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Dorothy Martin #20
Crisis at the Cathedral
Dorothy and Alan are showing around the wealthy Ahmad family, visiting from Iraq.
Then Mr and Mrs Ahmad disappear without trace, leaving their children asleep in the local inn. Dorothy feels compelled to find out what’s happened to them.
Her search for the truth will lead her down a dark and dangerous path to London and straight into the murky world of big business and politics.
Can Dorothy and her husband find out what happened to their new friends before it’s too late?
Then Mr and Mrs Ahmad disappear without trace, leaving their children asleep in the local inn. Dorothy feels compelled to find out what’s happened to them.
Her search for the truth will lead her down a dark and dangerous path to London and straight into the murky world of big business and politics.
Can Dorothy and her husband find out what happened to their new friends before it’s too late?
224 pages, Kindle Edition
Published July 8, 2021
About the author
Jeanne M. Dams
46 books224 followersJeanne 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.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 61 reviews
May 6, 2018
I have read all 19 of the Dorothy Martin mysteries from Jeanne Dams and was happy to receive a digital ARC for the new book in the series--Crisis at the Cathedral.
I first met Dorothy Martin--an American living in Shrewsbury, England--in The Body in the Transept and Trouble in the Town Hall in the back in the 1990s, but then life intervened and didn't have much time for reading. I re-discovered the series recently through my public library's Hoopla app and spent several hours enjoying her investigations. As she often says, she doesn't look for trouble but often seems to end up in the thick of things anyway.
Much to my surprise, I was unable to get into the new book. I read the first few chapters, and it took me time to pick the book back up. The story centers around a missing Muslim couple who disappeared suddenly from Shrewsbury, living their children asleep at the local inn. The resulting to-and-fro from Shrewsbury to London while Dorothy and crew search was drawn-out and didn't do much to move the story forward, and the final third of the book strained credibility.
I'm hoping that this is an anomaly and that Dorothy returns to form in her next outing.
I first met Dorothy Martin--an American living in Shrewsbury, England--in The Body in the Transept and Trouble in the Town Hall in the back in the 1990s, but then life intervened and didn't have much time for reading. I re-discovered the series recently through my public library's Hoopla app and spent several hours enjoying her investigations. As she often says, she doesn't look for trouble but often seems to end up in the thick of things anyway.
Much to my surprise, I was unable to get into the new book. I read the first few chapters, and it took me time to pick the book back up. The story centers around a missing Muslim couple who disappeared suddenly from Shrewsbury, living their children asleep at the local inn. The resulting to-and-fro from Shrewsbury to London while Dorothy and crew search was drawn-out and didn't do much to move the story forward, and the final third of the book strained credibility.
I'm hoping that this is an anomaly and that Dorothy returns to form in her next outing.
June 21, 2018
It pains me to give this book only 2 stars. But it was a chore to read. I love Jeanne Dams and Dorothy Martin, but this one just didn't do the rest of the series justice.
Dorothy and Allan meet a Muslim family that is visiting and invite them to a music festival at the cathedral. The parents attend, knowing that their two children are being safely "sat" by the inn owner's family. But they do not return to the inn after the concert and everyone is worried. They really don't know the family well and don't want to think ill of them, but... Could they be terrorists? Why did they abandon their children? Have they been kidnapped?
A lot of this would have been more exciting, but we are also "hearing" what is going on with the Ahmad's. They have gone to London to try and stop a young man who they fear has terrorism on his mind. They are safe, the children are safe (even though they have been moved to London where there are more family members of the innkeeper who can care for them during the day.
It's just slow moving book and not a lot of fun.
Of course, I like Dams and Martin enough to read another novel, but if the next one is like this one, it will be the end of the series for me, no matter how many more might be written
Dorothy and Allan meet a Muslim family that is visiting and invite them to a music festival at the cathedral. The parents attend, knowing that their two children are being safely "sat" by the inn owner's family. But they do not return to the inn after the concert and everyone is worried. They really don't know the family well and don't want to think ill of them, but... Could they be terrorists? Why did they abandon their children? Have they been kidnapped?
A lot of this would have been more exciting, but we are also "hearing" what is going on with the Ahmad's. They have gone to London to try and stop a young man who they fear has terrorism on his mind. They are safe, the children are safe (even though they have been moved to London where there are more family members of the innkeeper who can care for them during the day.
It's just slow moving book and not a lot of fun.
