Part of Aunt Dimity Mystery, book 6
First published 2001
Lori desperately needs an escape from home life with her walking, talking twins. When her former boss Stan Finderman offers her a job evaluating a book collection at Tarrant Hall in Northumberland, she accepts immediately. The Victorian mansion greets her with turrets and towers, but newlyweds Nicola and Paul Hollander make her feel welcome. Working through dust and spider webs in the library, Lori uncovers love letters from World War I. A young lieutenant wrote them to his lover Claire, who was Nicola's great aunt. One letter suggests treasure lies hidden somewhere in Tarrant Hall. Nicola reacts strangely to this discovery, seeming more troubled than excited. As All Souls' Eve draws near, Nicola admits she hears mysterious sounds at night and asks Lori whether she believes in ghosts. With Aunt Dimity's guidance, Lori must navigate family secrets and supernatural forces that make her assignment far more complex than simply cataloging rare books.
Genres: historical-fiction, 20th-century, adult-fiction, gothic, cozy-mystery, family-drama
Vibes: atmospheric, cozy, intimate, suspenseful
Tropes: found-family, supernatural-elements
Setting: Northumberland, Tarrant Hall
Period: World War I
247 pages · Mass Market Paperback · Penguin Books