Average customer rating:
- The real meaning of mystery -- mysterious
- Introducing Aunt Dimity as the Ghost
- A delightfully cozy read
- Aunt Dimity's Death
- Not your usual cozy mystery
|
Aunt Dimity's Death (Aunt Dimity Mystery)
Nancy Atherton
Manufacturer: Penguin (Non-Classics)
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback
 British Detectives
| Mystery
| Mystery & Thrillers
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Mystery
| Mystery & Thrillers
| Subjects
| Books
Series
| Mystery
| Mystery & Thrillers
| Subjects
| Books
Women Sleuths
| Mystery
| Mystery & Thrillers
| Subjects
| Books
Atherton, Nancy
| ( A )
| Authors, A-Z
| Mystery & Thrillers
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Mystery & Thrillers
| Subjects
| Books
( A )
| Authors, A-Z
| Mystery & Thrillers
| 4-for-3 Books Store
| Stores
| Books
General
| Mystery & Thrillers
| 4-for-3 Books Store
| Stores
| Books
British Detectives
| Mystery
| Mystery & Thrillers
| 4-for-3 Books Store
| Stores
| Books
General
| Mystery
| Mystery & Thrillers
| 4-for-3 Books Store
| Stores
| Books
Series
| Mystery
| Mystery & Thrillers
| 4-for-3 Books Store
| Stores
| Books
Women Sleuths
| Mystery
| Mystery & Thrillers
| 4-for-3 Books Store
| Stores
| Books
All 4-for-3 Deals
| 4-for-3 Books Store
| Stores
| Books
Similar Items:
-
Aunt Dimity and the Duke (Aunt Dimity Mystery)
-
Aunt Dimity's Good Deed (Aunt Dimity Mystery)
-
Aunt Dimity Digs In
-
Aunt Dimity's Christmas
-
Aunt Dimity: Detective
ASIN: 0140178406 |
Customer Reviews:
The real meaning of mystery -- mysterious.......2007-08-24
I think I'm in love. I've found a new (to me) writer who pulls me into her story from the first sentence and keeps me engrossed until the last.
AUNT DIMITY'S DEATH has no murder. So what? It has mystery, in the classic sense of the word. As a mystery writer myself (with a cat in my books, not a stuffed rabbit), I know that sometimes throwing dead bodies around can be the easy way out. It take a great deal of skill to invoke mystery without necessarily involving mayhem. If you haven't read this treasure yet, rest assured that Reginald, the stuffed rabbit, is heart-warming without ever becoming cloying.
Nancy Atherton is a joy. I'm looking forward to the rest of her series, which I plan to read in order.
Introducing Aunt Dimity as the Ghost.......2007-02-10
It's hard to really describe this as a mystery, at least in the normal sense of the word but I have a feeling that this book lays the groundwork for some excellent follow up books. This book spends a great deal of time introducing the characters in the series and that is exactly what one normally finds in the first book of a cozy mystery series. The characters that are introduced are sweet, sentimental and in some cases just plain funny, again a normal trait for a cozy mystery. There is romance to be found in these pages also and while romance isn't a theme that can be found in all cozy mysteries it certainly makes an appearance in many such books. What is it then that makes this book so different? There are no murders! In almost every cozy I have ever read somebody is murdered and sometimes there are dead bodies piling up all over the place. In the "Cat Who" series the author has been known to kill off five or six people in one book but the only deaths in this book are from natural causes except for the character who was killed in a war fifty years before the story takes place.
The story starts with Lori Shepherd and her memories of the "Aunt Dimity" stories that her mother told her as a child. Lori has been going through some rough times and things only get worse when her mother passes away. Then on a cold and snowy day she gets a letter from a law firm requesting that she contact then in regard to the estate of the late Dimity Westwood. Lori is shocked to learn that while not really her aunt, Dimity Westwood was a very real person and an extraordinarily close friend of her mother's. She is also shocked to learn that Dimity has written down all of the Aunt Dimity stories for a children's book and that she is to go to Dimity's English cottage and read through the years of correspondence between Dimity and Lori's mother. Once she has done that she is to write the introduction for the book and for this service she will be paid a very handsome sum.