Of course, I like Dams and Martin enough to read another novel, but if the next one is like this one, it will be the end of the series for me, no matter how many more might be written
April 7, 2018
Terrorism is about to strike in the UK
Dorothy Martin, originally from Indiana, lived in the UK for many years. Her friends, Greta and Peter looked after her after her first husband’s death. She shared a 17th-century house with the retired chief constable, Alan Nesbitt, her second husband. She solved several previous cases as a sleuth.
One June evening, a wealthy Iraqi couple, Mr and Mrs Ahmad, were supposed to host the party in the pub. Dorothy and Alan went there from the concert in Sherebury Cathedral. The hosts did not turn up, but their children were found asleep upstairs. Dorothy realised that the couple disappeared when their Bentley was not in the car park.
The couple was worried about the young man, who could be radicalised by a rogue Imam in London. The terrorists were planning to create chaos at the Trooping the Colour.
Dorothy and Alan contacted MI5 and asked them to track down the terrorists before it would be too late.
This story did not bring much excitement. However, I can recommend this book as it is well-written.
Columpoirot
Breakaway Reviewers received a copy of the book to review.
Dorothy Martin, originally from Indiana, lived in the UK for many years. Her friends, Greta and Peter looked after her after her first husband’s death. She shared a 17th-century house with the retired chief constable, Alan Nesbitt, her second husband. She solved several previous cases as a sleuth.
One June evening, a wealthy Iraqi couple, Mr and Mrs Ahmad, were supposed to host the party in the pub. Dorothy and Alan went there from the concert in Sherebury Cathedral. The hosts did not turn up, but their children were found asleep upstairs. Dorothy realised that the couple disappeared when their Bentley was not in the car park.
The couple was worried about the young man, who could be radicalised by a rogue Imam in London. The terrorists were planning to create chaos at the Trooping the Colour.
Dorothy and Alan contacted MI5 and asked them to track down the terrorists before it would be too late.
This story did not bring much excitement. However, I can recommend this book as it is well-written.
Columpoirot
Breakaway Reviewers received a copy of the book to review.
May 15, 2018
Crisis In The Cathedral is the twentieth book in the Dorothy Martin Mystery series.
I always enjoy visiting with Dorothy Martin and her husband, Chief Constable Alan Nesbitt, Ret, in their quaint little town of Sherebury, England and Crisis In The Cathedral was no exception.
Dorothy and Alan are introduced to a young Muslim couple and their two children who are visiting the Sherebury Cathedral. Dorothy invites the family to have tea at her favorite tea shop. Mr. Ahmad shares that being devout Muslims, they believe in peace and in the teaching their children about different cultures around the world.
Dorothy and Alan have procured tickets for a music concert at the cathedral and have arranged for friends to watch the Ahmad’s children. After the concert, Dorothy and Alan and friends from church were to meet at the Rose and Crown where the Ahmad’s had hired a private room to host a thank-you party. When the concert ended Dorothy and Alan waited around for the Ahmad’s but they never showed. When they arrived, they still hadn’t arrived and the children were still there. When Alan discovers that the Ahmad’s car is gone, everyone begins to worry about their safety, fearing that they might have been abducted.
Alan calls his former assistant, Derek Morrison, looking for help from Scotland Yard. Without knowing if the Ahmad’s have been kidnapped or might be involved in a terrorist threat, M15 is also called in to help look for the Ahmad’s. In the meantime, Dorothy begins to investigate around Sherebury, particularly a church that preaches against anyone who is not white and English.
Jeanne Dams provides the reader with a well-plotted and exciting story, with believable characters.
I never tire of reading this series and am looking forward to the next book in the Dorothy Martin series.
I always enjoy visiting with Dorothy Martin and her husband, Chief Constable Alan Nesbitt, Ret, in their quaint little town of Sherebury, England and Crisis In The Cathedral was no exception.
Dorothy and Alan are introduced to a young Muslim couple and their two children who are visiting the Sherebury Cathedral. Dorothy invites the family to have tea at her favorite tea shop. Mr. Ahmad shares that being devout Muslims, they believe in peace and in the teaching their children about different cultures around the world.
Dorothy and Alan have procured tickets for a music concert at the cathedral and have arranged for friends to watch the Ahmad’s children. After the concert, Dorothy and Alan and friends from church were to meet at the Rose and Crown where the Ahmad’s had hired a private room to host a thank-you party. When the concert ended Dorothy and Alan waited around for the Ahmad’s but they never showed. When they arrived, they still hadn’t arrived and the children were still there. When Alan discovers that the Ahmad’s car is gone, everyone begins to worry about their safety, fearing that they might have been abducted.
