In this modern-day cozy, the kindly, British-accented spirit of Aunt Dimity streams live from a magical journal to request a favor of her niece, American amateur sleuth Lori Shepherd-to locate an elderly WWII acquaintance of Dimity's, named Badger, and return a bejeweled gift he gave her. Lori, who resides in the pastoral Cotswold village of Finch, travels to London, where she is helped along by a youthful student archeologist, a sassy-sounding café proprietor, and three veterans of the war. Finch's lovely, albeit nosy, neighbors, each provided with a unique dialect, personality, and temperament, are the heart of this spectral charmer that also includes a newcomer to the village, whose hobby of metal detecting causes a bit of discord. Reader Moore's confidence and linguistic dexterity are admirable, since there are numerous characters who are integral to the plot, each with a distinguishable accent; Moore retains her American accent for Lori, then ably moves among various British dialects. Atherton's Aunt Dimity fans will be delighted with this accomplished audio version of her latest mystery, which is light on intrigue, heavy on charm. A Viking hardcover. (July) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.

The Aunt Dimity series continues to delight, even without a dead body. When Lori Shepherd finds a gold and garnet bracelet in her attic, her ghost-companion Aunt Dimity, with whom Lori communicates through Dimity's journal, tells her about a postwar romance involving the bracelet. At Dimity's request, Lori seeks out veterans in her British village who may remember a man who called himself Badger, in hopes of giving him a message Dimity was never able to convey. In the meantime, life in the village takes an exciting turn when a new couple move in and introduce the locals to metal detecting. Soon any manner of objects are discovered under the soil, allowing villagers to right old wrongs. Lori's journey takes her to an anthropologist who tells her about a secret literally in her own backyard. The use of historical detail here, especially the fascinating stories behind found objects, showcase Atherton's ability to keep this unique and long-running series fresh and enjoyable. A natural for fans of M. C. Beaton's Agatha Raisin.--Alessio, Amy Copyright 2016 Booklist