Aunt Dimity and the Family Tree

After touring New Zealand in 2010's Aunt Dimity Down Under, amateur sleuth Lori Shepard returns to Finch, her Cotswolds village, in Atherton's entertaining 16th paranormal mystery. Lori's Boston Brahmin father-in-law, T. William Arthur Willis Sr., who's retired as head of the family law firm, has relocated to Fairworth House, an old estate, to be near his grandchildren and son and daughter-in-law. After much renovation, Lori helps her father-in-law to hire a live-in couple to cook and look after the grounds and to host a welcome party for the locals. When odd things begin to happen at Fairworth, including moving furniture and strange sounds, Lori turns to ghostly Aunt Dimity for assistance. Some readers may find the lack of murder and mayhem disappointing, but series fans will delight in the antics of familiar characters, in particular Finch's single ladies, and the charming portrayal of English village life. 5-city author tour. (Feb.)