Alan calls his former assistant, Derek Morrison, looking for help from Scotland Yard. Without knowing if the Ahmad’s have been kidnapped or might be involved in a terrorist threat, M15 is also called in to help look for the Ahmad’s. In the meantime, Dorothy begins to investigate around Sherebury, particularly a church that preaches against anyone who is not white and English.
Jeanne Dams provides the reader with a well-plotted and exciting story, with believable characters.
I never tire of reading this series and am looking forward to the next book in the Dorothy Martin series.
May 22, 2018
I have read all the Dorothy Martin books and own all but one because I love the series so much. That said, I have to admit to some disappointment with #20 here. I certainly understand Jeanne Dams' purpose in writing this story and I do empathize with her desire to provide some counterbalance to the prevailing hostility toward Muslims these days. The mystery is intriguing and it's nice to revisit old friends in Sherebury, but the tendency toward too much "preaching" got on my nerves a bit - enough to knock a star off my rating. Overall, however, this is another welcome addition to Dorothy's adventures and I look forward to the next one.
December 30, 2018
Like many others I was disappointed in this book. It’s slow, nothing happens and it seems like lots of “fake drama” like reality tv shows. The couple leave for London and then don’t know where their children are. Here’s a thought, you know people where you left them - PHONE THEM! Was the point of the book to show that Muslims are normal people that love their children? Then show them as normal people, not people that know people that know terrorists. I will continue with this series as it’s usually a nice fluffy read but this one is a thumbs down
July 24, 2020
I have read the 18 of the 19 prior books and this is the first I have not loved. Dorothy and her friend Jane have become annoying busy bodies. They cause trouble and although they have good intentions they cross the line in this book. I didn't find the story enjoyable and had a hard time finishing it. And Dorothy is beginning to drink just a bit much. Maybe if she didn't get into so much trouble she wouldn't need to drink to recover! In any event, not the author's finest.
July 1, 2018
While I believe the premise was good in helping to promote understanding & peace between differing religious beliefs, it was not one of my favorite Dorothy Martin books. A little wordy & confusing in places.
July 25, 2018
This series is one I’ve enjoyed until this book. It was written well but it was preachy about attitudes in our society. This is a cozy mystery after all. Hopefully that aspect won’t be in the next book.
Read
March 3, 2022Did not finish
March 27, 2021
In this story Dorothy and her husband Alan are introduced to a lovely Muslim couple from Iraq and their two young children. They befriend the couple who are on vacation in their lovely city. At a concert at the Cathedral the couple go missing and leave behind their two young children who were sleeping at the hotel.
Anyway that is about as exciting as the story gets. It seems the couple for some odd reason can call his uncle Abdullah in London(which by the way they drove themselves there to try to save a young Muslim man who was up to no good.) This is where the story started to fall apart for me because none of it was plausible. First the mother and father leave behind their two young children in the hands of nice strangers and hightail it to London to try and stop a young man they barely know. I could not believe that two devoted parents would do that. Also how were they going to find a young man in a city of 8 million people especially when the streets were going to be crowded with thousands of people who were gathering to celebrate the Queen's birthday.
Next the couple had lost their cell phone and so instead of calling the hotel where they were staying to let the nice people know they were safe he calls his Uncle. Now this man, Ahmad, is supposed to be a high profile vice president of international sales for an Iraqi oil company. Not sure how he got to be a VP if he can't make better decisions then that. So instead of returning to his children he and his wife for some reason go into hiding. It seems that this man is being chased by Iraqi terrorists who don't like him and by English hate groups. This was never explained because what the hell were they doing vacationing in England if all these people were after them. The story gets more unbelievable after that.
Anyway that is about as exciting as the story gets. It seems the couple for some odd reason can call his uncle Abdullah in London(which by the way they drove themselves there to try to save a young Muslim man who was up to no good.) This is where the story started to fall apart for me because none of it was plausible. First the mother and father leave behind their two young children in the hands of nice strangers and hightail it to London to try and stop a young man they barely know. I could not believe that two devoted parents would do that. Also how were they going to find a young man in a city of 8 million people especially when the streets were going to be crowded with thousands of people who were gathering to celebrate the Queen's birthday.
