Christmas in the Cotswolds in Atherton's (Aunt Dimity and the King's Ransome, 2018, etc.) latest.The holidays have come to Finch, close to where Americans Lori and Bill Shepherd and their three children live and where Bill runs the British branch of his family's law firm. Unfortunately, the seasonal festivities are blighted by a virus that's laid the village low. Lori is thrilled when her healthy group is invited to Christmas dinner at Anscombe Manor, where her best friend, Emma Harris, lives with her husband, Derek, and runs a riding school. The dinner, which includes an Indian sweet recipe Emma found in a handwritten cookbook left by a former owner, is a smashing success. But Emma seems out of sorts, and their friend Bree Pym announces that her fiance has just dumped her. An unexpected ice storm traps them and gives them an extra guest: Miss Matilda Trout, whose car slides into a ditch when she stops to ask for directions. Emma, who's recently cleared out a room full of junk, is puzzled about the original use of the room, which is windowless with six wall sconces and linenfold wainscoting and is in the oldest part of the house, built by the Mandevilles in the 16th century. Self-effacing Tilly Trout identifies it as a Roman Catholic chapel and suggests that there may be a priest hole as well. Indeed there is, one containing a statue of the Hindu goddess Parvati, numerous jewels, and a large golden heart with the initials C and M. Lacking Christmas festivities to keep them busy, Lori and her friends benefit from Tilly's expertise on almost every subject as they try to track down the person who made the shrine. Love blooms as both Tilly and Bree find new swains and discover an old love affair.Atherton's fans can count on the charm of her picture-perfect Cotswold village and the warm Christmas feelings, as long as they don't expect much of a mystery. Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

Set during the holiday season, Atherton's sweet, predictable 24th paranormal cozy (after 2018's Aunt Dimity and the King's Ransom) finds American expat Lori Shepherd spared the virus that afflicts most others living in the Cotswolds village of Finch. Spared also is Lori's best friend, Emma Harris, who proceeds as planned with her annual Christmas party at Anscombe Manor. Bad weather, however, ensures that everyone at the party stays overnight, including an unexpected guest, Tilly Trout, who knows a lot about architecture, religion, and British history. When Emma gives her guests a tour of the manor, it is Tilly who identifies an unusual room as a former chapel-and knows to press a panel that slides back to reveal a compartment filled with treasure, including a solid gold heart. Atherton keeps the suspense high as Lori and Emma, aided by the ghostly Aunt Dimity, set out to solve the decades-old mystery of the treasure. Series fans and newcomers alike will enjoy spending time in Finch with its endearing residents, earthly and otherwise. Agent: Annelise Robey, Jane Rotrosen Agency. (June) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.

With Christmas fast approaching, the weather in the small Cotswolds village of Finch is foggy and miserable, and the majority of the townspeople are suffering from bad colds. Lori Shepherd and her family have been spared the Yuletide Blight, so they are able to attend her best friend Emma Harris' Christmas party with a few other hardy souls. The event becomes a slumber party when an ice storm prevents the guests from leaving, and a woman named Tilly must be rescued when her car slides into a ditch along the Harris' driveway. Later, the group finds a secret chamber filled with treasure, including a gold heart with two initials on it, in an unused room in the manor house. Lori, Emma, the erudite Tilly, and the vicar's wife, Lillian, research the past, determined to find the story behind the hidden treasure. This gentlest of family-centered cozies, with its humor, warm and gossipy village atmosphere, and numerous quirky characters, including the ghostly Aunt Dimity, will appeal to readers of Donna Andrews' Meg Langslow series.--Sue O'Brien Copyright 2019 Booklist