The mystery that ensues begins to unfold when Lori and her lawyer escort arrive at the cottage and find that despite her death Dimity is still there and communicates with them by writing in a blue notebook. Dimity's soul can't rest and she won't tell them why so the two young Americans begin to snoop and this search for Dimity's secret is the mystery that finally does make this book a mystery.
This author has a wonderful way with words and the story flows extremely well. The thread of romance holds this book together more than does the mystery but I have certainly read cozy mysteries where the mystery was less of a factor than it is here. The characters are well thought out and well presented and the English atmosphere that lends itself so well to mysteries comes through here with flying colors. I suspect that the future entries in this series will be a tad more mysterious but given that she had to introduce a lot of characters, both living and dead, this author has turned out a tremendous first entry for this now long running series. I look forward to reading the future adventures of Lori and her dead Aunt Dimity.
A delightfully cozy read.......2007-01-31
Take a pinch of mystery, a bit of a ghost story, a bittersweet wartime romance, and a thoroughly engaging heroine who finds a little romance of her own. Add some lovably quirky supporting characters and a cozy setting and you have a recipe for a delightful reading experience. Lori never thought Dimity was real--until Dimity died. Finding out the mystery behind Dimity's life, with the help of Bill Willis, helps Lori heal from her own heartbreak and embark on new adventures. I really enjoyed this book and look forward to reading more in the Dimity series.
Aunt Dimity's Death.......2007-01-06
I read aloud to a 98 year old lady. The flow of the words makes reading aloud easy. The suspense at the end of each chapter holds the readers attention.
The story will appeal to an ageless group. The humor and characters are timeless.
Not your usual cozy mystery.......2006-11-05
I hadn't read much on what this book was about, only assuming it was another normal cozy mystery. It started out strong and fun with Lori finding out her mother's secret and that Aunt Dimity was a real person. Lori's personality was solid and I learned to like her. But as soon as she got to the cottage, it got to be a little odd.
The story unfolded as a friendly supernatural tale with a touch of mystery. The mystery wasn't a strong driving force, it simply unfolded. There didn't seem to be any red herrings or figuring out whodunit. It was more of a journey that you went on, following in Lori's footsteps.
This book asks you to suspend disbelief for a little while. It is an entertaining read and had good moments of humor as well. I'd actually like to rate it 3 1/2 stars, but will leave it at 4. I will probably pick up the next in the series to read as well, out of curiosity. But I'm doubtful as to if it will stay in my permanent collection.
Product Description
paperbacks
Book Description
Running late to a gala performance of Gilbert and Sullivan's Ruddigore, Phryne Fisher meets some thugs in dark alley and handles them convincingly before they can ruin her silver dress. She then finds that she has rescued the handsome Lin Chung, and his grandmother, who briefly mistake her for a deity.
Denying divinity but accepting cognac, she later continues safely to the theatre where her night is again interrupted by a bizarre death onstage.
What links can Phryne find between the ridiculously entertaining plot of Ruddigore, the Chinese community of Little Bourke St., or the actors treading the boards of His Majesty's Theatre?
Customer Reviews:
This is gorgeous, all the atmosphere and independence - women of the 1920's.......2005-12-07
I loved this book, it was the first of the Phryne Fisher mysteries I found. They had been recommended to me before but I never got around to reading them until now.
Fisher is an independent woman in the 1920's and this is (apparently) a prequel to her original mysteries, becuase in this one she meets the Chinese lover who features so often later on.
Her coolness under all pressure, who ability to function with humour and strength in all circumstances are wonderful - and there is still a sense of the atmosphere of "Brideshead revisited" in the wealth and glamour.