Next the couple had lost their cell phone and so instead of calling the hotel where they were staying to let the nice people know they were safe he calls his Uncle. Now this man, Ahmad, is supposed to be a high profile vice president of international sales for an Iraqi oil company. Not sure how he got to be a VP if he can't make better decisions then that. So instead of returning to his children he and his wife for some reason go into hiding. It seems that this man is being chased by Iraqi terrorists who don't like him and by English hate groups. This was never explained because what the hell were they doing vacationing in England if all these people were after them. The story gets more unbelievable after that.
March 15, 2019
Sweet but dull. If someone is asking themselves "Can a Christian and a Muslim get along and respect each other?" this book will provide a worthy road map to YES. I finished it two days before a massive terror attack against Muslims. I prefer the sweet dullness.
March 4, 2020
A diatribe on how Muslims are normal people thinly disguised as a mystery novel
August 28, 2018
American ex-pat Dorothy Martin and her English husband meet an attractive Iraqi family. After a concert in the cathedral, the tolerant, charming parents disappear, leaving their two young children and a cache of money behind. Have they been kidnapped? Are they secretly terrorists? What's going on? The reader knows more about their fate than Dorothy, but of course she and her friends spring into action to help. I'm not really one of those people who needs a murder in chapter one to keep up the interest, but this is rather a talky book, much of the talk being about how lovely and tolerant Dorothy and her friends are. I may have to re-read this series to see if the earlier books are as good as I once thought they were.
January 20, 2022
I've given it 5 stars 'cause I really enjoyed it even though there were some things which they did on there way to solving the mystery which seemed to happen too easily. Once again people disappeared, the remaining members of the Chapel of the one true God which we'd read about in a previous story, now with some new members, appear again and there is the fear or terrorism. So, lots going on, possibly a bit more action than in some previous books and yes, well worth a read.
July 19, 2021
Not her best
I don't know if she's slacking off due to deadlines or because the series has been picked up for British (?) television, but the last two books have been just so mediocre.
I don't know if she's slacking off due to deadlines or because the series has been picked up for British (?) television, but the last two books have been just so mediocre.
September 7, 2021
I didn't enjoy this at all!
What a disappointment. I usually love Dorothy and Alan but I couldn't even get to the end of this story. I do not invest in a cosy murder mystery book to be given a lesson in racial tolerance. Please get back to the stories you tell so well or I will "switch off" as I have done with Dr Who and it's hidden messages!
What a disappointment. I usually love Dorothy and Alan but I couldn't even get to the end of this story. I do not invest in a cosy murder mystery book to be given a lesson in racial tolerance. Please get back to the stories you tell so well or I will "switch off" as I have done with Dr Who and it's hidden messages!
November 17, 2021
Not up to the usual standard of this series by any means. Dull, plodding and heavy on the religion. Not that I mind protagonists who are religious as such - Brother Cadfael is one of my favourite literary detectives - but I don't care to be preached *at*.
And the assertion at one point that most work canteens in England would serve beer and wine made me wonder if the author had partaken of rather too much alcohol herself....
And the assertion at one point that most work canteens in England would serve beer and wine made me wonder if the author had partaken of rather too much alcohol herself....
September 24, 2022
If M15, the Metropolitan police, and Scotland Yard can't find two adults and a child gone missing in London, how can a small group of crackpots find them? I found this hard to get into and a bit heavy handed with the message. I can't really explain much about the message without spoilers.
I have liked other books by Dams, but this was a let down.
I have liked other books by Dams, but this was a let down.
November 17, 2019
I did not like this one as much as the rest of this series. I love all the other books in the series and read them quickly. This one I struggled with.
June 9, 2020
This is the first Dorothy Martin that I had trouble getting into. It seemed to go round and round and never go anywhere. Still enjoyed Dorothy and Alan, but the premise...not so much....
June 9, 2023
Oh dear. Ohhhhhh dear... This was AWFUL!
I've read several of the Dorothy Martin series, and while they might not be 5 star reads, they're usually reliable for a well-plotted if slightly slow and rambling cosy crime. But this was dire.
