This Aunt Dimity cozy is a bit different from the usual.

During a quilting bee, hosted by Mrs. Annabelle Craven, Annabelle relates the story of her murdering her first husband to Lori Shepherd. Mrs. Craven has lived in the small village of Finch for 10 years and has become a part of Finch. Her matter-of-fact telling of it leaves Lori stunned.

Lori has to investigate to find out if it is true. To do this she, her friend Bree Pym and Lori’s baby daughter Bess, take a short stay at the White Hart Hotel in Old Cowerton, the village Mrs. Craven lived in before moving to Finch.

They find themselves in an uncomfortable situation. It seems there is a group of ladies who claim the murder story is true and a group that believe it is malicious gossip. Each group invites Lori, Bree and Bess to tea to tell the truth as they “know it.”

Rather than the usual sleuthing for clues and explanations, the information come to the sleuths. It is a case of sorting fact from fiction. ( )

3.5. I always enjoy these pleasant Aunt Dimity cozies. ( )

LOVE Aunt Dimity, but this one was pap. ( )

This is my first Aunt Dimity story, though 22nd in the series. A sweet little mystery reminiscent of M.C. Beaton's Agatha Raisin stories and the BBC's Rosemary & Thyme television show. The book is full of villages with tiny cottages, beautiful gardens and lots of tea parties. The mystery is simple but intriguing enough to keep me reading. AND I got a recipe for some delicious sounding cookies in the deal!

(A review copy of this book was provided by the publisher.) ( )

Aunt Dimity and the Widow’s Curse by Nancy Atherton is a 2017 Viking Books publication.

Another wonderful visit with Lori and the gang in the friendly, but gossipy, village of Finch!!

I know I’ve told this story before, but Aunt Dimity is a special series for me. It is the first ‘modern’ cozy series I ever read. I usually grabbed the darkest, most twisted mystery/suspense novels on the market, but I received an ‘Aunt Dimity’ book as a gift, and eventually, mostly out of pure, and quite skeptical, curiosity, I finally decided to give it a try.

I’ve been a cozy mystery fan ever since. This series still remains one of my favorites, and is always consistent, never losing its charm, even after twenty-two installments!

In this chapter, Lori’s elderly friend and champion quilter, Mrs. Craven, makes a startling confession to Lori, that has her very worried. Concerned, Lori and Bree, set off to Old Cowerton, looking for proof to back up Mrs. Craven’s claims, and will have you asking, ‘How well do I really know my neighbors?’

The author immediately puts me into a Cotswolds state of mind in the first chapter, reacquainting me with the village regulars, and reminding me of the quirky, but wonderful, homey, sense of community that Finch offers.

From there, we learn Bob and the boys are camping, which leaves Lori free to pursue her ‘case’ at Aunt Dimity’s urging.

For those of you, who follow this series, you know that these mysteries are not the traditional murder variety, and are usually more about the characters, but does indeed solve a mystery along the way. While, Lori’s amateur sleuthing skills are a bit unconventional, they eventually get the job done, with the help of 'Aunt Dimity'.

*It's not absolutely necessary to read the series from start to finish to enjoy the later installments. I've skipped around quite a bit myself, but I would check out a few older installments for background so you will understand the characters and setting more.

I especially enjoyed this installment, which calls attention selfless acts of kindness, which often pays off in ways we never thought possible. The characters Lori and Bree meet in Old Cowerton, were well drawn, and the plot is rich with deceptively benign details, that come together quite nicely.

There are some laugh out loud moments, some girl bonding, and a host of interesting characters to round out the puzzling mystery behind the seemingly angelic, Mrs. Craven. The story ends with a nice warm and fuzzy feeling, but, as always, I’m always sad to have to end my visit with these characters, all of whom feel like old family friends.

So, until next time… ( )