Malice In Miniature

Dorothy Martin #4

by Jeanne M. Dams

AN ENCHANTING COZY MYSTERY FROM A BESTSELLING AUTHOR

IN THE WORLD OF MINIATURES, SOMETIMES THE CRIMES ARE MAJOR

Dorothy and her new husband are interrupted one cold November afternoon by Ada Finch. Ada’s son Bob is Dorothy’s gardener.

Bob has been arrested for stealing a seventeenth-century tea set created for a doll's house at grand English country house, Brockelsby Hall. The Hall is the home of the Museum of Miniatures, a spectacular collection of doll’s houses assembled by eccentric aristocrat Sir Mordred Brocklesby.

DARK DOINGS IN A GOTHIC ENGLISH COUNTRY HOUSE

Then the old housekeeper is found poisoned. Can Dorothy unmask a murderer without putting herself in mortal danger?

DOROTHY’S NEWLY MARRIED BUT THAT WON’T STOP HER SOLVING CRIMES!

Perfect for fans of Stella Cameron, Faith Martin, Agatha Christie, Frances Evesham, Betty Rowlands, or M.C. Beaton.

WHAT PEOPLE ARE SAYING ABOUT DOROTHY MARTIN

“Fans of the English cozy will put the kettle on, snuggle under a lap rug, and sigh contentedly.” Kirkus Reviews

“Hugely entertaining, gentle mystery with a likeable protagonist.” Intheamazone

“Dorothy is a dear.” New York Times Book Review

“If you're a classic mystery lover, you're sure to enjoy the books of Jeanne M. Dams. Her characters, settings and stories have a depth not often seen in this sub-genre.” Mystery News

“A cozy as comforting as a hot cup of tea and as deliciously spicy as one of Dorothy's mince pies.” Publishers Weekly

THE DETECTIVE
Dorothy Martin, sixtyish widow from Indiana and retired schoolteacher, moves to England shortly after her husband dies. A move they had planned to make together. Like the author, she has a taste for fabulous hats.

SETTING
The fictitious cathedral city of Sherebury, located somewhere in the southeast of England. A small and beautiful town, it is a mix of many real cities and towns in the England so loved by the author. She guarantees that no American fast-food chains will ever crop up on the High Street of Sherebury, where pubs, tea shops, and Indian restaurants thrive.

DISCOVER YOUR NEXT FAVOURITE MURDER MYSTERY SERIES

DOROTHY MARTIN MYSTERY SERIES
Book 1: THE BODY IN THE TRANSEPT
Book 2: TROUBLE IN THE TOWN HALL
Book 3: HOLY TERROR IN THE HEBRIDES
Book 4: MALICE IN MINIATURE
Book 5: THE VICTIM IN VICTORIA STATION
Book 6: KILLING CASSIDY
Book 7: TO PERISH IN PENZANCE
Book 8: SINS OUT OF SCHOOL
Book 9: WINTER OF DISCONTENT
Book 10: A DARK AND STORMY NIGHT
Book 11: THE EVIL THAT MEN DO
Book 12: THE CORPSE OF ST JAMES’S
Book 13: MURDER AT THE CASTLE
Book 14: SHADOWS OF DEATH
Book 15: DAY OF VENGEANCE
Book 16: THE GENTLE ART OF MURDER
Book 17: BLOOD WILL TELL

Genres: Mystery, Cozy Mystery, Fiction, British Literature, Cozy, Crime, Audiobook

276 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 1998

About the author

Jeanne M. Dams lives in South Bend, Indiana. The Body in the Transept, which introduced Dorothy Martin, won the Agatha Award for Best First Novel. Dams is also the author of Green Grow the Victims and other Hilda Johansson mysteries published by Walker & Company.

Reviews

[Sandy Kershner]

I really enjoy Dorothy and Allen in their mysteries

[Eugene · Rating 3 out of 5]

I gave the third in the series (Holy Terror In The Hebrides) a “weak” 3, but I’ll have to say this outing rates a strong 3. Dorothy is back in her home grounds of Sherebury, and it seems to agree with her (and us.) A better plot, the characters are interesting and entertaining without being offputting, and the story just more believable.
The subject matter of dollhouses (or, as the author makes clear, in Britain “doll’s houses”) isn’t one I’d generally think appealing but it suits the tale well, and the folks employed at Brocklesby Hall, the doll’s house museum, make up the cast of our mystery and do so quite well. As well, our heroine Dorothy Martin is now a month married to Chief Constable Alan Nesbitt, but his work has him out of town so Dorothy has a clear field for investigatory pursuits; these are focussed first on her gardener Bob who is accused of stealing miniatures from the aforesaid Museum, and then there is murder. Fear not, Dorothy is equal to all tasks.
An enjoyable read, and I’ve already put #5 on the stack of books to read next.

[Rosemary · Rating 4 out of 5]

Oh what a tangled web we weave.... Except Dorothy has to do the untangling. Discounting all the suspects until there's apparently none left. Starting at the beginning again. Finding the stranger on a bike who isn't a stranger and finally being forced to come face to face with a murderer.
But then, all's well that ends well.

[Amanda Sloan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Continuing to enjoy these cosy mysteries.

[Helen · Rating 4 out of 5]

My dear! She wears hats! (even though she's American from the mid West) This is a series I had not met before and I'll bet those hats were a reason for the recommendation from a friend. Chrysanthemums and felt oak leaves on a November hat? Perfect, except that the cover shows it as white (for perfectly good production reasons)
I like Dorothy Martin (who doesn't come from Kansas) and her new husband Alan Nesbitt (presumably no relation to the author), although I have never quite understood the role of Chief Constable. It always sounds as if it is a way for the Upper Class to retain control over the police's actions.
Dorothy would like to settle in her imaginary cathedral town but friends and neighbours seem to become involved in terrible events. The nearby Victorian monstrosity of Brocklesbury Hall is owned by Sir Mordred (if you can imagine a parent naming their son after the destroyer of Arthur's kingdom), a strange man who collects dollhouses (or dolls' houses) and their furnishings. He also has a workshop where he makes immaculate reproduction pieces. The house has been turned into a museum for the collection and is open to the public. There is a cook, a curator, a housekeeper with a particularly nasty son, and a gardener and his assistant, plus assorted maids, tour guides, and such.
The housekeeper dies of poison when she makes a brew of her home made tea. The timing is important and you do have to keep the locations and timing in mind. There is a map on the end papers, quite good although without scale or north indicator.
I have only two complaints: I don't much care for the accent of the local daily (her son is the gardener's ass't) because it's far too strong for today and surely we're beyond the "can't sit down with the quality" attitude and secondly we have Nov. 11 specifically mentioned and nothing about Remembrance Day, which is quite important, especially in areas where there was a lot of war damage or a large number of men died. She mentions Guy Fox, which is fading in favour of Hallowe'en, but ignores a day of importance to so many. They have an American Thanksgiving dinner at the end, an event that just seems right out of place. It seems to be just an excuse to bring in Dorothy's London friends, but surely that's not necessary as they've only been briefly mentioned in passing a couple of times.
Going to look out some others in this series, though.

[Ellen · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Malice in Miniature" by Jeanne M. Dams.

Dorothy's gardener, Bob, is in trouble. It's not for his usual bouts of drinking. This time it's for theft of miniatures from a doll house museum. Ada, Bob's mother and Dorothy's friend, has come to Dorothy with a plea for her son. She wants Dorothy to get him out of this situation.

Dorothy decides to take on Ada's request but before anything gets done Bob is released from the charge. Dorothy has already begun to investigate the miniature museum and the theft which has so far gone unsolved. Then a murder followed by another murder takes place and both people are affiliated with the museum.

Once this story took off I was more than half way through it. I persevered, as Dorothy would say, and my interest was focused once again. A good mystery with a twist at the end. Kinships from past stories such as the next door neighbor, Jane, as well as Alan Nesbitt, Dorothy's husband are present and appreciated.

A good mystery in a great series...but the action has a slow going until midway.

[Beth E · Rating 1 out of 5]

This was actually a pretty good mystery.

When I picked it up and read the preface, one word jumped out at me- Harlaxton.
The setting, Brocklesby Manor, was actually Harlaxton Manor!

Harlaxton the beautiful, where I spent my study abroad in Grantham, England.
I was jumping up and down with glee.
Harlaxton is such a wonderful place, and so little known, it was just incredible to find it in a book unexpectedly.

Buuuuut then the book insulted the building. And then it did it again. Over and over I was told how hideous this building was, how it had no taste, that it was just awful.

