AUNT DIMITY AND THE SUMMER KING

Once again, something strange is going on in a lovely Cotswold village.

The birth of her daughter, Bess, has kept Lori Shepherd away from the Finch gossip mill lately. As she gets back into the swing of village life, she’s disturbed by the fact that several of the lovely cottages remain unsold and decides to find out why. Lori has the added strain of a visit by her husband’s unpleasant aunts, who are expected for the wedding of her father-in-law, William Willis Sr., to the delightful watercolorist Amelia Thistle. One thing that brightens her day is a chance meeting with William’s neighbor Arthur Hargreaves, who fixes her broken pram. She finds him charming and wonders why she’d never heard of him, no less met him. When she mentions him in the village, however, she’s astounded to hear about a long-running feud started in the time of Arthur’s great-great grandfather Quentin. After a few hours spent in the aunts’ company, Lori’s glad to escape to Hillfont Abbey, where once again she’s charmed by Arthur and his bright, appealing grandchildren. Seeking advice from her otherworldly muse, Aunt Dimity, Lori talks to the villagers about the real estate agent who’s listed the cottages. What she discovers is some shocking news about her newfound friend that leaves her with some important decisions to make.

As usual, not much happens to Lori (Aunt Dimity and the Wishing Well, 2014, etc.), but the slight story is gracefully told.