Aunt Dimity Slays the Dragon (Aunt Dimity Series #14) by Nancy Atherton

From the Publisher

Lori's peaceful English village is being overrun by a rowdy and mischievous Renaissance fair

Lori Shepherd loves living in the small English village of Finch, but as her eighth summer in the town approaches she finds herself wishing for something exciting to spice up her all-too-familiar routine. When King Wilfred's Faire opens nearby, Lori gets her wish and more. The age of chivalry lives again at the Renaissance fair. Wizards, wenches, magicians, and minstrels cajole the fairgoers while lords quaff, jesters joke, and knights battle in the joust arena. But Lori discovers that it's not all pageantry and play.

A sinister figure is stalking the angel-voiced madrigal singer. A jealous rival has sabotaged the Dragon Knight's weapons. And an evil assassin is trying to murder Good King Wilfred. With Aunt Dimity's otherworldly guidance, Lori races to save her dear village and risks her neck to keep the medieval revelry from ending in tragedy.

Aunt Dimity Slays the Dragon is another gem in Atherton's perennially beloved cozy series, sure to enchant her many loyal fans and attract new ones.

Publishers Weekly

The charm has begun to wear a bit thin in Atherton's 14th paranormal cozy to feature U.S. ex-pat Lori Shepherd (after 2008's Aunt Dimity: Vampire Hunter). Lori, despite the sage advice of ghostly Aunt Dimity, remains somewhat feckless and immature, still relying on snap judgments instead of reasoned thought, as she sticks her nose into the affairs of others in the idyllic Cotswolds village of Finch. When Calvin Malvern (aka King Wilfred the Good) arrives with his motley crew for a Renaissance faire to be held on land belonging to his uncle, Lori's neighbor, many of the villagers enter into the spirit of the thing, including Lori, who can't resist the thought of playing dress up. Odd accidents befall King Wilfred, and Lori begins to wonder about sabotage and regicide. Hardcore fans will no doubt enjoy the froth, but newcomers may find it a bit too precious. (Feb.)

Kirkus Reviews

The advent of a Renaissance fair rouses village sleuth Lori Shepherd (Aunt Dimity: Vampire Hunter, 2008, etc.) from her boredom with costumes, rituals and contemporary felonies. The quiet English village of Finch is gearing up for the usual summer activities when Calvin Malvern, aka King Wilfred, arrives to announce that he'll be opening King Wilfred's Faire on his uncle's dairy farm. Peggy Taxman, who runs Finch's activities with an iron hand, is not pleased, but the rest of the town enters so completely into the spirit of things that the local seamstress is overrun with orders for costumes. Lori soon finds a new friend in Jinks the jester, whose caravan is parked in the field near her house. He's known Calvin for years because they've both worked in many Renaissance fairs. Lori's twin sons are delighted to ride their ponies in the jousting parade. Only her lawyer husband Bill resists the festive spirit. Once the fair opens, Calvin has several close calls, almost falling from a gatehouse and getting nearly decapitated by a sandbag. Even that voice of reason, Aunt Dimity, Lori's mother's deceased friend who communicates by writing in a special book, can't keep Lori from jumping to conclusions. After enjoying Lori's ditzy adventures, her fans may well hunt up the nearest Renaissance fair. Others may find this coziest of cozies a bit of a snooze.

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