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Aunt Dimity and the Duke (An Aunt Dimity Mystery #2)
Emma Porter is forty, fat, and frumpy - and a passionate amateur gardener. When her longtime lover dumps her for a younger woman, Emma escapes the cloying sympathy of family and friends by setting out on a summer-long driving tour of England's glorious gardens. At her first stop, Bransley Manor, she meets the Pym sisters - a delightfully eccentric pair of identical twins w...more
Hardcover, First Edition, 290 pages
Published
December 1st 1995
by Viking Adult
(first published 1994)
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Jan 24, 2009
Inara
rated it
3 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
novels-mystery-crime-suspense
Nice and light read about a mystery in the English countryside with a 39 year old spinsterish heroine and likeable characters. A perfect book in between when I don´t want to overuse my brain for a while...
Es handelt sich hier um den 2. Band der Tante Dimity Reihe.
Da er jedoch zeitlich vorm dem 1. Band spielt, sollte man ihn zuerst lesen.
Diese Mal verwende ich den Klappentext als Beschreibung, worum es in diesem Buch geht:
"Emma Porter ist vierzig, ziemlich mollig, nicht gerade schick gekleidet und eine leidenschaftliche Gärtnerin. Als ihr langjähriger Lebensgefährte sie wegen einer jüngeren und schlankeren Blondine verlässt, flieht Emma aufs Land. Sie ahnt nicht, dass die geheimnisvolle Tante Dimi...more
Da er jedoch zeitlich vorm dem 1. Band spielt, sollte man ihn zuerst lesen.
Diese Mal verwende ich den Klappentext als Beschreibung, worum es in diesem Buch geht:
"Emma Porter ist vierzig, ziemlich mollig, nicht gerade schick gekleidet und eine leidenschaftliche Gärtnerin. Als ihr langjähriger Lebensgefährte sie wegen einer jüngeren und schlankeren Blondine verlässt, flieht Emma aufs Land. Sie ahnt nicht, dass die geheimnisvolle Tante Dimi...more
Aunt Dimity's Death was charming, but this prequel surpassed it.
In Aunt Dimity and the Duke, Atherton succeeds in making the whole of Penford Hall and Harbour come alive. In my mind, I can walk the verdant gardens, feel a tremor at the cliffside drop, get lost in the winding corridors of the Hall itself. I can hear Nanny Cole's surly bellowing above and the duke's cheerful, endearing chatter below. Atherton makes it so effortless and pleasurable to stand in Emma's shoes as she's both awed and i...more
In Aunt Dimity and the Duke, Atherton succeeds in making the whole of Penford Hall and Harbour come alive. In my mind, I can walk the verdant gardens, feel a tremor at the cliffside drop, get lost in the winding corridors of the Hall itself. I can hear Nanny Cole's surly bellowing above and the duke's cheerful, endearing chatter below. Atherton makes it so effortless and pleasurable to stand in Emma's shoes as she's both awed and i...more
The second novel in the series, this focuses on Emma Porter, who is introduced as a minor character in the first novel. The events take place before the storyline of the first novel, and help fill in the blanks of Aunt Dimity in the eyes of her friends and family in England. Again, in this book, Aunt Dimity is not the main protagonist but serves an important role in furthering the story. We are also given some details on the young Dimity's life during WWII, including an ill-fated romance with a...more
I rather enjoyed this book. I think I will probably read more of these.
Emma Porter is in Connecticut and her longtime lover has just gotten married to a much younger woman, slim and blonde. But Emma didn't want marriage. She had planned a trip to England to look at gardens with her boyfriend, when he backed out she went anyway. She visits Bransley where she had visited once before and meets the Pym sisters, Ruth and Louise, in the maze. They finish each others sentences and look just alike. The...more
Emma Porter is in Connecticut and her longtime lover has just gotten married to a much younger woman, slim and blonde. But Emma didn't want marriage. She had planned a trip to England to look at gardens with her boyfriend, when he backed out she went anyway. She visits Bransley where she had visited once before and meets the Pym sisters, Ruth and Louise, in the maze. They finish each others sentences and look just alike. The...more
My second (and second in the series) Aunt Dimity. While it was enjoyable and I loved the imagery of the gardens and the other settings, still a lot of questions. I'm totally ok with "suspension of disbelief", but really. Within a few days, people think they'll marry the person they just met? Nanny Cole can make a dozen dresses, skirts, pants and knit at least 2 sweaters in 10 days? Why do we think Aunt Dimity might be a ghost? Or is it the grandmother's ghost? Or is there even a ghost? I was ove...more
1 like · like · see review
Jul 01, 2011
Gwen
rated it
3 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
mystery-suspense,
2011-read
This book is a sequel and yet it feels as though it should be a prequel. (maybe I'm wrong on this).
Emma Roberts is a computer wizard who recently attended a wedding her ex (of 15 years). Her planned trip to England, which she was going to go with her ex, turns out to a trip she wasn't intending. She finds herself at at the Duke's home as the local gardener. Lex Rex and bandmates, a musical sensation drowned on this Duke's sailboat 5 years ago. The estate and village are in a whirlwind fix-er upp...more
Emma Roberts is a computer wizard who recently attended a wedding her ex (of 15 years). Her planned trip to England, which she was going to go with her ex, turns out to a trip she wasn't intending. She finds herself at at the Duke's home as the local gardener. Lex Rex and bandmates, a musical sensation drowned on this Duke's sailboat 5 years ago. The estate and village are in a whirlwind fix-er upp...more
Nancy Atherton débuted in 1993 and by the beauty of used books, I recently discovered "Aunt Dimity's Death". I’m in love with Nancy's originality, impeccable writing, and series that resembles nothing else! Thirty year-old Lori was financially low and her mother had died. When a lawyer's letter came about a Dimity Woodcock's death, she was astonished that fairytales she grew up with, were about her mother's real friend in wartime England. Assisted by the lawyer's son Bill, there's a mission to f...more
1 like · like · see review
The second in the Aunt Dimity series, it is the story of Emma, an American computer specialist who has just been left by her boyfriend of 15 years. Emma goes on a vacation to England, partly to escape, and partly to explore the beautiful gardens. While she is there, she meets some ladies that send her to the Duke's home, where instead of visiting a garden, she ends up being hired to create one.
It is while she is in the midst of this, that she meets Derek, and despite her better judgement, begin...more
It is while she is in the midst of this, that she meets Derek, and despite her better judgement, begin...more
Jun 04, 2010
Sandy
rated it
3 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommended to Sandy by:
Judie W.
Shelves:
fiction-mystery
The second book in the Aunt Dimity series, however in this book Aunt Dimity seemed to be more of an afterthought than a key figure. If I hadn't read the first book, I'd have no idea who Aunt Dimity was. Even having read the first one, I wasn't sure exactly how she fit into this story. I think I liked the first book better. I'm starting the third one in the series and have found connections to the first book and it's characters, which I like.
This book was a fun quick read, but I felt that someti...more
This book was a fun quick read, but I felt that someti...more
2 likes · like · see review
Computer programmer Emma is forty and frumpy and recently dumped by her long-time lover. She decided to go on their planned vacation anyway to tour the gardens of England. A passionate and knowledgeable gardener, she is enthralled by gardens. In a series of coincidences and contrivances, she ends up in Cornwall restoring an old garden. She meets assorted people including a widower with two children. In the process, she solves problems, mysteries, and finds new love.
In this one Aunt Dimity is sti...more
In this one Aunt Dimity is sti...more
A great cozy mystery for lazy summer afternoon reading!
Emma is a 40 something computer geek and avid gardener that has recently been dumped by her longtime boyfriend Richard. He has now gotten married to a girl half his age and Emma is feeling all of her age and more. She had a trip to England planned with Richard and decides to take the trip anyway.
When she arrives she meets elderly twin sisters in a garden and they recommend that she take a trip to see the gardens of a Duke. When she arrives...more
Emma is a 40 something computer geek and avid gardener that has recently been dumped by her longtime boyfriend Richard. He has now gotten married to a girl half his age and Emma is feeling all of her age and more. She had a trip to England planned with Richard and decides to take the trip anyway.
When she arrives she meets elderly twin sisters in a garden and they recommend that she take a trip to see the gardens of a Duke. When she arrives...more
Another quaint mystery by Nancy Atherton. Aunt Dimity has a way of tying a good yarn up in a nice neat magical bow! I can't believe it took me until the Epilogue to recall who Derek and Emma were. This endeared the series to me even more as I reflected back on the part those characters played in the first novel, which actually takes place after "Aunt Dimity and the Duke". I will definitely continue to read more of the series.
This book made me long for the days when I would sit on the floor in t...more
This book made me long for the days when I would sit on the floor in t...more
2 likes · like · see review
While this is linked to the other Aunt Dimity books, the main characters in this one are different - and although it is second in the series, it actually takes place before Aunt Dimity's Death, first in the series. Like the others in the series, I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Nancy Atherton creates a very appealing world and likable, human characters. Emma arrives at Penford Hall following a series of coincidences and is suddenly swept up in a series of events which must seem baffling to her. I...more
This was the first Aunt Dimity novel I've read. I picked it up mainly because I know the series is popular. I'm not at all sure what to think after this book though. Aunt Dimity was hardly in it and it seems that the characters that the book introduces us to aren't in the other books. Plus, the pages and pages of flower names really became a bit much for me. I was charmed by the children and the Duke and would love to know more about them, but if they're not in the next ones how is this book con...more
I wanted to like it a lot more than I did, but even with a suspension of disbelief, this one was a real eye-roller for me. The mystery didn't even start for the first hundred pages or so, and Aunt Dimity wasn't really involved in the action in this book, which I think was a mistake. Also, poor Nell was presented throughout most of the book as if she some ethereal, netherworld nutjob. This is my least favorite of the Aunt Dimity's so far. I'll stick with the series, and I guess most people probab...more
3 likes · like · see review
This is such a good book!
It is the story of Emma and Derek Harris... how they met, fell in love and eventually got married and became the caretakers of Aunt Dimity's cottage in Finch.
It was a bit different than the other Aunt Dimity books I've read in that Aunt Dimity is only mentioned in this book. She is the reason that Emma and Derek ended up at the same castle on the Cornish coast at the same time.
There are a few mysteries in this book that Emma and Derek need to solve. On of them involves s...more
It is the story of Emma and Derek Harris... how they met, fell in love and eventually got married and became the caretakers of Aunt Dimity's cottage in Finch.
It was a bit different than the other Aunt Dimity books I've read in that Aunt Dimity is only mentioned in this book. She is the reason that Emma and Derek ended up at the same castle on the Cornish coast at the same time.
There are a few mysteries in this book that Emma and Derek need to solve. On of them involves s...more
1 like · like · see review
Nov 26, 2012
Dawn
rated it
3 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
Wendy, Vilo, Kathy, Beth, Louise
Recommended to Dawn by:
Melissa M.
I just picked this mystery up at a good friend's house over Thanksgiving. It is an enjoyable, light read. I read the first Aunt Dimity book a couple of years ago and wasn't impressed enough to keep going. This book is a bit of a departure from the rest of the series. Other readers have complained that the main characters are different, etc, but I actually like this book better.
I was in the mood for a nice, light read, but I actually found a lot of deeper themes which were touched on in the book...more
I was in the mood for a nice, light read, but I actually found a lot of deeper themes which were touched on in the book...more
Jul 27, 2012
Margie
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
english-country-village,
mystery
Love these books! If you are a lover of English country cottages, English country villages, mysteries with a benevolent ghost and historical sidelights of England, these books are for you! And to top it off there is a divinely sweet recipe at the end of every book (lemon bars, angel cookies, oatmeal cookies, etc.). The author, Nancy Atherton, is an American who lives in Colorado Springs and loves England. This is book #2 in the series and so far the author has written 18 books. I am on an Aunt D...more
On its own merits, this was a fairly cliched romantic mystery, widower blah blah, duke restoring his neglected ancestral home, mysterious goings-on in the garden, benevolent old ladies, village pub blah di blah.
But so things are getting uncanny: it started when The Bad Samaritan had a character called Dark Satanic Mills. My next book, The Blind Assassin, quoted a passage about English factories that referred to them as 'dark satanic mills.' That book also had a character refer to the phrase "pu...more
But so things are getting uncanny: it started when The Bad Samaritan had a character called Dark Satanic Mills. My next book, The Blind Assassin, quoted a passage about English factories that referred to them as 'dark satanic mills.' That book also had a character refer to the phrase "pu...more
This book is a sort of prequel to "Aunt Dimity's Death," and deals with some of the side characters from the first book (which also means that Aunt Dimity is still alive, although very rarely present). I enjoyed this book just as much as the first, if not more, even though I was worried that without the same characters it wouldn't be as good. The mystery takes place in an old English manor and deals with gardens, architectural restoration, and a rock star's death. Good fun.
