Aunt Dimity and the Enchanted Cottage

In Atherton’s gentle 25th paranormal cozy featuring Lori Shepherd, a self-described “friend, neighbor, gossip-monger par excellence, and community volunteer,” and Lori’s confidante, the late Dimity Westwood (after 2019’s Aunt Dimity and the Heart of Gold), the residents of the Cotswolds village of Finch are all atwitter, because a mysterious man has bought Pussywillow Cottage. The house is said to be enchanted, and it’s believed that anyone who lives there is destined to find true love. Unfortunately, the new owner, Crispin Windle, a 75-year-old retired professor with an air of sadness, doesn’t live up to the locals’ expectations. Aunt Dimity, who communicates via elegantly handwritten messages penned in an old blue journal, urges Lori to offer the elderly man her friendship. This act leads to Lori’s discovery of a harrowing secret buried in Finch’s past. Those who want to escape into a world where all problems can be resolved through kindness, without the need for fisticuffs or firearms (or much crime solving), will be satisfied. Those seeking action, excitement, or a knotty puzzle should look elsewhere. Agent: Annelise Robey, Jane Rotrosen Agency. (May)