Part of Aunt Dimity Mystery, book 18
First published 2013
Lori Shepherd spots a delicate silver sleigh figurine in her thrift shop and knows exactly where she's seen it before. The piece captivated young Daisy Pickering during Lori's recent visit to Skeaping Manor, a converted Jacobean museum. Lori visited the strange old house with her twin sons, and she remembers how the poor nine-year-old girl stared at the sleigh with longing. Now the figurine has appeared in her shop, clearly stolen. Lori approaches the museum curator expecting concern, but he shows surprising indifference to the theft. The Pickering family has mysteriously acquired wealth and relocated to Australia, making recovery seem impossible. Aunt Dimity's supernatural counsel guides Lori deeper into the mystery. Her investigation reveals connections between English manor houses and the violent chaos of the Russian Revolution. The search for the figurine's rightful owner uncovers family secrets that span continents and generations.
Genres: historical-fiction, mystery, cozy-mystery, family-drama
Vibes: atmospheric, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: amateur-sleuth, family-secrets, found-family
Setting: Skeaping Manor, Australia
Period: 20th-century
256 pages · Hardcover · Viking