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Dr. Fenimore #3
The Doctor and the Dead Man's Chest
Dr. Andrew Fenimore, first introduced in the Malice Domestic Award-winner The Doctor Digs a Grave, is an old-fashioned doctor who is still willing to make house calls to his elderly patients. In his third adventure, a patient's call leads to more detective work than medical care.Lydia Ashley, owner of a large farm in southern New Jersey, is being systematically harassed by someone who wants her land. Dr. Fenimore can't leave his Philadelphia practice, so he sends his nurse, Mrs. Doyle, and his young assistant Horatio to try to stop the pranks, but the threats escalate. When Mrs. Doyle is kidnapped, Dr. Fenimore joins the hunt and learns that a hidden treasure is at the root of all the evil deeds.
352 pages, Hardcover
First published October 1, 2001
2 people are currently reading
36 people want to read
About the author
Robin Hathaway
11 books9 followersRobin graduated from Germantown Friends School and Smith College (BA/English). While her two daughters were young she owned and operated a printing/advertising firm Barnhouse Press from her home (there was a printing press in the barn and one in the house) and did freelance writing and photography. One daughter claims she was lulled to sleep by the methodical beat of a printing press in the kitchen and a close friend claimed she once found ink in her mashed potatoes!
But Robin had always wanted to write, and on her 50th birthday her husband told her, "It's now or never." So she began. She wrote three mystery novels in three years featuring Dr. Andrew Fenimore, an old-fashioned cardiologist who still made house calls. Robin's amateur sleuth was patterned after her husband, who just happened to also be a cardiologist.
When Robin isn't writing, she does free lance editing, teaches mystery writing, and lectures on the mystery novel at schools, libraries, and other institutions. Her short stories have appeared in Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine, Arthur Hitchcock Mystery Magazine and Death Knell.
Robin divides her time between Philadelphia and New York City.
But Robin had always wanted to write, and on her 50th birthday her husband told her, "It's now or never." So she began. She wrote three mystery novels in three years featuring Dr. Andrew Fenimore, an old-fashioned cardiologist who still made house calls. Robin's amateur sleuth was patterned after her husband, who just happened to also be a cardiologist.
When Robin isn't writing, she does free lance editing, teaches mystery writing, and lectures on the mystery novel at schools, libraries, and other institutions. Her short stories have appeared in Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine, Arthur Hitchcock Mystery Magazine and Death Knell.
Robin divides her time between Philadelphia and New York City.
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
April 7, 2014
This was a quick and fun read. Though the ending could have been built out some more. My only real issue is the authors use of about a half dozen vulgar words throughout the book. Some authors will claim it helps support or establish the character they are creating. To be honest, for me it only establishes the authors inability to select a better word.
April 28, 2021
When one of Philadelphia cardiologist Andrew Fenimore’s patients passes away, she leaves him 50 acres of farmland in southern New Jersey along with a treasure map. Unable to stay away from a grand adventure, he drives to the property; however, any treasure left by pirates would need to be reached by the river that runs through it. With no boat handy, Dr. Fenimore detours to a nearby patient’s farm for a pleasant summer visit.
Lydia Ashley and her granddaughter Susan live in a colonial farmhouse still authentic in many details. When odd accidents begin to happen, Dr. Fenimore sends his sidekick and right arm, Mrs. Doyle, to stay for several days under the pretense of a visit to soothe her nerves. The problem is that her nerves get worse as pranks turn into life threatening events. Even Fenimore’s office assistant, Horatio, posing as a nephew visits the homestead. Events in the supposedly quiet village take an alarming turn when a nearby cottage blows up during a party.
I found this mystery a lot of fun to follow along. Even with a cast consisting of numerous characters, Hathaway referred back to facts about each of them often enough to keep them clear in my mind, but not so often as to become redundant. The story was staffed with a variety of people including a librarian, a caretaker, a cook, a boy’s school headmaster, a reverend, a lawyer, a detective, a bookstore owner, and even someone from the Colonial Society, all of whom kept the story moving swiftly along.
The action moved easily between south Jersey and Philadelphia, between the simple country farmhouse to high society mansions, from lazy summer afternoons to evening dinner parties. Hathaway brought the diverse cultures together with seamless ease, transporting me from one environ to another with her undemanding style.
Throw in a touch of romance, and all the ingredients blended together well for a pleasant diversion from the sharp realities of harsher mysteries. There was enough tension and curiosity to keep the story moving without making me breathless. I suppose I might even call it polite, yet not blandly so. Perhaps it was the genteel, civilized nature of Lydia Ashley’s home, but this story made me yearn for that lazy summer afternoon spent napping under tree with the scent of flowers and the sounds of crickets to keep me company.
The first two entries in this series were THE DOCTOR DIGS A GRAVE and THE DOCTOR MAKES A DOLLHOUSE CALL. I believe that Hathaway has explained enough about the characters from previous events that it isn’t imperative that they be read in order.
As for the treasure on the map left to Dr. Fenimore, you will need to read the story yourself to find out the conclusion.