This is set with Ruddigore, the Gilbert and Sullivan comic Opera in the background - Phryne and Bunji (don't you love that name!) were on the way watch the opera when they come across a Chinese woman being attacked. Phryne picks up an axe and bops one of the attackers on the neck (scientifically of course and using the blunt side)
I didn't know Ruddigore well before this, but this is a great introduction to this opera and it fits in well with the mystery she has to solve.
Fun light and satisfying reading, will definitely be getting more of these to read. To coin a phrase - she is definitely a "kick-ass" style heroine who is fun to read about.
phyrne's phinally back in the states.......2005-11-16
i found the first phyrne in a wonderful used bookstore in portland, oregon, and started searching for the rest. i had to order most of them used from australia.
now, at last, she's back, in a uniform edition yet.
ms. greenwood writes well, and, as the series progresses, her plots, her characterizations, the atmosphere all become increasing fine. she writes with humor, an impressive depth of understanding of people (and animals), a monumental grasp of the 20s and the First World War--the historical details are fascinating. her ethical standards are exemplary, as is her compassion.
you might think ethics and compassion are strange things to include in the review of a murder mystery, but ms. greenwood's books are more than murder mysteries--there are elements of social satire, comedy, and tragedy of course. readers of golden age mysteries will enjoy ms. greenwood's take on the conventions.
_ruddy gore_ adds a ghost story to a theatrical setting. ms. greenwood's familiarity with actors and singers is hilariously obvious--but she equally obviously likes stage people.
i did not guess the murderer, though the clues were there--i haven't guessed the villain in any of the books since the third (_murder on the ballarat train_).
so, if you like wonderful writing, interesting history, humor, and really good mysteries, read this series. it's the bee's knees' and the cat's meow.
phine historical mystery .......2005-05-25
In 1928 Australia Phyrne Fisher and her best friend Bunji Ross are walking to His Majesty's theatre to see a performance of Gilbert and Sullivan's operetta Ruddigore. However, Bunji notices several men accosting an elderly Chinese woman so she intercedes taking a shot to her gut. Phyrne follows scattering the assaulters so she can rescue the woman. Her grandson Lin Chung thanks Phyrne and Bunji for rescuing his grandmother from a nasty mob.
Phyrne enjoys the performance, but between acts theatre manager Sir Bernard Tarrant asks her to come to the back area as an accident occurred. However, another patron Dr. Fielding states that actor Ruthven was poisoned with an opiate. Deputy Inspector John "Jack" Robinson heads the official investigation. Another performer Leila Esperanza insists ghosts were haunting the theater and caused the incident. Bernard knowing Phyrne's reputation for solving mysteries wants her to investigate before someone else is hurt or killed.
Historical mystery fans who have not read the Phyrne Fisher tales are missing out on one of the best series available today. The latest who-done-it contains a fabulous sleuthing subplot as well as the first meeting between Phyrne and her lover Lin. Phyrne is a terrific protagonist who is a delightful gender bender accepted as more than just an equal by men in typically male roles at least in 1920s Australia. Her detective work is top rate as Kerry Greenwood combines real events like the 1928 showing of Ruddigore with a fabulous mystery.
Harriet Klausner
A very nice cozy.......2005-04-29
Phryne Fisher, one of the most delightful sleuths you will meet, is on her way to a gala performance of Gilbert and Sullivan's Ruddigore when she meets some thugs in a dark alley and not only manages to handle them nicely but does it without ruining her silver gown. She then learns that she has rescued a handsome young Chinese, Lin Chung and his grandmother and for a brief moment is mistaken for a deity. She denies it but does agree to a cognac. She then goes on to what she hopes will be an enjoyable evening at the theater, but it is not to be. When there is a bizarre death during the play the theater manager calls on her skills to help solve the murder. But before she can solve the new murder, she finds that she must solve a decades old murder and put the theater's ghost to rest before more people are killed. And she also has to figure out if there is connection between the murders and the mysterious stranger who seems to be following her.
