Book review! Aunt Dimity and the Wishing Well

Aunt Dimity and the Wishing Well by Nancy Atherton ~~

You may be sensing a theme by now, but I picked this book up off of the sale table while wandering through my local brick and mortar bookseller. The abstract quaintness of the cover and the tiny seal declaring it a paranormal detective book had me intrigued. It looked lighthearted, but still, something that I might be able to sink into. It turns out that Aunt Dimity has quite a history. I don't know where this book falls in the series, but there are eighteen other Aunt Dimity books listed inside the front cover. So again, I've stumbled into a series unwittingly. However, I didn't need any backstory to jump into the sleuthing adventures of Lori Shepherd in the English countryside.

The story opens with the death of a member of the small community who has been - for all intents and purposes - a hermit. The older gentleman didn't socialize much and never invited folks into his home, but he wasn’t rude. Just not overly social. Which, in a small town, leads to opportunities for gossip. When his nephew rolls into the funeral from Australia, questions abound surrounding the deceased. Who is this nephew? Why had no one ever heard of him? Why didn't family members ever visit? What estate could the old guy possibly have left for his young relative to attend to? One of the primary tasks for the nephew is to get the cottage ready for sale, which entails an enormous amount of effort in an overgrown yard. While excavating, plucking through overgrowth and vines, the nephew Jack and his new friends from town, including Lori, discover what appears to be a wishing well. And with that discovery, the hijinks begin.

As wishes are made by the townsfolk - in both broad daylight and under cover of night - and many start to come true, Lori tries to figure out how and why the residents of the town are suddenly rolling and good luck. She consults with her deceased Aunt Dimity by way of a magic journal, reviewing all the happenings and hoping for additional guidance. While Lori talks, Aunt Dimity’s responses flow in a script across the blank pages. She shares insight, suspicion, and advice as Lori tries to get to the bottom of the curious wishing well.

The story is light and fluffy on both scales of paranormal and mystery. There are no gruesome deaths or villains, and no seriously creepy supernatural creatures. A slower mystery perfect for its background in the English countryside, Aunt Dimity, and the Wishing Well delivers on charm and shenanigans, ideal for a lazy day read on the couch. I may not go actively hunt down other Aunt Dimity books, but should I happen upon them, I will delightedly add them to my to-read pile!

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