Dorothy and her husband befriend the Ahmads, a Muslim couple from Iraq with whom they share several 'preachy' dialogues about the importance of peace and tolerance. (To be clear, I believe discussions about tolerance are important, but lectures on the topic do not belong in a crime novel) The Ahmads then invite them to a dinner party but mysteriously vanish immediately before it starts, leaving their two young children behind. While Dorothy and Alan suspect kidnap and contact the police and MI5, we follow the Ahmads on a mad chase around London, trying to track down a potentially radicalised young Muslim before he can commit a terrorist attack. This lad behaves so incompetently and suspiciously that he manages to get himself arrested long before he can do any harm, but instead of retrieving their children and continuing with their holiday, the Ahmads go into hiding because mysterious 'baddies' (who are never really specified) are out to 'get' them because of their work for peace. This all happens fairly early in the book, so where do we go from here?
The story has been ludicrous so far, but then becomes far more unbelievable -
Yes, it really is that bizarre. About 3/4 of the way through, my only reason to keep reading was sheer disbelief that anyone could write something so far-fetched. I can only assume that Dams wrote this novel as a rather heavy-handed way of trying to promote tolerance, but it doesn't work. I hope she's back on form with the next novel, because there's no way I'm reading through another one this bad.
I've read several of the Dorothy Martin series, and while they might not be 5 star reads, they're usually reliable for a well-plotted if slightly slow and rambling cosy crime. But this was dire.
Dorothy and her husband befriend the Ahmads, a Muslim couple from Iraq with whom they share several 'preachy' dialogues about the importance of peace and tolerance. (To be clear, I believe discussions about tolerance are important, but lectures on the topic do not belong in a crime novel) The Ahmads then invite them to a dinner party but mysteriously vanish immediately before it starts, leaving their two young children behind. While Dorothy and Alan suspect kidnap and contact the police and MI5, we follow the Ahmads on a mad chase around London, trying to track down a potentially radicalised young Muslim before he can commit a terrorist attack. This lad behaves so incompetently and suspiciously that he manages to get himself arrested long before he can do any harm, but instead of retrieving their children and continuing with their holiday, the Ahmads go into hiding because mysterious 'baddies' (who are never really specified) are out to 'get' them because of their work for peace. This all happens fairly early in the book, so where do we go from here?
The story has been ludicrous so far, but then becomes far more unbelievable -
Yes, it really is that bizarre. About 3/4 of the way through, my only reason to keep reading was sheer disbelief that anyone could write something so far-fetched. I can only assume that Dams wrote this novel as a rather heavy-handed way of trying to promote tolerance, but it doesn't work. I hope she's back on form with the next novel, because there's no way I'm reading through another one this bad.
July 17, 2023
This is my favorite in this series! Timely topic of terrorism.
I will re-read this book. It’s plot was so riveting, I read it fast. The plot is based on Dorothy and Alan meeting a wealthy Muslim family (a couple and 2 children) who visit their church and are striving for peace and understanding between Muslims and Christians. On a visit to the Cathedral to hear Handel’s Messiah, the Muslim parents suddenly disappear leaving their 2 children behind! What happens next is a feverish search to find them. Are they the peaceful people they seem? Or are they actually terrorist? The children are being cared for by the usual cast of characters. The danger to the children is very real.
The author writes in such a way that creates tension about this family’s motives. The son spotted his father and races away to get to him. This leaves their 9-year-old daughter needing protection amid great secrecy. The exact whereabouts of the Muslim parents and their son is a question until the end.
The plot unfolds with Dorothy, Alan, law enforcement, a hate group we’ve met before, the Bishop, the imam and Jane, their elderly neighbor all sorting out the problem with different agendas. By Alan and Dorothy not sharing information with Jane, Jane strikes out on her own to rescue this family and ends up getting arrested! Jane’s motives were pure, but her actions have brought danger to the people she was trying to rescue.
The interplay of Christian/Muslim players as they learn to respect each other, a hate group and a real terrorist mix to create one of the author’s best plots. The cats, their dog, Jane’s involvement and her dogs (always a part of each story) create a scenario that might end badly for the Muslim children and their parents. The animals are a soothing anchor to all of them. Jane’s relationship with Alan and Dorothy hits a rough patch that is no one’s fault.
The conclusion is fast-paced, dangerous and exciting. I didn’t figure out the ending yet again. Much to take away when all is finished and everyone is safe.
Her best book ever.
I will re-read this book. It’s plot was so riveting, I read it fast. The plot is based on Dorothy and Alan meeting a wealthy Muslim family (a couple and 2 children) who visit their church and are striving for peace and understanding between Muslims and Christians. On a visit to the Cathedral to hear Handel’s Messiah, the Muslim parents suddenly disappear leaving their 2 children behind! What happens next is a feverish search to find them. Are they the peaceful people they seem? Or are they actually terrorist? The children are being cared for by the usual cast of characters. The danger to the children is very real.