I love this series. I checked most of mine out at the library after I got one at a garage sale.
This one was strange because Ant Dimity wasn't dead yet so there was no journal or Lori or Bill for that matter.
Dimity was alive at the beginning of the book talking to child in a church if I remember correctly.
And I missed Bill and Lori in this one since they were just falling in love in the first one.
But I enjoyed getting introduced to Emma and Derek. Loved meeting Peter and Nell too. Love Nell an...more
This one was strange because Ant Dimity wasn't dead yet so there was no journal or Lori or Bill for that matter.
Dimity was alive at the beginning of the book talking to child in a church if I remember correctly.
And I missed Bill and Lori in this one since they were just falling in love in the first one.
But I enjoyed getting introduced to Emma and Derek. Loved meeting Peter and Nell too. Love Nell an...more
I am dismayed that the characters from the first Aunt Dimity novel are not in this novel. The only thread woven from the last novel is Aunt Dimity and the Pym twins. This is an interesting story of deception and loyalty among a small English village. Atherton writes a mild, easy-going mystery with no graphic murder scenes. Atherton dwells on family and love instead of pain and murder. Many readers will miss the blood and gore and past on reading the Aunt Dimity series.
1 like · like · see review
I really enjoy these Aunt Dimity books. This one started out a little slower than the last but once I got into it I was hooked. I love that they are romantic mysteries and that the mysteries are so different than your traditional mystery. They aren't gory or scary but a mystery even still. I am so glad there are more Aunt Dimity books to be read. They are a great book to pickup if you want something easy and fun to read-a nice casual book.
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
click here.
So, in my old age instead of reading heavy thought-provoking material, I'm enjoying a few casual fun books. This Aunt Dimity character is a lot of fun. And in this book she is affecting things well beyond the realm of her small British town. I really enjoyed this story about the converging lives of many different characters around the rescue of an old tradition. More said would ruin the story for you. You must read it yourself.
This is the second in the series and I don't know how I missed it but it was a winner. Aunt Dimity's character is the connecting thread between generations. Picture castles, the windswept Cornish coast, a mysterious drowning of a rock star (Lex Rex - do you love it) and a frumpy woman dumped by her lover for a younger woman. Add a caustic aging model and a little girl not of this world and a story that has quite a twist at the end. It was fun. Like I said I don't know how I missed it.
A quite pleasant cosy mystery with a good story line. I was a little confused what part Aunt Dimity played in this one though. I think Nell's bear Bertie was receiving Aunt Dimity's advice. I've just read other people's reviews and I don't know where I missed that this story happened before Aunt Dimity's death. I shall have to read another of these very captivating stories. But, I have to admit though I'm extremely confused
Mystery, smitch of romance
I did not realize until this second book in the Aunt Dimity series that the spirit Aunt Dimity spurs the action for each book and each book and that all other characters are new. In this one Emma Porter somehow finds herself as head gardener on a huge estate being brought back to its beauty by the young duke Grayson. But did Grayson murder that musician???
I did not realize until this second book in the Aunt Dimity series that the spirit Aunt Dimity spurs the action for each book and each book and that all other characters are new. In this one Emma Porter somehow finds herself as head gardener on a huge estate being brought back to its beauty by the young duke Grayson. But did Grayson murder that musician???
What if there was some entity just out of reach, looking out for you, advising you, lending a hand at just the right moment to make everything right for the pure of heart and making it hard for the "bad" guys? Well, enter Aunt Dimity. She whispers in the right ear, comforts you when you are hurt, introduces you to the person who can make your life happy. Great fun, nothing serious.
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Nancy Atherton is not a white-haired Englishwoman with a softly wrinkled face, a wry smile, and wise gray eyes, nor does she live in a thatched cottage behind a babbling brook in a tranquil, rural corner of the Cotswolds.
She has never taken tea with a vicar (although she drank an Orange Squash with one once) and she doesn't plan to continue writing after her allotted time on earth (though such pla...more
More about Nancy Atherton...
She has never taken tea with a vicar (although she drank an Orange Squash with one once) and she doesn't plan to continue writing after her allotted time on earth (though such pla...more
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Aug 02, 2008 11:30am