Customer Reviews

Killing Cassidy (Dorothy Martin Mysteries, No. 6)

5 star:		(1)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(6)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

Sexagenarian American Dorothy Martin has lived in England for three years. Her husband of two years ex-Deputy Constable Alan Nesbitt recognizes that Dorothy has a zest for living, but cannot understand how she always seems to land in the middle of a homicide investigation. While the happily married duo eats breakfast, a letter arrives from the states stating that a dear friend recently passed away leaving Dorothy with $5,000 provided she returns to Indiana to collect her inheritance.

Dorothy knows that ninety-five year old Kevin Cassidy would never have capriciously called her home unless he had cause. Accompanied by Alan, Dorothy returns to the American hinterland only to receive the check and a letter in which the deceased claims someone murdered him and he wants hr to investigate his claim. The medical records state that Kevin died from pneumonia, but a little digging surfaces viable suspects with means, motives, and opportunities to abet Mother Nature.

KILLING CASSIDY seems similar in style to the works of Agatha Christie and consequently fans of the great author will enjoy this old-fashioned amateur sleuth tale. Alan and Dorothy are a warm couple whose sweet, realistic romance proves the furnace still runs. The story line is cerebral and complex with strong secondary characters (including the deceased) adding depth and color to the plot. Jeanne M. Dams creates another winning novel that will send elated mystery lovers seeking her previous works.

Harriet Klausner

This title was the least entertaining of her works. Also, I cannot understand how the major mistake about the beverage she's drinking got by the proofreaders!! Ceartainly sloppy editing! But the author lectures us too much during this book on the differences between the US and English medical systems and it really adds nothing to the book or plot.

I have read and enjoyed Jeanne Dams books because I found her "detective" Dorthy Martin interesting in her dealings with English people. This book takes place in the United States, not England, and isn't even a good American mystery.

I have enjoyed all of Ms Dams' Dorothy Martin mysteries, and so was looking forward to this one. I was not disappointed. My favorite aspect of this series is the interaction between Dorothy and her husband, Alan, and this book has more of this interaction than any of its predecessors.

Dorothy and her husband return to the United States pursuant to the will of an old friend of Dorothy's. Dorothy discovers that much about her former home town has changed; thus, introducing Alan to her home town involves some emotional pitfalls. The mystery is more of a backdrop to what I viewed as the main plot, the developing relationship between Alan and Dorothy. Thus, I did not mind that the mystery aspects of the plot were not particularly strong.

This mystery just didn't live up to the rest of the Dorothy Martin series. It was an entertaining mystery, but I have grown to expect more from this series. She could have gotten alot more out of the homecoming, but seemed to take the easy way out. Still, this was an enjoyable read.

...but I think I enjoyed it more than the other reviewers listed here. One factor that may have played into my enjoyment is the fact that I lived in southern Indiana for quite some time (now living in Europe) so I recognized many of the locales mentioned, especially the Indiana University sites.
I do have to agree with the other reviewers regarding the fact that the episodes of this series that take place in England are better than this one. I enjoy the interaction of Dorothy with the English mentality/way of life, and hope that the next book in the series returns to the UK.

The usually impeccable Kate Reading does a fine job with performing the heroine, Dorothy Martin; unfortunately, she has trouble producing a satisfactory voice and presence for the British retired detective husband. It makes for some discomfort although not to a degree that measurably depresses the quality of the script from which she works. That script, the text of a mystery by Jeanne M. Dams, is generally interesting, but not of superior quality. She does make us feel the bewilderment of an American widow returning to her home town in Indiana, accompanied by her recently acquired English husband. The object of the trip is to fulfill a request of an old teacher and friend, who has died at an advanced age, to investigate his death as the murder of which he is certain he will be the victim. They find that the idea of murder in his case simply does not conform to any of the facts known to the police, friends or acquaintances. Driven by the heroines sense of guilt over having lost contact with her old friend, she and her husband persist in their efforts. I believe the recounting of these efforts and the reactions of the heroine will draw the reader into the story. The denouement certainly involves motivations which, in their particularities, are rather unique.
All in all, a decent story, well read with, the exception noted. The average mystery reader should not be disappointed.

A woman returns from England to investigate the murder of an old friend at the request of the deceased. The problem is, he died of pneumonia at the age of 96, and it seems that everyone loved him.

It was a clever mystery, reminiscent of Christie. My only problem was that I didn't buy the motive.

Page 1 says, "I poured myself a seconf cup of tea>" The conversation continues in the same setting and on page 4 the author writes, "I took a sip of my cold coffee." Very sloppy proof reading, if nothing else. The plot is about as interesting as her cold coffe. The descriptions of the countryside of Indiana are well crafted. If you are snowed in and received this book as a gift it is good for an afternoon read.

When you build your readership on a character in England and then move that character to the U.S.-and in a poorly plotted, written and edited story, to boot-you do a disservice to those readers: PHOOEY!!!!!