Lydia Ashley and her granddaughter Susan live in a colonial farmhouse still authentic in many details. When odd accidents begin to happen, Dr. Fenimore sends his sidekick and right arm, Mrs. Doyle, to stay for several days under the pretense of a visit to soothe her nerves. The problem is that her nerves get worse as pranks turn into life threatening events. Even Fenimore’s office assistant, Horatio, posing as a nephew visits the homestead. Events in the supposedly quiet village take an alarming turn when a nearby cottage blows up during a party.
I found this mystery a lot of fun to follow along. Even with a cast consisting of numerous characters, Hathaway referred back to facts about each of them often enough to keep them clear in my mind, but not so often as to become redundant. The story was staffed with a variety of people including a librarian, a caretaker, a cook, a boy’s school headmaster, a reverend, a lawyer, a detective, a bookstore owner, and even someone from the Colonial Society, all of whom kept the story moving swiftly along.
The action moved easily between south Jersey and Philadelphia, between the simple country farmhouse to high society mansions, from lazy summer afternoons to evening dinner parties. Hathaway brought the diverse cultures together with seamless ease, transporting me from one environ to another with her undemanding style.
Throw in a touch of romance, and all the ingredients blended together well for a pleasant diversion from the sharp realities of harsher mysteries. There was enough tension and curiosity to keep the story moving without making me breathless. I suppose I might even call it polite, yet not blandly so. Perhaps it was the genteel, civilized nature of Lydia Ashley’s home, but this story made me yearn for that lazy summer afternoon spent napping under tree with the scent of flowers and the sounds of crickets to keep me company.
The first two entries in this series were THE DOCTOR DIGS A GRAVE and THE DOCTOR MAKES A DOLLHOUSE CALL. I believe that Hathaway has explained enough about the characters from previous events that it isn’t imperative that they be read in order.
As for the treasure on the map left to Dr. Fenimore, you will need to read the story yourself to find out the conclusion.
May 31, 2022
What a fun read! This Dr. Fenimore is quite a character and I thoroughly enjoyed this adventure. Not only is there a mystery to solve, there's history to be learned here. Succinct lessons, never superfluous, the bits of history injected really add to the story. I think I'll have to look up more of The Doctor's cases!
February 15, 2024
I can't imagine how the doctor gets any cardiology done with all the running around he does trying to solve this mystery. I enjoyed the book though, it was clear that the doctor and nurse saw themselves as a Sherlock/Watson pair, but with the benefits and risks of living in the modern world.
March 14, 2018
Especially liked this mystery because it takes place near where I live. I actually knew the author who had a second house in the area. The characters could be people who live in the area.
June 19, 2024
It was okay definitely not my usual type of book
October 16, 2015
#3 in the Dr. Andrew Fenimore series.
Philadelphia doctor Andrew Fenimore series - Philadelphia physician Andrew Fenimore still makes house calls for his patients, mostly elderly women. This time finds the doctor traveling to southern New Jersey to inspect some swampland left to him by a former patient. When Fenimore and his teenage helper, Horatio, are stymied by the impenetrable swamp, they instead visit another of the doctor's patients, Lydia Ashcroft. There they discover that, through a series of nasty pranks, someone is trying to scare Ashcroft into selling her lovely property. Worried about his patient's heart condition, Fenimore investigates the increasingly dangerous pranks, assisted by his no-nonsense nurse, Mrs. Doyle. When Doyle, who was staying with Ashcroft is kidnapped, the stakes are raised.
Philadelphia doctor Andrew Fenimore series - Philadelphia physician Andrew Fenimore still makes house calls for his patients, mostly elderly women. This time finds the doctor traveling to southern New Jersey to inspect some swampland left to him by a former patient. When Fenimore and his teenage helper, Horatio, are stymied by the impenetrable swamp, they instead visit another of the doctor's patients, Lydia Ashcroft. There they discover that, through a series of nasty pranks, someone is trying to scare Ashcroft into selling her lovely property. Worried about his patient's heart condition, Fenimore investigates the increasingly dangerous pranks, assisted by his no-nonsense nurse, Mrs. Doyle. When Doyle, who was staying with Ashcroft is kidnapped, the stakes are raised.
August 16, 2015
#3 in the Philadelphia Dr. Andrew Fenimore mystery series. He is an old-fashioned doctor still in a single practice who has also established a reputation as a private investigator. This comes in handy when a patient is threaten by a series of tricks and near death actions to get her to sell her "south Jersey" farm land about an hour from Philadelphia. The area has a history going back to its pre Revolutionary War settlement by Quakers along with being an area where pirates visited and supposedly buried treasurer as well as smugglers.
October 14, 2008
A real fun read. While the series is set in Philadelphia, this one takes you to NJ and explores that area.
October 19, 2013
Nice easy read. Well look for the other books about Dr. Fenimore and Mrs. Doyle and read those too.
August 7, 2016
Robin Hathaway's books are really pleasant and fun to read.
August 11, 2016
Series set in Philadelphia and southern NJ - fun reading.
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews