Part of Aunt Dimity Mystery, book 2
First published 1995
Emma Porter turns forty and her world crumbles. Her lover leaves her for someone younger. Family and friends smother her with pity she cannot bear. She loads her car and drives toward England's finest gardens, seeking solace in petals and soil. A strange coincidence leads Emma to Penford Hall, a Gothic mansion in Cornwall where a duke needs her help. He has lost a lantern with mysterious powers and wants Emma to rebuild his ruined chapel garden. Emma agrees to stay. Dark stories swirl around a rock star connected to the estate. The duke's cousin nearly dies under suspicious circumstances. Emma realizes Penford Hall guards dangerous secrets. With supernatural guidance from the ghostly Aunt Dimity, Emma digs deeper into the mansion's mysteries. She uncovers the truth behind the missing lantern and the threats lurking in the shadows. Among the restored roses and rebuilt paths, Emma discovers something she never expected to find again.
Genres: romance, mystery, supernatural, contemporary
Vibes: atmospheric, emotional, suspenseful
Tropes: amateur-sleuth, found-family, second-chance
Setting: Cornwall, England, Penford Hall
Period: 20th-century
290 pages · Paperback · Penguin