Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #1405966 in Books
• Published on: 2003-11-01
• Original language: English
• Binding: Mass Market Paperback
• 272 pages

From Publishers Weekly
A traditional American Thanksgiving dinner unexpectedly leads Dorothy Martin, now nearly 70 and settled in the medieval town of Sherebury with her retired police constable husband, Alan Nesbit, into a murder case as chilling as the British weather. This is Agatha-winner Dams's seventh mystery to feature the gutsy and intuitive amateur sleuth (after 2001's To Perish in Penzance). On Thanksgiving day, Dorothy takes nine-year-old Miriam Doyle into her home and heart after the girl's mother, a teacher, is accused of stabbing the girl's father to death. Encouraged by the police and advised by Alan, Dorothy investigates the murder. The local cathedral, quirky characters, erratic trains and lots of tea all figure in this traditional British cozy with a unique twist-an American Miss Marple as heroine.and other mysteries in her Hilda Johannson series.
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist
"When people see a gray-haired woman in a silly hat, they tend to dismiss her as a harmless crank," says sixtyish Dorothy Martin, an American who has lived for years in the ancient British hamlet of Sherebury, most recently with her retired detective husband. A day spent as a substitute teacher's aide leads her to Amanda, the teacher: closed, terrified, and soon accused of the murder of her monstrously repressive husband. Dorothy cannot keep out of it, especially when she meets the couple' s intense nine-year-old daughter. An estranged father who is a major public figure; a religious sect leached of all kindness; and a lot of bad accounting keep Dorothy on track, even as she tries to produce an American Thanksgiving in England and not tread too heavily on the toes of the investigating officers, erstwhile colleagues of her spouse. Dorothy may feel--and act--her age, but she is energetic and forthright, and an attractive and interesting companion even when the threads of the mystery unravel a bit. GraceAnne DeCandido
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Customer Reviews

Almost 4 Stars
I enjoy this light mystery series. I find Dorothy Martin interesting - mature, yet sometimes silly enough to make her not stuffy. This is the eighth in the series and one of the better ones. A schoolteacher's husband is killed and she, along with her young daughter, are having trouble coping with all the pressures that would go along with that. In steps Dorothy to help her both with the coping and with the solving of the mystery. Her investigation takes her a few times to London, which provides a break from the smalltown descriptions that normally accompany a book in this series. There were two reasons I did not give this book 4 stars: I was able to figure out the culprit long before the end of the book and I find the character of Dorothy's husband, Alan, a 2-dimensional character and wish he would be fleshed out a bit. But, this is a quite enjoyable read and I would recommend it, particularly to those that have read the earlier books in the series.

ehhhh.... Used to be a fun series
I've really enjoyed the other books in the Dorothy Martin series, especially Holy Terror in the Hebrides and Victim in Victoria Station. I'm only 60 pages into Sins Out of School, and I think I've closed the book for good. Another reviewer had it right - Jeanne Dams has become sanctimonious.

If you're Anglican / Episcopalian and are into heavy tradition and an "important" building to worship in, this book may be for you. Otherwise, stick with the previous books in the series.

A pleasant cozy
This seemed to me to be one of the better books in this Dorothy Martin series. The plotting and characters were well done and the story moved along quickly and evenly. The plot opens with a totally submissive mother and young daughter, one or both of whom appear to have murdered the domineering husband/father. They don't ask for Dorothy Martin's help but they get it anyway. She and her ex-Chief Constable husband work on the case, tracking it through a self-righteous religious sect and almost to the British parliament.

The writer does two tricky things well. She manages to write reasonably accurately about life in an small English cathedral town from the point of view of an American, and she has two people working as a detective team without turning one of them into a buffoon (as in the Sherlock Holmes and Hercule Poirot novels). She has also presented a fairly long series without becoming formulaic.

If you enjoy this genre, you'll probably like this book, so curl up beside the fire and enjoy, and share it with a friend.