Set in the 1920's, Phryne Fisher is an independent, unconventional young woman who is also very practical and unflappable in the face of danger. Greenwood has created an engaging sleuth and surrounded her with characters that complement and contrast with her quite well and thrown in enough historical data to make the story interesting without going into so much detail that it bores the reader.
Phryne Fisher must solve a musical 1920's murder mystery.......1999-03-22
This time out Phryne Fisher is investigating murder and mayhem at the theatre production of the Gilbert & Sullivan show 'Ruddy Gore' in Melbourne's 1920's. With her new lover helping out Phryne must solve the mystery before any one else dies. I love the atmosphere of the Phryne Fisher books, I've been to Melbourne and many of the places she writes about are still there and the books have added much magic to my travelling.
Customer Reviews:
Powerful - scary.......2007-09-12
It is just still so hard to believe that Bill Clinton slid into the presidency thanks to Ross Perot. What a blot on American history.
Ruddy has an entertaining and crisp style of writing.
I recommend this book but read it with a glass of wine or a couple of beers. Otherwise, you will be depressed over how white trash like those people ever got into positions of leadership.
Isn't it funny..........2003-10-13
how anytime some factual and well researched information comes out about the worst Presidential administration in history people like Ruddy and Limbacher and their supporters are referred to a 'Clinton Haters?"
But then again, anyone who was really tuned in to what was going on in the 90's and reads something besides their local newspapers and other paid for democrat propaganda probably is at least very disturbed by this former President, VP and the legacy they left behind for the republicans to clean up.
The fact that Arnold Schwarzenneggar won so easily in California even with the democrat heavy hitters supporting his opponent and typical media smear and dirty politics prooves that smart and aware Americans are tired of the democrat atrocities.
Clinton/Gore: Goodbye and good riddance!
Past history.......2003-09-23
Many of us deplored the Clinton Administration's scandals and I, personally, think he was the worst president the United States ever had. I think he was an amoral philanderer with no conscience, and probably the only president of the United States ever elected who held his own interest in higher esteem than that of his country. I have lived through many administrations, both Democrat and Republican, beginning with the first year of Hoover's administration. I held no other president in utter contempt except Clinton. Most had at least something about them to admire.
Obviously the authors of this book agree with my own evaluation. This book is a reprise of most of the known scandals and crimes committed by William Jefferson Clinton and his co-conspirators. As such, it may appeal to many who continue to dwell on him.
As for me, I don't want to be reminded of him anymore. I want to forget him. We now have a president with integrity, and I want to forget Bill Clinton.
This book was written before the election of George W. Bush, and so the motivation for writing it was probably an effort to influence voters by reminding them of Clinton's sins. No such motive exists any longer, and thus there is no longer any good reason to buy this book and rehash ancient history. Yesterday's politics belong to yesterday. It's time to move on.
Joseph (Joe) Pierre
author of Handguns and Freedom...their care and maintenance
and other books
Wild-eyed paranoia and not much else.......2002-04-17
For eight years, a small but determined squad of writers, politicians and rich backers flooded the country with screeds on how Bill and Hillary Clinton were guilty of every crime imaginable short of molesting Chelsea. Christopher Ruddy, one of the chief architects of this smear campaign, now presents "Bitter Legacy," a collection of columns he and others wrote for the hard-right Internet "news" site NewsMax.com.
In more than four hundred pages, Ruddy rehashes all the old "scandals," from alleged Whitewater skullduggery to Clinton's supposed Communist influence. But it's all topped by Ruddy's favorite topic -- Vincent Foster's 1993 suicide, which Ruddy and others spent years trying to convince the public was actually a murder. Like his sleaze-mongering cohorts, Ruddy specialized in baseless accusations, the wilder the better, and it shows through in every page.
One of Ruddy's columns shows all too well the man behind the byline. In 1999, when Kenneth Starr at long last admitted he couldn't actually prove the Clintons to be guilty of, well, anything, Ruddy turned on him with the fury of an ideologue scorned. He savaged Starr as "a weak, pathetic character," "Bill Clinton's pet worm," a man who "betrayed the American people and his oath as an independent counsel." As long as Starr kept going after Clinton with one failed angle after another, Ruddy saw him as walking on water. Once Starr's endless investigation finally ran down, he too was fair game for Ruddy's poison pen.