The author writes in such a way that creates tension about this family’s motives. The son spotted his father and races away to get to him. This leaves their 9-year-old daughter needing protection amid great secrecy. The exact whereabouts of the Muslim parents and their son is a question until the end.
The plot unfolds with Dorothy, Alan, law enforcement, a hate group we’ve met before, the Bishop, the imam and Jane, their elderly neighbor all sorting out the problem with different agendas. By Alan and Dorothy not sharing information with Jane, Jane strikes out on her own to rescue this family and ends up getting arrested! Jane’s motives were pure, but her actions have brought danger to the people she was trying to rescue.
The interplay of Christian/Muslim players as they learn to respect each other, a hate group and a real terrorist mix to create one of the author’s best plots. The cats, their dog, Jane’s involvement and her dogs (always a part of each story) create a scenario that might end badly for the Muslim children and their parents. The animals are a soothing anchor to all of them. Jane’s relationship with Alan and Dorothy hits a rough patch that is no one’s fault.
The conclusion is fast-paced, dangerous and exciting. I didn’t figure out the ending yet again. Much to take away when all is finished and everyone is safe.
Her best book ever.
June 3, 2018
I always enjoy a visit with Dorothy Martin and her husband, Alan Nesbitt, a retired Chief Constable. Their life in the charming cathedral town of Sherebury is perfect for retirement. Dorothy is an American who has found a wonderful life with Alan, her second husband but she has one problem...homicide seems to find her far too often. In this, the 20th entry in this delightful series, she and Alan meet an Iraqi couple and their two children who are staying at the Inn. The owners of the Inn are friends of Dorothy and Alan and they ask them to show the family around the cathedral, not wanting to have anything untoward happen that would make them feel unwelcome. Given the current world religious tensions, anything might happen. Then something does - the couple fail to appear at the party they were going to host at the Inn. Their two children are there but what has happened to their parents? Were they kidnapped or is something much more sinister going on? Because Alan is a retired police officer, he connects with the police and MI5 and the search is on for the missing couple. The theme of religious tolerance vs intolerance and the possibility of terrorism is, of course, timely, sad to say. Maybe that is the reason I couldn't give it a 5th star. I may have needed something to read that was cozier.
I have read all 20 in the series and, as with any long running favorite series, some entries are more enjoyable than others. The pace of this story was a bit slow and the subject matter never completely engaged me. But, no matter what the mystery, I never fail to enjoy spending time with Dorothy, Alan, their two cats and sweet dog. I would love to have a house and garden like her's, especially her garden.
My thanks to the publisher Severn House and to NetGalley for giving me an advance copy in exchange for my honest review.
I have read all 20 in the series and, as with any long running favorite series, some entries are more enjoyable than others. The pace of this story was a bit slow and the subject matter never completely engaged me. But, no matter what the mystery, I never fail to enjoy spending time with Dorothy, Alan, their two cats and sweet dog. I would love to have a house and garden like her's, especially her garden.
My thanks to the publisher Severn House and to NetGalley for giving me an advance copy in exchange for my honest review.
November 25, 2023
Dorothy and Alan are pleased to meet a Muslim family, visiting their village and curious about their Anglican church’s rituals and music. The family is committed to fostering peace through understanding, an admirable goal but one that haters in both religions are set against. So when the parents disappear, leaving their two children behind, Dorothy and Alan immediately worry that some hate group has kidnapped them, and they start to take desperate measures to find them before it is too late…. This is the 20th book in the Dorothy Martin cozy series, and it’s chock-full of the knotty problems of the world circa 2017 - demagogue leaders, Christian-Islam struggles, the ongoing fear of terrorism especially from jihadis and the far right - which actually makes for fairly uncomfortable reading. I found the solution to the situation rather far-fetched, and the depiction of a young man with Asperger’s veered toward the stereotypical, but Dorothy is as engaging as ever and, for the first time in what seems like a long while the cats (and dog) are front and center for much of the book. Mildly recommended.
April 17, 2018
3.5 Stars which rounds up to 4. Thanks to NetGalley for this ARC.
I must say that while it was fun to "catch up" with Dorothy Martin and her husband Alan Nesbitt, I enjoyed several much earlier books much better. It seemed to me the characters were livelier and the plots less contrived.
