By Liz Soares
Why haven’t I visited the delightful Cotswold village of Finch until now?
Nancy Atherton’s 19th Aunt Dimity novel is a fun romp through one of my favorite regions of the world. I just can’t imagine why I, an avid mystery reader since age 9 (Nancy Drew), have overlooked this series.
In Aunt Dimity and the Wishing Well, I met Lori Shepherd, the narrator, her husband, Bill Willis, and their twin sons, Will and Rob. The couple are Americans who have settled in the gorgeous area that extends through several counties in south-central England. The Cotswolds is noted for the warm, golden stone that has been used to construct many of its buildings. Narrow roads weave through charming villages and past stately homes. I remember with fondness a cream tea I enjoyed on one sunny autumn day in the Cotswolds.
The residents of Finch are having a more typical English day as the book opens—it is raining. Most of them are attending the funeral of Hector Huggins, a villager who, as the Brits themselves would say, “kept himself to himself.” He had no close friends or, as far as anyone knew, any relatives.
But before the service is over, Jack MacBride, a handsome, cheerful Aussie, arrives and announces that he is Hector’s nephew. Jack has come to Finch to put his uncle’s estate into order.
The women of Finch are agog. Jack is a an affable hunk. Perhaps even more importantly, they will have a chance to finally see inside Ivy Cottage, Hector’s home. It is protected by an iron gate, and he never invited anyone in.
Lori, who loves to be in the know about everything that happens in the village, offers to help Jack clean out his uncle’s possessions and garden. She brings along Bree Pym, a native New Zealander. Bree has a Kiwi’s distrust of the man from Oz, but he’s impossible to dislike. His use of Australian slang is a delight: “Aldous Winterbottom tells me the electric’s still on and the phone’s still on, so I should be snug as a tick on a sheep’s backside.”
As the three take a look around the garden, they discover an old well. They clear away the weeds to find a plaque affixed to it: “Speak and Your Wish Shall be Granted.”
The trio is delighted, and, for fun, Lori shouts into the well, “Make it stop raining.”
The next day, the sun comes out.
Word of the wishing well spreads quickly through the village, and soon the overgrown path to the magic spot is flattened down. Some villagers sneak in at night. Jack can’t stop the influx, because wishes are coming true!
Elspeth Binney’s niece gets a commission to photograph the village for an upcoming book on the Cotswolds. Mr. Barlow gets to work on a Jaguar XE. Teashop owner Sally Pyne is visited by a cooking magazine editor, who promises to put her on the cover of his magazine.
It’s not long, though, before one villager’s wish becomes another’s curse. What will the farmers do without rain? Peggy Taxman surely can’t be outdone by her baker tenant. Lori hurts herself because Mr. Barlow is too busy fixing luxury cars to complete the carpentry work he promised to do.
Besides, no one really believes in magic. Who’s working the strings behind the screen?
The villagers’ frustrations come to a head in a riotous fight between Peggy and Sally. But with Aunt Dimity’s help, the truth behind the magic well is revealed.
And just who is Aunt Dimity? She’s a family friend who left Lori a fortune, a cottage and a blank journal. Through this little blue book, the wise and redoubtable Dimity advises Lori, and lets her reflect upon her concerns.
There’s nothing like a cozy village mystery to brighten a dreary day, especially one set in the golden lanes of the Cotswolds. I’m glad to have found a new favorite. Now, I’m off to read number one in the series, Aunt Dimity’s Death. I’ve got some catching up to do.
Nancy Atherton’s 19th Aunt Dimity novel is a fun romp through one of my favorite regions of the world. I just can’t imagine why I, an avid mystery reader since age 9 (Nancy Drew), have overlooked this series.
In Aunt Dimity and the Wishing Well, I met Lori Shepherd, the narrator, her husband, Bill Willis, and their twin sons, Will and Rob. The couple are Americans who have settled in the gorgeous area that extends through several counties in south-central England. The Cotswolds is noted for the warm, golden stone that has been used to construct many of its buildings. Narrow roads weave through charming villages and past stately homes. I remember with fondness a cream tea I enjoyed on one sunny autumn day in the Cotswolds.
The residents of Finch are having a more typical English day as the book opens—it is raining. Most of them are attending the funeral of Hector Huggins, a villager who, as the Brits themselves would say, “kept himself to himself.” He had no close friends or, as far as anyone knew, any relatives.
But before the service is over, Jack MacBride, a handsome, cheerful Aussie, arrives and announces that he is Hector’s nephew. Jack has come to Finch to put his uncle’s estate into order.
The women of Finch are agog. Jack is a an affable hunk. Perhaps even more importantly, they will have a chance to finally see inside Ivy Cottage, Hector’s home. It is protected by an iron gate, and he never invited anyone in.
Lori, who loves to be in the know about everything that happens in the village, offers to help Jack clean out his uncle’s possessions and garden. She brings along Bree Pym, a native New Zealander. Bree has a Kiwi’s distrust of the man from Oz, but he’s impossible to dislike. His use of Australian slang is a delight: “Aldous Winterbottom tells me the electric’s still on and the phone’s still on, so I should be snug as a tick on a sheep’s backside.”
As the three take a look around the garden, they discover an old well. They clear away the weeds to find a plaque affixed to it: “Speak and Your Wish Shall be Granted.”
The trio is delighted, and, for fun, Lori shouts into the well, “Make it stop raining.”
The next day, the sun comes out.
Word of the wishing well spreads quickly through the village, and soon the overgrown path to the magic spot is flattened down. Some villagers sneak in at night. Jack can’t stop the influx, because wishes are coming true!
Elspeth Binney’s niece gets a commission to photograph the village for an upcoming book on the Cotswolds. Mr. Barlow gets to work on a Jaguar XE. Teashop owner Sally Pyne is visited by a cooking magazine editor, who promises to put her on the cover of his magazine.
It’s not long, though, before one villager’s wish becomes another’s curse. What will the farmers do without rain? Peggy Taxman surely can’t be outdone by her baker tenant. Lori hurts herself because Mr. Barlow is too busy fixing luxury cars to complete the carpentry work he promised to do.
Besides, no one really believes in magic. Who’s working the strings behind the screen?
The villagers’ frustrations come to a head in a riotous fight between Peggy and Sally. But with Aunt Dimity’s help, the truth behind the magic well is revealed.
And just who is Aunt Dimity? She’s a family friend who left Lori a fortune, a cottage and a blank journal. Through this little blue book, the wise and redoubtable Dimity advises Lori, and lets her reflect upon her concerns.
There’s nothing like a cozy village mystery to brighten a dreary day, especially one set in the golden lanes of the Cotswolds. I’m glad to have found a new favorite. Now, I’m off to read number one in the series, Aunt Dimity’s Death. I’ve got some catching up to do.
