Part of Aunt Dimity Mystery, book 10
First published 2005
Lori Shepherd feels worn down by life when she starts volunteering at the Radcliffe Infirmary. She befriends Elizabeth Beacham, a retired legal secretary with no family except a missing brother. When Miss Beacham dies unexpectedly, she leaves Lori an envelope containing keys and a final letter. The gentle woman had hidden depths. News spreads through the village about her generous bequests made before death. Lori discovers Miss Beacham's flat contains valuable antiques that seem too precious to go unclaimed. Using the clues Miss Beacham left behind and guidance from the ghostly Aunt Dimity, Lori digs into the woman's past. She must uncover what Miss Beacham was hiding and locate her true next of kin. The investigation reveals surprising truths about the quiet woman's life and family.
Genres: fiction, mystery, contemporary, cozy-mystery
Vibes: atmospheric, cozy, emotional
Tropes: amateur-sleuth, found-family
Setting: Radcliffe Infirmary, Village
Period: Contemporary
354 pages · Hardcover · Thorndike Press