The Doctor Dines in Prague (Dr. Andrew Fenimore, 4) [Hardcover]

Robin Hathaway (Author)

Book Description

Series: Dr. Andrew Fenimore, 4 | Publication Date: November 12, 2003

Dr. Fenniman has a surprised communication from a cousin he doesn't know, who lives in Prague, and she indicates that she and her family are having serious problems and needs help from him. Off he goes to Prague to help her in whatever way he can, and decides to get his relatives to the U.S. But it is not simple, and Fenniman pulls in his lover, his secretary, and the street urchin turned teenaged helper, bringing them all to the beautiful old city, where they become tangled with a psychopath who is planning to overthrow the government and declare himself ruler of the country, an agenda that involves a talented maker of puppets, the rescue of a young child, and murder.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

In Hathaway's fast-moving romp, the fourth entry in this lighthearted series (after 2001's The Doctor and the Dead Man's Chest), Dr. Andrew Fenimore ventures from Philadelphia to the Czech Republic, the country of his mother's birth, after trying to phone his cousin Anna Borovy every day for two weeks without success. Fenimore soon discovers that Anna and her husband Vlasta have been kidnapped for reasons unknown. Hiding in their empty Prague apartment is the couple's young daughter Marie, who's been munching on crackers and little else since her parents disappeared. Fearful of contacting the Czech police, Fenimore decides he must first get Marie to safety in America and then investigate on his own. A colleague of his cousin, the mysterious Ilsa Tanacek, offers to help him search for the Borovys. When the doctor's girlfriend, Jennifer, arrives unexpectedly, they become ensnared in a murderous plot with political overtones. As usual, the author provides plenty of fascinating local color, making effective use here of often grim Czech history. Fenimore is a mild-mannered hero neither handsome nor particularly dashing, yet his kindness and generosity will endear him to many readers.
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist

In a series that has so far stressed atmosphere over adventure, the fourth Dr. Fenimore story stands out as suspenseful as well as charming. The kindly, middle-aged physician--who still makes house calls to his elderly, Philadelphia-area clientele--is worried about his relatives in Prague. His cousin Anna's husband has a heart condition, and Fenimore is arranging treatment for him in the U.S. After two weeks of Anna not answering his calls, Fenimore decides to journey to Prague. He also hopes to enjoy some old-fashioned Czech meals, like the ones his mother used to make. Arriving at his cousins' apartment, Fenimore discovers their terrified young daughter, Marie, hiding in the oven. After Marie explains that her parents have been abducted, Fenimore sets out to find them. Hathaway skillfully imparts interesting tidbits about Czech history and Prague geography into the story. Fans won't care much that the kidnapping plot is a bit farfetched; they will simply appreciate that, like the doctor himself, this series is aging quite nicely. Jenny McLarin
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 192 pages
• Publisher: Minotaur Books; 1 edition (November 12, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0312290365
• ISBN-13: 978-0312290368
• Product Dimensions: 8.6 x 5.8 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,492,645 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

BIO: Robin Hathaway

Robin Hathaway began writing at fifty and collected rejection slips until she was sixty, when her novel THE DOCTOR DIGS A GRAVE won the St. Martin's Malice Domestic prize, and later an Agatha Award. She now has two series both featuring doctor sleuths. Dr. Andrew Fenimore is a Philadelphia cardiologist who practices solo and still makes house calls. Jo Banks is a young woman doctor who provides healthcare to motel residents and makes her motel calls on a motorcycle. SLEIGHT OF HAND, her most recent in this series, won the 2009 David Award. Robin is not a doctor, but her husband is a cardiologist and she uses him shamelessly as her #1 medical resource. Right now Robin is taking a break from her two series to work on a spy novel set at Cape May during WWII. www.RobinHathaway.com

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Dr. Fenimore goes to Prague in search of his cousins, December 10, 2003

By 

Dawn Dowdle "Mystery Lovers Corner reviewer" (Lynchburg, VA USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Doctor Dines in Prague (Dr. Andrew Fenimore, 4) (Hardcover)

Doctor Fenimore is a general physician in Philadelphia who still makes house calls, but this story is set in Prague. He goes to Prague because his Czech cousin Anna and her husband Vlasta aren't answering their phone. Vlasta is to come to Philadelphia for heart surgery soon.

When he arrives, he finds their nine-year-old daughter Marie hiding in the giant oven in their apartment. She tells him that two men with guns came and took her parents away. He then smuggles Marie off to Philadephia. His secretary, Mrs. Doyle, is to care for her with the help of Dr. Fenimore's girlfriend Jennifer and Horatio, his teenage office helper also known as `Rat'.

He then goes to the University where his cousins teach to try to contact some of their colleagues. Unfortunately the college is on break and there aren't many people there. He meets Ilsa. She gives him a tour of the city and ends up taking him to a puppet show. He meets Redik, the puppet master and a colleague of his cousin's. She also takes him to St. Wenceslas Chapel. They see a sign announcing that the Crown Jewels will be on display there the next day.

Dr. Fenimore has many adventures in Prague. He and eventually Jennifer, when she comes to Prague, are brought more deeply into the center of things. They both find themselves in danger while trying to untangle the web and find his cousins.

This is the first I have read in this series. It won't be the last. I cannot wait to read the next one. Dr. Fenimore is such a great character. He is so simple, but yet very intelligent. You can believe that he doesn't have a cell phone or use email regularly. He is the kind of doctor I'd like to find. All of the other characters are so wonderfully created as well.

The scenery of Prague was very interesting. I don't know much about it so I enjoyed learning.

Plus I got to meet author Robin Hathaway and that was an added bonus.

I highly recommend this book. I also have read her new book Scarecrow in her new series. Please read my review on that book as well.

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars engaging thriller that showcases the delightful Prague, November 6, 2003

By 

Harriet Klausner - See all my reviews
(#1 Hall OF FAME REVIEWER)    (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Doctor Dines in Prague (Dr. Andrew Fenimore, 4) (Hardcover)

Czech-American Dr. Andrew Fenimore becomes concerned when repeated calls to his cousin Anna Borovy in Prague go unanswered. Rationalizing that his relative and her ailing husband Vlasta are on vacation, Andrew tries at four in the morning Czech Republic time. Someone picks up the receiver but immediately hangs up the phone. Anxious for his cousin, Andrew flies from Philadelphia to Prague to insure that the two Czech professors are okay.

In Prague, his second cousin Marie, daughter of Anna and Vlasta, informs Andrew through hieroglyphics, as neither is proficient with the other's language, that thugs with guns abducted her parents. Andrew talks to Anna's colleague Ilsa Tanacek, who takes him to the adult puppet show of menacing Jan Redlik. Andrew's attendance makes him a focus of nasty individuals who want him to back off his inquiries. As he continues his quest, but the evil might prove to great for him and his American lover who has joined him to overcome.

The latest Dr. Fenimore tale is an engaging thriller that showcases the delightful Prague. The story line is action-packed and the use of hieroglyphics to communicate is clever and adds depth. The cast from both continents is a solid group that either propel the mystery forward, add degrees of tension, or enhance understanding of Andrew. Newcomers will enjoy dining with this novel. However long time fans will need to adjust as Andrew is not the focus of an amateur sleuth cozy, his usual sub-genre. Instead he seems out of place in the middle of a sinister thriller.

Harriet Klausner