Customer Reviews

Holy Terror in the Hebrides (Dorothy Martin Mysteries, No. 3)

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

 

 

Dorothy Martin, an American widow with arthritic knees and a penchant for hats, travels with the reader into this cozy mystery set on a dramatic island off the coast of Scotland. Bright flowers, glorious hiking, historic landmarks, mislaid keys, heavenly meals, a canny cat, travel to the dark and mysterious island of Staffa, even a cure for seasickness, factor into a fun and clever whodunit. When one of the members of an acrimonious church group is lost and presumed drowned in Fingal's cave, Dorothy senses more than knows that it is murder. Back at the beautiful island, she puzzles out the numerous motives, as a major storm blows an ill wind across the island. Better batten down the hatches, this one is exciting.

This is the third in Jeanne M. Dams' delightful English cozy series featuring Dorothy Martin, a retired American schoolteacher living in Sherebury, England. In this adventure, our heroine, en route to a vacation on the Scottish island of Iona, finds herself on a bus with an ill-assorted, bickering American church tour group headed for the same idyllic destination. Dorothy's holiday turns out to be anything but peaceful: An obnoxious American is killed in a fall from a cliff in Fingal's Cave, and Dorothy suspects murder. As if that weren't enough, the island is hit by an extremely violent storm. This is a wonderful series, with a charming sleuth and many likable characters. I recommend beginning with the first novel, "The Body in the Transept," and reading the books in order, so you can become acquainted with Dorothy and her friends.

I really enjoy the Dorothy Martin character; she's wonderfully self-confident and true to herself at all times. But this book is just barely a mystery--I felt really let down at the end. Great characters and interesting setting can't make up for a weak (to be generous) plot.

The bit of a twist that made an accident appear to be murder worked for me. It made me think, 'Okay, this main character is on the edge of bragging about helping to solve murders in England, feels a bit put-out because the Scottish police don't seem to want her help, and then realizes that she might have made a mistake - and she wants to correct it." It's nice to see a main character who is not only NOT perfect, but is made to face how she might have hurt someone by her mistake. She doesn't have to see and solve everything on her own.

Retired widow Dorothy Martin takes a couple weeks vacation on the Isle of Iona off the Scottish coast. Also vacationing on the island is an quarrelsome mixed religious group from Chicago. Already loathing each other, things turn ugly when one of the members, Bob Williams, slips off a cliff edge in what seems like a freak accident.

However, Dorothy observes that Bob seems to have slipped over a spot of water that should not have been there. Anyone of his companions could have purposely formed a puddle so that Bob would fall. Dorothy decides to investigate whether the Methodist minister was actually the victim of a murder. However, by inquiring into the incident, Dorothy may have set herself up to be the next victim and her friend Chief Constable Nesbitt is at home in England so is unavailable to rescue a damsel in distress.

HOLY TERROR IN THE HEBRIDES is the third entry (see THE BODY IN THE TRANSEPT and TROUBLE IN THE TOWN HALL) in American expatriate Dorothy Martin mysteries and like its predecessors is a well written cozy due to the garrulous yet delightful Dorothy and the descriptive setting. However, this series is not for everyone. Instead it is suited for readers who enjoy a leisurely paced, slow motion mystery.

Harriet Klausner

I felt let down after reading Holy Terror in the Hebrides because the incident in the cave did not really develop into a murder except in Dorothy's imagination. The real terror was the storm not the supposed murder. I also felt that her response when she came out her door to go to the church was a bit overdone, considering the state of her arthritic knees. I like a bit of romance, but the scene at the end was as quick as spilt milk and I was left thirsty for a bit more. However, the descriptions were great and I wanted to see Iona for myself, eat the delicious food and even try the haggis.

12 years ago I wasn't reading mysteries. Nor did I know this Hoosier author's, Jeanne M. Dams, work. Now that I know of the Dorothy Martin Mystery series, I think I'll look for all of them.

A quick read, keeping your interest, and in this case a wonderful setting of a small island in the Hebrides. Dorothy gets talked into a 2-week vacation on the island with friends, who unfortunately can't show up on time due to illness. Dorothy forgets her key to Dove Cottage (the rental) and has to spend a bit of time at the local hotel. Also there is a group of prize winners for a short trip through Scotland which included this island.

The entire hotel group visits a local cave site where one of the group slips and falls into an underground waterway and disappears. Dorothy sees it happen and believes it was no accident. She can't get the local police to agree. So Dorothy is on her own, trying to discover who in the group is a murderer, and why.

Her list of potential killers, the entire traveling religious group, is made up of a miss-fit mix that can't seem to get along. It includes a Rabbi turned atheist, an Italian/American nun that fails to speak or look the image, a colored Baptist singer, a Presbyterian gardener, a Unitarian named Grace, Bob the Methodist youth worker who may just have killed himself-suicide, and a Lutheran organist. It is not only a mix of men and women, but also of men not sure if it's women they like best--know what I mean? It is an unusual religious lot from Chicago, not always faithful to the scriptures they can quote, but all have become influential in the particular areas of service within their religious affiliation. Everyone seems to have a secret, a grudge, and reasons to care less that Bob met his Waterloo. Yes, these are some of the faithful, but they are also human.

Even some of the local island inhabitants have their own quirks, but nothing quite like the Hebrides Visiting Heretics from the hotel. This story is not so much a religious or denominational study as it is a work depicting characters with strong feelings and beliefs being put too closely together for too long a time. What will happen next? That's what makes the book most interesting, not the murder mystery that Dorothy tries to solve. It's more than just: victim gets killed, killer gets caught.

I'd sure like to visit the Isle of Iona and stay in Dove Cottage for a week and read another Dorothy Martin Mystery by this writer.

This book was released a dozen years ago. It is still available and now quite a bargain in price. I'm just getting around to reading this used copy and other Dorothy Martin Mysteries by Jeanne M. Dams. I may be slow, but in this case it saves me money.

Let me know if you read this review, written so long after a release. I'm just curious if it's worth my time to anyone. Leave a helpful vote or a comment, so I know. It's appreciated.

Happy mystery reading.

If you've been to the Isle of Iona and Staffa, you must fead this book. It is exactly as the author describes it. If you are easily frightened, don't read it before you go!

This is not a review...I had written a review but do not see it listed with the others do you only take so many for each book or is there certain criteria that I am not meeting....I thought it was a good review. Lawscotch@aol.com (Margie R.)

And what a vacation she has...In this 3rd book, Jeanne Dams takes us to the Isle of Iona in the Scottish Hebrides....a beautiful place, pleaceful, historical, spiritual, and at the stame time... stormy, wild, unyielding and meloncholy. Dorothy sees an accident..BUT, is it an accident? She jumps right in to convince others that it wasn't but no one seems to believe her....she is surrounded by a group of Americans who don't like each other...don't worry, Dorothy to the rescue! Another good story from Jeanne Dams whose descriptions of the island made me feel as if I were there the whole time and had a vacation myself....Margie