Killing Cassidy (Dorothy Martin Mysteries, No. 6) (Hardcover)

by Jeanne M. Dams (Author)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly
In the solid style of the best British cozies, this sixth offering in the Dorothy Martin series moves across the Atlantic to the rolling hill country of southern Indiana. Sixtyish Dorothy and her second husband, Alan Nesbitt (former chief constable of Belleshire, England), receive word that she's been bequeathed $5,000 by Dr. Kevin Cassidy, a dear friend from her hometown of Hillsburg, Ind. There's a catch, though. To inherit, she must find the doctor's presumed murderer. Since Cassidy died of pneumonia, there are no cast-off shell casings or bloody stilettos around to point to the guilty party. How was Cassidy done in? And by whom? Was it Jerry, the crazy coot in the ramshackle trailer next door to Cassidy? Or Reverend Bussey, the blustering preacher whose finances have risen as those of his parishioners have fallen? Or Mary Alice Harrison, the impoverished niece, who expected to be named in Cassidy's willDbut wasn't? Cassidy made loans to them all, depleting his fortune. Dorothy and Alan must untangle a snarled skein of Medicaid rules, IRS regulations and human foibles to unearth the truth in this skillfully plotted story with retirement-age sleuths. Although cloying at times, Dams writes with a good ear for Midwestern dialogue and develops her characters lovingly. Altogether, this is a warm and worthy read that should generate a lot of interest in Madison, Ind., the model for the fictional Hillsburg, as well as in similar Midwestern venues. Mystery Guild alternate selection. (Dec.)
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist
In the latest Dorothy Martin mystery (the sixth in the popular series), the amateur sleuth returns home to Hillsburg, Indiana, after three years in England. Kevin Cassidy, an old friend, has died unexpectedly of pneumonia, bequeathing Dorothy $5,000 and his suspicions (put to paper before his demise) that someone was trying to kill him. With the help of her husband, a former Scotland Yard chief constable, Dorothy sets out to find out if her friend was murdered. Martin has a genuine knack for transplanting the gentle British mystery to American soil. With its finely detailed (and immensely likable) characters and interesting but not convoluted plot, this is one of those mysteries that goes best with a blanket and a cup of tea. Fans of the Dorothy Martin series (or Dams' Hilda Johansson novels) will be thoroughly satisfied, and readers who haven't yet met the delightful Mrs. Martin are in for a real treat. David Pitt
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 210 pages
• Publisher: Walker & Company; First U.S. Edition edition (November 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0802733476
• ISBN-13: 978-0802733474
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.8 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.9 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #406,055 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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• This is item 6 in The Dorothy Martin Series.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Graet amateur sleuth mystery, November 15, 2000

By	Harriet Klausner - See all my reviews (#1 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

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

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Not Her Best!!, January 24, 2001

By A Customer

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.

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Enjoyable and engaging mystery with minimal violence, November 13, 2000

By A Customer

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.