If you're absolutely determined to buy into the rampant paranoia which categorized Clinton's hardcore anything-goes opponents, save yourself some money and go to the NewsMax website, where most of the book's columns are available for free.
Shocking revelations.......2001-11-07
Ruddy does a great job reporting the facts surrounding the Clinton/Gore years, including the Clinton sanctioned murders of Ron Brown, Vince Foster and Nicole Simpson. One of the most interesting parts of the book is where Ruddy describes how Clinton managed to leave the Simpson estate, after helping OJ clean up all the blood in his house and in the Bronco, and make his way to the LA airport and take a commercial flight back to Washington DC, and got back into the White House without anybody noticing.
It's a remarkable story and says a lot about the unimaginable powers that a President wields, and how someone as evil as Clinton can abuse those powers and turn the Presidency into a nightmare for the nation. Ruddy's account of Gore's sinister dealings with the Chinese is also a heart-stopper. Who would have thought that a US Vice President would personally sit in one of the notorious Shanghai torture chambers and administer the most violent and horrific torture sessions on student protestors who were speaking out about the administration's corrupt practices in the region? Most surprising of all was the story of Hillary killing all those little kids.
And although the only proven allegation is that Clinton recieved oral sex and did something with a cigar, one never tires of hearing all the other entertaining things that crazy old Clinton may have done.
Customer Reviews:
The Definitive Galactus Story.......2002-12-30
Despite it's misleading moniker (It's actually Reed Richards who is on trial.), The Trial of Galactus does a decent job of truncating Writer/Artist John Byrne's epic Galactus story that ran (sporadically) from Fantastic Four #'s 242-262.
The book starts out with what might just be THE Galactus story: After a devastating battle against the big G's Herald, Terrax the Tamer, The FF is faced with a momentous decision: Let the weakened Galactus perish, or try to save him. FF leader Reed Richards, along with Dr. Strange, Iron Man, Thor, and a host of others, restore the planet-eater to his former vim & vigor, and off he goes to destroy the Skrull Throneworld. The races that have been victimized by Galactus in the past assemble, and put the abducted Reed Richards on trial; Since he saw fit to save Galactus' life, he will be held accountable for Galactus' atrocities. Richards' defense is that Galactus fulfills a Celestial purpose, and we have no right to judge him; Don't we all kill to eat? Well, yeah. But I personally think he should just mind his own bees-wax and let Galactus croak. Does Richards' have the right to condemn Billions of sentient being to death, just to salve his own conscience..?
Byrne has re-done some of the pages in the collection to make the story flow better, and it works, to an extent. There are refrences to other adventures that seem jarring, considering this is all supposed to be one seamless story. Why redo anything if there are still going to be captions pointing out things that aren't in the book? Especially that Sub-Mariner refrence...
Byrne not only delivers THE Galactus story in these pages, but also throws in one of the best Dr. Doom arcs ever, as Doom attempts to imbue the now-powerless Terrax, or should that be Tyros, with the power cosmic, and use him to kill the FF. In one line of Dialogue ("I never thought Doom would strike a woman! KILL one, yes, but never strike one...") Byrne perfectly encapsulates Doom's mania and strange ethical code better than I've ever seen it done.
The problem came at the end......The climax of the trial sees one of the most LITERAL Deus ex Machina examples EVER, and I actually had to check the book's binding to make sure pages weren't stuck together or missing. No such luck. The climax is so abrupt and forced that I really felt cheated. Up until then, though, The Trial of Galactus is The Fantastic Four at it's best. The book also contains Byrne's mildly amusing Fantastic Four vs. Superman spoof from Marvel's "What The?!?" book.
