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Aunt Dimity Mystery is a series of cozy mystery novels written by Nancy Atherton. The books follow the exploits of a woman whose life changes when she receives an unexpected inheritance.
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Order of Aunt Dimity Series
# | Read | Title | Published | Details |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Aunt Dimity's Death | 1992 | Description / Buy | |
2 | Aunt Dimity and the Duke | 1994 | Description / Buy | |
3 | Aunt Dimity's Good Deed | 1996 | Description / Buy | |
4 | Aunt Dimity Digs In | 1998 | Description / Buy | |
5 | Aunt Dimity's Christmas | 1999 | Description / Buy | |
6 | Aunt Dimity Beats the Devil | 2000 | Description / Buy | |
7 | Aunt Dimity: Detective | 2001 | Description / Buy | |
8 | Aunt Dimity Takes a Holiday | 2003 | Description / Buy | |
9 | Aunt Dimity: Snowbound | 2004 | Description / Buy | |
10 | Aunt Dimity and the Next of Kin | 2005 | Description / Buy | |
11 | Aunt Dimity and the Deep Blue Sea | 2006 | Description / Buy | |
12 | Aunt Dimity Goes West | 2007 | Description / Buy | |
13 | Aunt Dimity: Vampire Hunter | 2008 | Description / Buy | |
14 | Aunt Dimity Slays the Dragon | 2009 | Description / Buy | |
15 | Aunt Dimity Down Under | 2010 | Description / Buy | |
16 | Aunt Dimity and the Family Tree | 2010 | Description / Buy | |
17 | Aunt Dimity and the Village Witch | 2012 | Description / Buy | |
18 | Aunt Dimity and the Lost Prince | 2013 | Description / Buy | |
19 | Aunt Dimity and the Wishing Well | 2014 | Description / Buy | |
20 | Aunt Dimity and the Summer King | 2015 | Description / Buy | |
21 | Aunt Dimity and the Buried Treasure | 2016 | Description / Buy | |
22 | Aunt Dimity and the Widow's Curse | 2017 | Description / Buy | |
23 | Aunt Dimity and the King's Ransom | 2018 | Description / Buy | |
24 | Aunt Dimity and the Heart of Gold | 2019 | Description / Buy | |
25 | Aunt Dimity and the Enchanted Cottage | 2022 | Description / Buy |
Aunt Dimity and Ruth met in London during World War I. They become close friends, and even after Ruth went back to America, she and Dimity never stopped corresponding.
To Lori Shepherd, Aunt Dimity was just a character her mother created. When she was a child, Ruth would often regale her with stories of Dimity’s adventures. But she was so sure the woman was fiction.
But then, in Aunt Dimity’s Death, the first novel in the Aunt Dimity Mystery series, the unexpected happened.
In the wake of her mother’s death, Lori learned that not only was Aunt Dimity real but that she had also died. More importantly, Aunt Dimity had seen fit to leave Lori an inheritance.
Lori didn’t know what to make of the offer. On the one hand, she was in dire financial straits. But on the other hand, Lori found it curious that Dimity had died around the same time as Ruth, and that she had chosen to leave Ruth’s daughter a sizable inheritance.
Lori eventually met with Aunt Dimity’s lawyers. She learned that Aunt Dimity had left her ten thousand dollars. But to receive it, Lori had to first discover the secret behind Dimity and Ruth’s letters.
The Aunt Dimity Mystery series follows Lori as she settles into her new role as Aunt Dimity’s heir.
The books take place in England. Lori has to migrate from the United States to live in Aunt Dimity’s cottage in the UK. There she learns that Aunt Dimity is still quite dead but that her ghost continues to live on, watching and waiting, and guiding where possible.
Dimity communicates with Lori through a blue journal. She only wants the best for the heroine, so she goes to great pains to open her eyes to opportunities that would otherwise pass her by.
These novels are described as cozy mysteries. But in truth, Mystery romance would be more accurate. There is very little in the way of murder, crime and the like. The mysteries at the heart of these books are less nefarious.
And Lori is normally driven to investigate them by Aunt Dimity’s meddling. Everything Dimity does is designed to make Lori’s life better.
Things are going rather poorly for Lori when readers first meet her, and it takes a lot of work on the part of Dimity to get her back on track.
Nancy Atherton, the author, is an American woman who comes from a large, loud family.
Aunt Dimity Mystery Awards
Aunt Dimity and the Duke was nominated for a Dilys Award in 1994
Best Aunt Dimity Mystery Books
These novels are very simple, straightforward, fluffy, lighthearted reads, with some of the best titles in the series including:
Aunt Dimity’s Death: Lori Shepherd was down on her luck. She was mourning her mother’s passing and her life was a mess. Then she learned that Aunt Dimity had died and left behind an inheritance for her.
Lori always thought that Dimity was a fictional character that her mother had created. The inheritance came as quite a shock. So she flew to England to meet Dimity’s lawyers. There she was told that she stood to receive a significant amount of money but only if she could meet the requirements set by Aunt Dimity.
Aunt Dimity and the Duke: Emma was forty and fat. She was also a little sad. Her longtime lover had thrown her aside in favor of someone younger. When her family’s sympathies grew to unbearable levels, Emma fled.
She went on a tour of the UK’s best gardens. Along the way she met a duke and learned that a lamp with extraordinary powers had gone missing.
Other Book Series You May Like
Another good series is the “Writer’s Apprentice Mystery” Series by Julia Buckley. Camilla Graham’s bestselling novels inspired Lena to pursue her own publishing career. So she couldn’t believe her luck when she landed a position as Camilla’s assistant.
Now Lena is living rent-free in Camilla’s beautiful home in a quaint little town. Her life should be a never-ending dream. But she keeps stumbling upon dead bodies.
You may also like the China Bayles series by Susan Wittig Albert. China was a successful criminal lawyer in Houston. Then she abandoned her career and bought an herb shop near Austin. China just wants to live a quiet life filled with rewarding relationships.
But she is also the best person to solve the mysteries that she and her friends encounter.
What Is The Next Book in The Aunt Dimity Series?
There doesn't seem to be an upcoming book in The Aunt Dimity Series. The newest book is Aunt Dimity and the Enchanted Cottage and was released on March, 3rd 2022.