Customer Reviews

Trouble in the Town Hall (Dorothy Martin Mysteries, No. 2)

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Jeanne M. Dams first book in this series, "The Body in the Transept" won the Agatha for best first novel. This book, the second in the series is a solid follow-up. (Reading of the first book is nice but isn't necessary.)

The book starts with the discovery of the body of a young stranger in the deserted town hall. Our heroine, retired teacher/American living in England - Dorothy Martin - just "happens" to be in on the discovery of the body. From there on, her sense of justice and curiosity won't rest until the killer is found. The town hall is in the middle of a tempest about it's future. Was the murder related to the feud between the preservationists and the developers? As Dorothy digs further, there are some other ties between the suspects that may matter.... The solution comes together nicely - not the obvious guess but not a total surprise either.

Half the fun of the book is seeing English village life through Dorothy's adoring American eyes. Leaky roof problems are annoying but also part of the "experience." Roundabouts on the highway are a menace. I also find myself liking Dorothy even if she is a terrible snoop. I'm particularly fond of her growing relationship with Alan Nesbitt, the chief constable. We don't get much "senior" romance in books and it's about time.

Dorothy Martin has decided to buy and repair a home in her adopted town of Sherebury, England but first she needs the approval of the Sherebury Planning Committee. Before she can do that, she stumbles across the body of a young man who has been murdered in the old Town Hall. Since the Planning Committee is involved in the effort to renovate Town Hall this causes problems for everyone concerned, including Dorothy and so she decides to investigate. This is a nice cozy series with an interesting cast of characters and even a little romance between Dorothy and Alan Nesbitt, chief constable. The first book in the series is The Body In The Transept.

Dorothy Martin is my favorite housewife-private eye.....She is elegant, although rather nosy, and meanders through this beautiful Cathedral town, hunting for clues, talking with people, making friends and hunting down her lunch partner Constable Alan Nesbitt who seems to be just crazy about her. Even with her constant questions the townsfolk seem to really like her..forgiving her nosiness because "she is an American" and can't help it. This really makes me laugh...

This is a delightful cozy book...I have read the first two and just ordered all her others...I just wish I could read them all at one....and I highly recommend them....Lawscotch@aol.com

My first Dorothy Martin book. Will look for others in the series. It's a quick read and very enjoyable. If you like cosies, you'll like this book.

This was my first introduction to the character of Dorothy Martin, and I was pleased with Ms. Dams' skill at creating a character I could love. I'm a cozy reader for the most part, and if "Trouble at the Town Hall" is any indication of the rest of her Dorothy series, I should love them.

Very skillful at writing so that we can "see" what she had in mind, I think. There is tension... there is angst (;-D) and there is a delightful plot that is fun to follow.

Now then, put on your most comfortable lounging clothes, settle into your favorite oversized chair and make sure sustenance is nearby - tea and cookies would be appropriate. Get ready to let a delightful, middle-aged mystery-solving lady take you to her picturesque cathedral town in rural England. As the tale begins, our heroine just happens to be passing by the Town Hall at the right moment to be in on the discovery of a body. And she is off and running.

This second Dorothy Martin mystery makes it certain-sure that we have a genuine addition to the best in this particular genre. Dorothy is a believable and well-rounded village sleuth whose trademark is her collection of very noteworthy hats - she never goes without one. Recently widowed, she is a voluntary transplant to England, anxious to embrace all that is truly English - from her chosen home (an historical landmark that she is obligated to maintain in its original appearance) to her traditional English garden, the cultivation of which she finally turns over to a local expert, discovering as so many of us do that her gardening thumb is more grimy than green!

She has the insight into human nature that puts her in the category of Jane Marple. Dorothy says to Alan, "When you're as old as I am, feelings about people are perfectly legitimate evidence in themselves. They're always based on experience." She has the warm, sensitive and caring nature reminiscent of Jessica Fletcher. Alan points out to her, "You have a greater capacity for worrying about people you don't even care for than anyone else I know." And she has a gentle, self-deprecating sense of humor that charms us.

Dorothy is a skilled and resourceful snoop who carefully organizes her thinking onto pieces of paper in a manner suggesting a professional. As she makes her way about the village (not a simple matter in a land where everyone drives on the "wrong" side of the road!), investigating everyone and everything that might bear on the mystery! of the body in Town Hall, we become better acquainted with this witty, intelligent and perceptive lady. When a second murder is committed and it becomes obvious that Dorothy herself could be in danger, tensions mount and Dorothy must redouble her own efforts to solve the crime.

Sherebury has become so real to me while reading this book, as has Dorothy and her village friends, that it is surprising to remember that this is fiction. I hope Dorothy is here to stay. I can't wait for more.

#2 Dorothy Martin mystery, Dorothy being a retired American widow living in the cathedral town of Sherebury, England (which I believe is fictional.) Still trying to settle in to her life in a new country, and as a widow, Dorothy works part time at the Cathedral bookshop and has been contemplating whether to buy her rented home--which is listed on the historical register which means the much-needed renovations will be rather pricey.

When visiting the old Town Hall, which is closed until a determination for its use can be made, she and the cleaning woman there discover the dead body of a young man in a closet, who was later determined to be murdered. They encounter Mr. Pettifer, the builder who hopes to develop the property into a mall shortly after the discovery and before they've even contacted the police. He went to look at the body and closed the victim's eyes, and that plus his supercilious attitude and a wife that seems totally cowed by him puts him at the top of Dorothy's suspect list--although he's by no means the only person there.

Several people stand to benefit by any scandal affecting the Town Hall, some of them the city's most prominent citizens. Dorothy's sort-of beau, Chief Constable Alan Nesbitt is tied up preparing security for a royal visit from the Prince of Wales and is somewhat distant and unavailable when she wants to discuss the case--which, of course, she really has no business investigating anyway! Another dead body complicates things closer to the end of the book.

Dorothy, who's a bit stuffy and old-fashioned and too worried about 'what people will think' for my taste--plus is given to wearing outlandish hats--isn't the most appealing sleuth out there, but these books tend to be rather calming and relaxing, quick and easy reads and once in awhile are just what's needed for a change of pace. I love the whole "English village" setting and I mostly liked this one, although I can't fathom why the police put up with Dorothy's constant interference and snooping in active investigations. I did figure out the plot twist, but not the actual mystery of whodunit til closer to the end of the book.

Jeanne Dams has taken the English Miss Marple mystery style and given it new life. Her characters are enjoyable. A good read.

This was my first Dorothy Martin mystery, and what a relief....an American in England who isn't awful. Dorothy manages to get herself in to trouble and back out again, and works her way into the hearts of the locals at the same time.