And that completely and utterly ruined this book for me. I would have enjoyed it if Brocklesby Hall had been an anonymous building. I never would have recognized it from the description.
I could not stomach the insult to Harlaxton the lovely.

[Susan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Newly remarried American expat Dorothy Martin wants to help her part-time gardener, who has been accused of stealing from the museum of miniatures where he also works. But worse is to come--the housekeeper Bob dislikes is murdered after drinking an herbal tea that he provided the raw materials for. Dorothy's new husband is chief constable, but he must go out of town on a business trip and she decides to look into things at the museum herself. While she finds much information that the police could not, she also finds herself in danger.

[Ralph · Rating 5 out of 5]

There are no shortage of American writers who write British mysteries, with varying degrees of success. Usually, if there is an issue, it's in the details. Dams disposes of this by making her protagonist an American expat who marries the Chief Constable. She makes her a very able sleuthing and a fish out of water, a pleasing combination in the context of the plot, which involves doll houses and murder. Well written, ably plotted and presenting a solution as surprising as it is satisfying.

[Angela · Rating 3 out of 5]

sweet little cozy

[elizabeth mcguire · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this one. I think they are getting better and better.
My pet hates of having pages of same descriptions of places and characters are kept to a minimum with just a nod to the full descriptions in book 1. BLISS.
Dorothy's gardener is in trouble. His mum, a friend of Dorothy's, comes to her in a state, pleading for her to look into the problems. Luckily, the police realise Bob is not guilty of the said theft and release him. However, Dorothy now becomes aware of the monstrosity of the new Manor House and the present owners passion. Miniature houses and insides.
She makes a visit and becomes engrossed with them, enough to buy her own wee house and attempt to make the interiors herself. She meets the lady who keeps the records and becomes friendly with her. Which is just as well as there are more shenanigans in store and having access to the house is a must for Dorothy to do her deductions.
Two bodies, turn up, the housekeeper (poisoned), her scary son (in the lake with his motorbike). Miniatures go missing right and left and then reappear. The owner is a very mysterious personage and jittery. A missing lady bicyclist, who no-one knows. All help make this a very intriguing mystery,
I will hold my hand up and say I didn't put all the pieces together til nearly the end of the story and, believe me, that is very unusual. Well done Jeanne, I am a firm fan and look forward to more Dorothy Martin Mysteries.

[Alison C · Rating 3 out of 5]

Dorothy Martin, American widow transplanted to England, is enjoying her first few months of wedded bliss, having recently married Chief Constable Alan Nesbitt, although she worries that he might try to prevent her from her favourite pastime of sleuthing. But when cleaning lady Ada Finch comes to Dorothy for help in clearing her son Bob of a charge of theft, Dorothy is all too happy to comply. It seems that the lord of Brocklesby Hall, Sir Mordred, has an obsession with dolls’ houses and has made a museum out of his ancestral home, complete with curator Meg Cunningham, housekeeper Mrs. Lathrop and her less than innocent son Claude, and gardener Richard Adam, for whom Bob was working when the accusation was made. That matter is quickly resolved, but Dorothy finds herself up to her neck in miniature houses when first one, then another of the household is killed - and someone is trying to frame Bob for those murders, too….This is the fourth book in this slight but enjoyable cozy series; I like Dorothy, although it peeves me when she says things like how she is not a feminist, after all she likes men. Surely everybody should know by now that feminism is not about disliking men, it’s about the equality between the sexes, and seeing this kind of calumny in writing just annoys me no end! I guessed the secret of the Hall fairly early on, but still enjoyed the way the plot played out, so a mild recommendation from me.

[Connie · Rating 4 out of 5]

With this novel, Jeanne M. Dams is settling nicely into her stride and her characters are maturing along with their storylines. Dorothy Martin has married her second love and the couple seems happy. I love that Dams did not drag that romance on unendingly. These characters are too old for protracted romance. The setting for this mystery is a miniatures museum with an improbably eccentric staff. Dorothy Martin (keeping her name after her second marriage) worms her way into the confidence of at least one staffer in an attempt to solve the death of an unlikeable housekeeper. The insight into the collecting obsessions of miniatures enthusiasts is delightful. The story is, at times, a little hard to picture as it unfolds, and Dorothy's sheer bravado in pursuing solutions to the murder(s) is frankly unbelievable. But. She continues to receive increased trust from her husband, a conveniently placed Chief Inspector of Police. And that's great, because endless reminders that cozy heroines should stay out of police business are frankly tedious. We know they ARE GOING TO MEDDLE ANYWAY. This novel lets Dorothy Martin get on with just that. Funny book.