Very good, right up until the part where...........2001-11-27
....John Byrne injects *himself* into the actual storyline. The climax has creator Byrne actually drawing himself -- having conversations w/the FF, and even traveling with them to the trial of Reed Richards -- who's on trial for his saving of Galactus back when the FF and Avengers had him at Death's door. This TPB collects this generous act by Richards, as well as the death and rebirth of Terrax the Tamer, his battle against Dr. Doom and the Silver Surfer, and the abduction and trial of Richards, for whom Galactus and Eternity themselves testify.
The first family of Marvel!.......1998-11-17
Well, what can be said about the fabulous Fnatastic Four? I love them to the highest degree. I was in the second grade when this story arc fisrt appeared on the news stand. I was totally fascinated by it when I saw the cover. The Fantastic Four, since their inception, have dealt with science fiction. I love that trait about the book. The story revolves around the ethical question of "Must one destroy another if he destroys others?" The story is fast-paced and at times very poignant. It is one of the best stories that came out of the 80's in mainstream comics. John Byrne write and illustrates a wonderful work. The Trial of Galactus is a story that shows the high marks in the pictorial literature called comics. I hope you enjoy every panel.
Book Description
Written by the nation's foremost authority on gunshot wounds and forensic techniques as they relate to firearm injuries, Gunshot Wounds: Practical Aspects of Firearms, Ballistics, and Forensic Techniques, Second Edition provides critical information on gunshot wounds and the weapons and ammunition used to inflict them. The book describes practical aspects of ballistics, wound ballistics, and the classification of various wounds caused by handguns, bang guns, rifles, and shotguns. The final chapters explain autopsy technique and procedure and laboratory analysis relating to weapons and gunshot evidence.
Customer Reviews:
A difficult read.......2006-05-20
The title of this book, should be "Ballistics". There is little information on the actual wounds, but more on the grains and callibers of the bullets. The book has black and white photos, which makes it very difficult to see stippling, powder burns and soot. You will learn detailed information about bullets and the brands (if you can rememeber all that), unfortunately, not much more.
Shocking.......2001-01-01
Very informative about the destructive power a bullet can have. As wrong as this may sound, if you own guns and have children, this is a good book to buy. It is difficult to explain to a child what a bullet can do to a human being. With this, you can show them.
An excellent textbook on the subject of firearm injuries.......1999-06-03
This text should be in the library of any reader who has an interest in the topic of guns and the injuries they produce. While written with the practising forensic pathologist in mind, the book is appropriate for investigators, attorneys and other healthcare providers. The discussions of firearms and their features are very good and should help those with limited knowledge about guns understand what they do, how they do it and the terminology used in the field.
The only book you will ever need on the topic........1999-02-22
As a criminal defense attorney, my clients freedom often rests on my ability to understand the technical aspects of a case. While I will seldom, if ever, know more than the "expert" opposing me, understanding the topic in a straight forward and simple manner makes my interaction with that expert a benefit to my client. This to the point of knowing when not to say anything. This book provides a one-stop resource for all aspects of firearms, gunshot wounds, and the related forensic techniques and methods. A must for anyone who needs to understand, in plain language, the issues that come into play in gunshot injury and firearm cases. The photographs, x-rays, and diagrams provide an excellent point of reference for the text.
Books:
- Bad Men: A Thriller
- Batman: Hush Returns
- Becoming Madame Mao
- Berlin Noir (Crime, Penguin)
- Born in Shame: The Born In Trilogy #3 (Born in Trilogy)
- Boss Lady: A Novel
- Casting The First Stone
- Cold Mountain: A Novel
- Comanche Moon
- Dead Man's Walk : A Novel
Books Index
Books Home
Recommended Books
- COBOL for Dummies
- The Child's Story Bible
- Passage to Mutiny
- Night Noises
- On Film Editing
- Rocket Propulsion Elements, 7th Edition
- The Doomsday Scenario: How America Ends
- Performance: A Critical Introduction
- Marine Reef Aquarium Handbook
- A Stubble-Jumper in Striped Pants: Memoirs of a Prairie Diplomat
