I really enjoy Nancy Atherton’s mysteries involving Lori, her mother’s best friend Aunt Dimity, and Lori’s little friend Reginald.  Never mind that Aunt Dimity is dead and communicates with Lori via a journal that has instant messaging capabilities or that Reginald is a stuffed rabbit.  Reginald is a good companion and Aunt Dimity gives sound advice, much-needed by the overly-impulsive Lori.  Even better, Aunt Dimity bequeathed to Lori a fabulous stone cottage in the charming and lively little town of Finch in the Cotswolds of England.  Atherton creates the atmosphere of English village living in the most delicious manner, serving up village fetes, quirky town folk, surrounding woods of great beauty for wandering in, hearths with a fire always at the ready for returning home to, and teas to cause serious mouth-watering.

Our living and breathing heroine Lori (versus the dead and communicating heroine Aunt Dimity) is quite the goody two-shoes and gets on my nerves at times (I loved her best at her roughest in the first mystery, Aunt  Dimity’s Death). I put up with Lori for the great mysteries Atherton creates around her, which are always well-twisted, serving up surprises to the very end, and also well-coated in escapist entertainment.  Lori has two kids but rarely wastes much time actually raising them; she has a gorgeous husband who is also loaded; she manages to invoke lust in others with regularity (either with ulterior motive or not); and she can eat like a horse without gaining an ounce.  Like I said, great escapist reading, but Atherton’s books are also meaty enough to give the brain some exercise.  She can be counted on to include interesting facts in her backgrounds to the plots, and there is always a recipe involved somewhere, with details provided at the back of each book.

In Aunt Dimity Slays the Dragon, the background is a Renaissance Faire that has come to the village of Finch.  I happen to adore Ren Fests (as they are called) and I appreciated Atherton’s early explanation that Ren Fests “don’t worry overmuch about historical accuracy…[and define] the term ‘Renaissance’ with great liberality.  In truth, anything vaguely medieval will do.  Creativity is the key, so just let your imagination take flight!“  That very liberal creativity is what makes Ren Fests so much fun and I loved Atherton’s ample descriptions of the Faire itself and of the history of their evolution (they are a huge business).

I won’t give away the nature of the mystery or the identity of who actually solves this one, but I will say this book provided another huge serving of fun and atmosphere and laughs.  Aunt Dimity Slays the Dragon fits right in with my library of Aunt Dimity books (fourteen so far)and I hope for many more mysteries from Atherton. I can always count on her, Lori, Reginald, and not- getting-any-older Aunt Dimity for a day of pure reading pleasure.