[Kerrie · Rating 4 out of 5]

So here I am at #4 in Dorothy Martin's adventures in amateur sleuthing. Dorothy and Chief Constable Alan Nesbitt are recently married and Alan, apparently on the verge of retirement, is away exploring what may well be his final administrative job. Dorothy is not sure how he feels about her continuing her sleuthing activities but that doesn't stop her from going to the aid of Ada Finch when her son Bob is arrested for theft.

As readers we are now well familiar with the main characters of the story: Dorothy and Alan, Dorothy's London friends, her neighbour Jane, and Ada and Bob Finch. Bob has been accused of stealing a valuable item from the nearby Museum of Miniatures, Brockelsby Hall, where he has a part time job as a gardener. Theft is so out of character for Bob that Dorothy takes no persuading to come to his defence.

Dorothy makes new friends at the Museum and then a very nasty and dangerous enemey indeed.

I am enjoying the series and have one book to go in the ones that I have purchased. After that I will probably consign them to "occasional read" when I am looking for something to read on my Kindle.

[Kate · Rating 3 out of 5]

"Dorothy Martin's husband, the illustrious Chief Constable Nesbitt, has long claimed that if the Olympics held an event for conclusion jumping, Dorothy would be a contender for the gold medal. Her bold American ways occasionally offend the Brits' proper sensibilities, but even her husband can't deny she has a nose (or perhaps the nosiness) for first-rate investigative work.

"When a friend enlists Dorothy to clear her son -- who has a wee problem with the bottle -- of thievery charges, Dorothy dons one of her most outlandish hats and sets out for the Doll House Museum at the imposing Brocklesby Hall. But two murders put more than a miniature Sevres tea set at stake and Dorothy finds herself maneuvering a complicated plot that is trickier and more dangerous than any of England's daunting roundabouts.
~~back cover

Another charming mystery, this time with more serious consequences. I must admit, I didn't see that ending coming. Perhaps I missed some clues along the way, but ... what a total surprise!

[Claudia Cheyne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dorothy Martin and Alan Nesbitt are happily settling into her freshly remodeled home and enjoying their newlywed status when a disturbing call from Ada Finch puts Dorothy into crime solving mode once again. Ada's son Bob is in jail accused of stealing from his new employer. He was working as a gardener at Brocklesby Hall, a huge home on the ourskirts of Sherebury that holds a museum for doll houses. A valuable miniature tea set collection was found in Bob's pocket. Dorothy knows that Bob would never steal anything so she immediately agrees to help out in any way possible. Then two murders occur within a few days at The Hall. This puzzling case challenges Dorothy to pull out all her sleuthing skills at the same time as Alan travels to Bramshill to see if he wants to accept a temporary assignment there before he retires from the police force.
The books in this series just keep getting better. I especially like Bob and Ada Finch.

[Jean · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dorothy visits a "miniature" museum, i.e., a museum whose exhibits features fully furnished dollhouses, in this case, room after room of them. Despite herself, Dorothy becomes interested, and her husband Alan being gone, she uses her free time to visit again and gets to know the librarian and then there's a murder and Dorothy investigates. It is interesting that, at the end, her Chief Inspector husband gives her his blessing and says since she investigates responsibly and asks the right questions, she might as well go ahead as long as she shares with the police what she finds out. Seems a little far-fetched, that, but at least it will spare the reader his de rigueur disapproval in future sequels.

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dorothy Martin gets involved with the Doll House Museum in the process of trying to clear her friend's son of a theft charge. Sir Mordred is the owner of the museum, who lives for his miniatures and constructs a lot of his own doll house furniture, and he is pretty weird. Dorothy gets to know the museum librarian who has a bad history with the thuggish Claude. When first Claude and then his mother are murdered, suspects abound. As usual Dorothy jumps to a lot of hasty conclusions, nearly gets herself killed, and is rescued at the last moment by her husband. A lot of twisty turns keeps the attention of the reader. I powered through this in one day and evening.

[Lorraine Webb · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good, but not for me

This book got better as it progressed and i think would be good for lovers of amateur detective novels but I increasingly realise that is not me. I found the protagonist irritated me somewhat and the ending (not the resolution of the mystery which was quite good) was not really believable. But some parts of the novel were really well written and I definitely did enjoy reading it on the whole. I won't personally be reading more of this series but not because it was no good, purely because it is not the genre I most enjoy.

