Aunt Dimity, Vampire Hunter

(An Aunt Dimity Mystery #13)

Written by: Nancy Atherton
Pages: 240
The original paranormal detective returns in the latest installment of a beloved mystery series

Lori Shepherd’s life in England couldn’t be more tranquil or more satisfying— except for one thing. Her five- year-old twins have started school, and Lori fears they’ll catch everything from the flu to fleas. What they do come home with, however, is worse: a report of a pale, cloaked figure with bloodstained lips lurking in the woods.

Lori is skeptical at first but soon grows concerned enough to consult with her late (but not entirely departed) Aunt Dimity and her dear friend Kit Smith. The vampire-hunting trail leads to Leo, a charismatic vagabond who just returned to England after a self-imposed exile, a bitter old crone named Lizzie Black, and finally to Aldercot Hall, where a mysterious murder took place forty years ago. With Kit and Aunt Dimity’s help, Lori uncovers the secret that will shock everyone—including herself—about the true identity of the twins’ vampire.

With its placid English countryside setting, eccentric characters, and lighthearted charm, Atherton’s newest novel will enchant cozy mystery aficionados and the many loyal readers of the Aunt Dimity series.

I picked this up because it looked short and I was crazy tired. Aunt Dimity books don’t take a lot of thought. They are like cotton candy, you read them just because they hold a certain sweet charm.

This did not disappoint. Good thing since I was too tired to really read and it took me a regrettably long time to finish this book.

For those unaware, Aunt Dimity is a ghost. She is not really an Aunt, rather she was close friends with Lori’s mother during WWII and thus gained the title of “Aunt” as so many good friends do with children. Lori is now grown, married, and a mother.  She now lives in Dimity’s cottage and converses with the dearly departed via a notebook that Aunt Dimity writes in.

This book involved a lot of hiking, an overstressed Lori not liking her twins entering school, and a local mystery spanning decades. Can she solve the mystery before her boys find themselves expelled for story-telling? More importantly, can she bring together two star-crossed lovers?

There’s continuous talk of tea and biscuits, as is befitting a charming English countryside cozy mystery. There’s a lot of trips to stables.  There’s even an interesting cast of characters to help Lori in her explorations.

If you are looking for deep thought, go elsewhere. If you’re looking for vampires, yeah ditto. However, if you are looking for a really light-hearted cozy mystery while sitting by a warm fire or under a quilt to finish out this winter, grab a cuppa cocoa and dig in.

–Lady O