The Body in the Transept (Dorothy Martin Mysteries, No. 1) [Hardcover]

Jeanne M. Dams (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 1995

The fourth entry in Jeanne M. Dams's delightfully charming, award-winning mystery series starring Dorothy Martin. This time, Dorothy dons one of her most outlandish hats and sets out for the Doll House Museum at the imposing Brocklesby Hall to help a friend clear her son of theft charges. But two murders put more than a miniature Sevres tea set at stake and Dorothy finds herself maneuvering a complicated plot that is trickier and more dangerous than any of England's daunting roundabouts.

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Drawing on American sensibilities and English tradition, Dams's debut introduces widowed American sleuth Dorothy Martin, who will delight lovers of cozies set on both sides of the Atlantic. Dorothy has moved to the fictional university/ cathedral town of Sherebury, where she and her academic husband had planned to retire before his unexpected demise. After the Christmas Eve service in the Cathedral, Dorothy stumbles over the body of Canon Billings. Once she recovers her equilibrium, she finds herself feeling involved in the case and curious about the unpleasant but learned Canon, who had made more enemies than friends. He had recently argued vehemently with his young, hot-headed assistant in the library, had tried to get the choirmaster fired and was gathering evidence against the verger who was stealing from the collection plate. Dorothy charmingly insinuates herself into village life in the best Miss Marple tradition, talking to neighbors and befriending others (including widower Chief Constable Alan Nesbitt) and determinedly pursuing the killer even as she puts herself in danger. With her penchant for colorful hats, Dorothy establishes herself as a fresh, commanding?and always genteel?presence among female elder-sleuths of the '90s.
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal

This offering from newcomer Dams gleams with all the polish of a quaint English-village mystery. American widow Dorothy Martin, sixtyish and plump, inhabits a picturesque Jacobean house in Sherebury. Feeling low, she attends Christmas Eve services at a nearby cathedral and afterwards trips over the bloody body of a clergyman. Unable to put the matter out of her mind, and in need of something to do, she begins sleuthing. Nicely described small-town antics, a cleverly concocted plot, and a charmingly competent heroine. Recommended.
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 205 pages
• Publisher: Walker & Company; First Edition edition (October 1995)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0802732755
• ISBN-13: 978-0802732750
• Product Dimensions: 8.6 x 5.9 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (14 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,002,271 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

45 of 46 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A Winner! Miss Marple, move over!, July 18, 1999

By 

Joan David (Hemet, CA USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Body in the Transept (Dorothy Martin Mysteries, No. 1) (Mass Market Paperback)

This is a delightful first novel and for those of us who are sick onto death of mystery and crime novels that portray sickenly graphic violence, Ms. Dams novel is even more of a pleasure.

Dorothy Martin is an American widow living in the fictional English town of Sherebury. Dorothy is over 60, overweight, and given to wearing wonderful hats wherever she goes! She has a great sense of humor and a genuine feeling for others. She has made friends with many of the local people and her interactions with them are charming.

Dorothy lives next door to a famed cathedral; at Christmas Eve services she discovers a body and the game is afoot! Her curiosity is piqued and she decides to solve the crime. In her sleuthing efforts, she wanders about the town talking to people in high and low places. Dorothy makes fast friends with the head of the local police, Alan Nesbitt, and it becomes obvious to readers that a romance is in the making.

There are wonderful descriptions of the town and its inhabitants abound and Ms. Dams nicely explains the differences between American and English viewpoints.

Buy this and enjoy! (I've already purchased and read her next three books and they were all wonderful!)

15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Cozy Up For This Fun Debut, February 25, 2003

By 

Mark Baker (Santa Clarita, CA United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Body in the Transept (Dorothy Martin Mysteries, No. 1) (Mass Market Paperback)

It's Christmas Eve in the small town of Sherebury. Dorothy Martin, a recently widowed American, is looking forward to her first Christmas as a resident of England. But when leaving the cathedral's midnight mass, she literally stumbles over a body. Soon the questions are flying. Who killed Canon Billings? Since the list of suspects includes most of the town, more importantly why? Dorothy has her hands full trying to figure this one out.

I was drawn in by the charm of this book. It starts out rather quickly and the pace never lags until the gripping conclusion. Dorothy is an interesting main character. I felt her interest in the murder was a little under explained, but I was willing to let that go. I really enjoyed the writing style. The first person narration felt like a letter to a friend and the scenes where Dorothy argued with her self were funny because they were so true.

Having already discovered this author's other series, I now look forward to reading more in this one as well. She is a truly talented mystery author.

13 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Exactly what a cozy should be..., June 28, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: The Body in the Transept (Dorothy Martin Mysteries, No. 1) (Paperback)

The Body in the Transept is a perfect example of why I switched from being a die-hard thriller reader to being a reader of cozy American and English mysteries. I love the Dorothy Martin and Alan Nesbitt characters and was interested in the mystery until its conclusion. What I didn't get out of this book were nightmares and an unsettled, spooked feeling. Just felt warm and, well...cozy. I plan to read everything this author writes.