cast enabling the lead couple (Lori and Aunt Dimity) to excel. The “dialogue” between Lori and Aunt Dimity is often humorous, but also retains a seriousness that embellishes the plot. Unlike many English cozies, AUNT DIMITY BEATS THE DEVIL contains plenty of action, but the novel as with the previous five books in this series belongs to its two stars.

Harriet Klausner

Reprinted with permission. Do Not repost without permission from the author, Harriet Klausner