[Nikki · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dorothy, is recently married and is enjoying her new life. She is asked to help out an old friend, Ada (from book 2) when Ada's Son is arrested for theft from a local stately home which houses a miniature museum.

After visiting the museum, and meeting the eclectic owner and some of his staff, she's sure something isn't right, and when the housekeeper is found murdered, Dorothy gets involved. This time though, she may go too far.

This book is full of twists and turns and keeps you guessing til the last few pages. A real page turner.

[Victoria Slotto · Rating 4 out of 5]

I appreciate Jeanne Dams' poetic writing style. The novels are well-described as "cozy" and and are good for times when life is hurling challenges your way. The author is so prolific--there are twenty-some books in this series, and I find I like to read a couple and then alternate them with another author. I enjoy the protagonist's characterization, as well as the secondary characters. Though not entirely predictable, the plot allows the reader to join in the sleuthing. Recommended for an easy, quick read.

[Elizabeth Ducie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Dorothy Martin, of a certain age and newly-widowed, leaves America for England, hoping to find peace and the chance to grieve. Instead, she finds friendship, a place in a community, and unexpectedly, a new love. But she also finds more dead bodies than any one person might expect in a lifetime. Book four returns to the small cathedral city in the south east, and brings back the wonderful Ada Finch. Full of all the familiar tropes of this genre, this is strangely old-fashioned, despite being set more or less in the present day. Highly enjoyable and will be loved by readers of cozy crime.

[Pamela · Rating 3 out of 5]

First outing with Dorothy and Alan married, working out her curiosity and his opportunity for a new teaching position with the police force. This was a strange story with a massive estate dedicated to tiny houses of all kinds and all periods in history.
the plot thickens when Alan goes north to teach for a couple of weeks at the large estate and Dorothy discovers a dead body or two. The ending of who committed the murders and why was not a surprise, except for the identity that person had been hiding for 20 years.

[B H SLACK · Rating 3 out of 5]

a pleasant enough little book, certainly wont win any literary awards but passes an hour or two. Personally I prefer books set in real locations so that I can envisage it if I have been there, or get and idea if I would like to go there if it is new to me. There are other amateur sleuths that I find more engaging than Dorothy Martin, for example Melissa Craig or The Colonel from the Village Mysteries. Still a nice book to read when you feel like something in a lighter vein.

[PattyM · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well written, Ms. Dams is an impressive author of the cozy mystery. I admit, I'm hooked and was delighted to see she has about 20 novels featuring Dorothy Martin, amateur sleuth or "snoop" as she calls herself. I enjoyed the English setting, main character is dotty, brilliant and self-willed. As the world devolves into crazier and crazier, I find it consoling to be entertained by a sweet cozy murder writer.

[Christine · Rating 5 out of 5]

A corker!

I really do enjoy these cosy mysteries by Jeanne M Dams. I think this offering has been the best so far. Such likeable characters, despite their human foibles. Although I guessed who the guilty party was well before the end of the story, the actual revelation took me completely by surprise. I am looking forward to Dorothy’s next adventure.

[Karen Johnston · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed the story. I didn't pick it until close to the end. The protagonist is good but gets a bit irritating at times going on about American and English differences. She is not consistently as self confident as I would have expect someone with her backstory and she dithers about a bit. I like the variety of characters. I look forward to the next one.

[Jean · Rating 5 out of 5]

Twists and Turns Marvelously Intertwined

The writing, the characters, the descriptions, all are excellently portrayed but the story itself, the mystery part, is incredible. The possibilities keep fluctuating like the images in a kaleidoscope, and it's sheer genius how they all finally come into focus at the conclusion. I love the Dorothy Martin series!

[Anita Lina · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dorothy Martin Nesbeth

The series is fun, full of wonderful plots. This one with doll house miniatures is fun as I once made miniature furniture through a mail in club. Recommend the series and hope we get to see many more of this fine couple. I envy Dorothy as I would love to live in the UK in a historical house!

[Linda Payne · Rating 1 out of 5]

Not for lovers of real crime

Typical busy body woman, amateur detective not usually found in quaint, Americanized version of a English town.
Not recommended.
Waste of my reading time.