However, that could be me also as my tastes vary and has been a long time. It is a well written book and the premise as well as the mystery was fine. The author had also done some fine research on the type of crime or crimes that were involved, very current type of hate crimes.
Dorothy, Alan and their friends grew very fond of the Ahmad family, especially the children and their commitment to work peace. Alan's former police compatriots in the MI5, when called in to help with their disappearances, did not completely share their feelings but were also every helpful.
Eventually all ended well with all concerned, much to everyone's relief.
I must say that while it was fun to "catch up" with Dorothy Martin and her husband Alan Nesbitt, I enjoyed several much earlier books much better. It seemed to me the characters were livelier and the plots less contrived.
However, that could be me also as my tastes vary and has been a long time. It is a well written book and the premise as well as the mystery was fine. The author had also done some fine research on the type of crime or crimes that were involved, very current type of hate crimes.
Dorothy, Alan and their friends grew very fond of the Ahmad family, especially the children and their commitment to work peace. Alan's former police compatriots in the MI5, when called in to help with their disappearances, did not completely share their feelings but were also every helpful.
Eventually all ended well with all concerned, much to everyone's relief.
November 18, 2018
Definitely more serious in tone than most of previous books in this series, despite not including any actual murders. The issue is one that is (unfortunately) in the news daily — racism, especially against Muslims.
When Dorothy and Alan meet the Ahmad family, who are visiting Sherebury, they look forward to getting to know them better. But during a concert at the Cathedral, the parents disappear, leaving their children asleep at the local inn where they have been staying. The question becomes: did they leave of their own free will or were they kidnapped? Where are they now, and how can Dorothy and Alan help? Because of their ethnicity, a variety of police departments, including MI5 become involved in the investigation, at times frustrating Dorothy and her friend and neighbor, Jane. This is a very thought-provoking story. Highly recommended.
When Dorothy and Alan meet the Ahmad family, who are visiting Sherebury, they look forward to getting to know them better. But during a concert at the Cathedral, the parents disappear, leaving their children asleep at the local inn where they have been staying. The question becomes: did they leave of their own free will or were they kidnapped? Where are they now, and how can Dorothy and Alan help? Because of their ethnicity, a variety of police departments, including MI5 become involved in the investigation, at times frustrating Dorothy and her friend and neighbor, Jane. This is a very thought-provoking story. Highly recommended.
November 19, 2018
I like this cozy mystery series featuring a senior American woman married to an ex-policeman in England. This one cuts a bit more to the bone, featuring a sadly prevalent current dilemma about attitudes to foreigners and members of a different faith. When a husband and wife from Iraq disappear from Sherebury Cathedral, leaving their two children behind, the initial fear is kidnapping for ransom as they are from a notably wealthy family. Soon, at least by some in authority, this turns into suspicion that they are involved in terrorist activity, and it is up to Dorothy Martin, her husband and friends to disprove this and bring the Ahmad family together safely.
December 10, 2018
Dorothy Martin and her husband, retired Chief Constable Alan Nesbitt, are retired but seem to attract murder and mystery at just about every turn. This particular book has a plot that I consider to be modern day as it deals with possible terrorist threats in London around the time of the Queen's birthday. When some newfound Muslim friends suddenly "disappear" leaving their young children in the care of friends of Dorothy and Alan, the consensus seems to be "terrorists". As the plot twists and turns while the two missing persons remain missing, it's a question of are they or aren't they involved in a terrorist plot or are they victims of something else...
May 18, 2021
A very good read!
I have not read anything by this author in a while and I am glad to have “discovered “ her again. I find myself envious of her life across the street from the cathedral and the restaurant run by her friends where they can worship at matins and evensong and get fish and chips and not have to get the car out. The story is eerily reminiscent of what has been going on in the USA lately with ill-informed people leading with fear and hatred of the “other”. I enjoy the characters and find them realistic. I especially like that Dorothy and Alan are older, as I am, and that they have a respectful relationship. I recommend this book.
I have not read anything by this author in a while and I am glad to have “discovered “ her again. I find myself envious of her life across the street from the cathedral and the restaurant run by her friends where they can worship at matins and evensong and get fish and chips and not have to get the car out. The story is eerily reminiscent of what has been going on in the USA lately with ill-informed people leading with fear and hatred of the “other”. I enjoy the characters and find them realistic. I especially like that Dorothy and Alan are older, as I am, and that they have a respectful relationship. I recommend this book.
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