Jam and Jeopardy

by Doris Davidson

89-year-old spinster, Janet Stouter, takes pleasure in raking up scandals, old and new, about her neighbours. She also relishes refusing her two nephews the money they seek to bolster their businesses. When a retired glass worker gives her some arsenic to kill the rats in her garden, she hatches a plan to test them. She tells them about the arsenic and waits for them to prove themselves worthy of inheriting when she dies. Whoever attempts to kill her will be her sole heir; if both do, of course, they will each get half share of her substantial amount of savings. She does, however, make sure that her life will be in no danger. Unfortunately, the old lady spreads word of her newly acquired poison around the village, thus laying the seeds of murderous intent in several people. She had not foreseen that several other would-be assassins will come into the frame or that one will succeed in silencing her vicious tongue forever. This is a whodunnit in the classic style of Agatha Chrisite.

288 pages, Paperback

First published May 1, 2006

Reviews

[Val Penny · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was rummaging around the library for an author I was not familiar with, when I came upon Doris Davidson and her book, Jam and Jeopardy. I have since discovered that Doris Davidson was born in Aberdeen, Scotland in 1922 and died in 2012. She lived there all her life. After a career as a primary school teacher she began to write and has subsequently become one of Scotland’s best-loved romantic novelists.

In Jam and Jeopardy the protagonist is a mean and unpopular 89-year-old spinster, Janet Stouter. She takes pleasure in raking up scandals, old and new, about her neighbours. She also relishes refusing her two nephews money they seek to bolster their businesses.

When a retired glass worker gives her some arsenic to kill the rats in her garden, she hatches a plan to test her nephews. She tells them about the arsenic and waits for them to prove themselves worthy of inheriting when she dies. Surprisingly, she decides that whoever attempts to kill her will be her sole heir; if both do, of course, they will each get half share of her substantial amount of savings. She does, however, make sure that her life will be in no danger. Unfortunately, the old lady spreads word of the poison around the village, thus laying the thoughts of murder in several people whose lives she has made difficult over the years. She had not foreseen that several other would-be assassins will come into the frame nor that one would succeed in silencing her vicious tongue forever. This is a really a delicately crafted who dunnit in the classic style of Agatha Christie.

Jam and Jeopardy falls firmly into the category of novels that I really enjoy. I enjoyed this book too. If you enjoy a classic crime fiction novel, I recommend this book to you.

[Laura mcrobbie · Rating 5 out of 5]

loved it

I think it's one of the best books iv read in a long time i just couldn't put it down

[Angela Lewis · Rating 3 out of 5]

Murder mystery of an obnoxious woman killed in her Scottish village home. Everyone knew she had arsenic; her two nephews, the women neighbours amoung them. Flush with cash, it could have been the relatives who had financial troubles. The community at large disliked her, most had motive but only one knew the method used and carried the guilt.

[Yello-babe · Rating 2 out of 5]

Good story and that is the only reason I read to the end.
Scots word were used correctly and in the right context. However American words were used which were so incorrectly used. Am maybe thinking this was an editing feature for another market, which totally detracted from the story. That and other grammar mistakes ruined the book for me.

[Windy · Rating 2 out of 5]

A murder mystery told in an old fashioned way and with no mention of mobile phones or the internet the reader could be mistaken for think it to be set in the 1950s, however a few clues gave it away as a 21st century story. A bit of a patchy read for me and let down by a a too twee ending.

[Ella · Rating 1 out of 5]

I had a hard time getting into this book. I started it three different times and finally gave up.

[Agathajross · Rating 3 out of 5]

enjoyable, easy read

[Evie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cozy old fashioned whodunnit. You get exactly what you expect with the title. I enjoyed it.