Aunt Dimity and the Heart of Gold

Set during the holiday season, Atherton’s sweet, predictable 24th paranormal cozy (after 2018’s Aunt Dimity and the King’s Ransom) finds American expat Lori Shepherd spared the virus that afflicts most others living in the Cotswolds village of Finch. Spared also is Lori’s best friend, Emma Harris, who proceeds as planned with her annual Christmas party at Anscombe Manor. Bad weather, however, ensures that everyone at the party stays overnight, including an unexpected guest, Tilly Trout, who knows a lot about architecture, religion, and British history. When Emma gives her guests a tour of the manor, it is Tilly who identifies an unusual room as a former chapel—and knows to press a panel that slides back to reveal a compartment filled with treasure, including a solid gold heart. Atherton keeps the suspense high as Lori and Emma, aided by the ghostly Aunt Dimity, set out to solve the decades-old mystery of the treasure. Series fans and newcomers alike will enjoy spending time in Finch with its endearing residents, earthly and otherwise. Agent: Annelise Robey, Jane Rotrosen Agency. (June)