The Body in the Transept

This was a very well-written book about a genre-savvy older woman amateur detective. Rich and realistic characters, discussions between Dorothy and Chief Constable Alan that referenced Miss Marple, Mrs Pollifax, and Inspector Lestrade among others (Alan is just as genre-savvy, though from a rather different viewpoint as a professional cop). The murder is unexpected and tangles Dorothy accidentally (she finds the body); for various reasons, worked out in solid logic though perhaps not wisdom, she continues poking at the questions. And finally, after multiple other disasters, she has a revelation and puts it all together. Two problems, for me - one, the question she didn't ask at the time (that solidified the revelation, eventually) is show more what I would have asked instantly in any similar circumstance (and then she doesn't mention the matter to Alan, though she does to a few others). And two, I was utterly not in the mood for this - I did mention realistic, right? She's a recent widow who moved to England (from Indiana) as she and her husband had been planning to do. So she's still mourning, feeling very uprooted and disconnected from her current social setting, and unsurprisingly quite depressed. While she works through it (makes good steps, anyway), this is not what I wanted to read about right now. I think I'll keep this series in mind for some later time - it is very good, if I were up to it. There's also a few problems with the e-book process in my copy - some obvious scannos (Iie for he, for instance), which would have been caught if they'd done a spell-check. And a missing floor plan of the church - a long endnote explaining the layout of the cathedral, with a footnote in that saying that italicized words would be found on the floorplan, but no image. Minor, but annoying. show less

Dorothy Martin is a 60+ American widow who, following her husband’s untimely death, chose to follow their shared dream of moving to a small village in England, in this case Sherebury. She has slowly been meeting people there, but has not yet settled into small-town life when she quite literally stumbles across a body in the cathedral transept: Canon Billings, an officious religious figure but brilliant scholar too, had managed to alienate almost everybody he met before he was ushered violently into the next world. Because she feels intimately involved due to finding the body, Dorothy starts searching for answers to the crime despite the misgivings of Chief Constable Alan Nesbitt. Before too long, there is a second killing, and a show more mysterious arson fire, and it appears that Dorothy is coming uncomfortably close to the truth…. I’ve been on a “cozy” kick for some time now, so when this series came to my attention, I thought I’d start with this first book and see from there. It’s actually fine, as far as cozies go: Dorothy is an engaging character (who has an unabashed Thing for serious hats), and while the deaths are gruesome, they also occur off-stage. I’m not too sure about the American-in-England conceit, as I tend to prefer those books set in England to be written by English authors, but the fish out of water aspect adds a little frisson to the setting (which, by the way, is fictitious). Also, the reader will spot the budding romance from a mile away, which can sometimes be annoying. Not sure how many of the 20-odd books in the series I’ll get to, but it may work as a stand-by series for me to pick up again when I run out of other things to read; mildly recommended. show less

The Body in the Transept by Jeanne M. Dams is a 2020 Joffe Books publication. (Reissue from 1995)

This first installment in the series introduces Dorothy Martin, an American widow living in the English town of Sherebury.

After attending a Christmas Eve midnight service at the cathedral, Dorothy has the misfortune of stumbling across the body of Canon Billings. His death is no accident as it is soon discovered that he’s been stabbed to death.

At loose ends since her husband died, and bothered by the murder, especially as she was the one who found the body, Dorothy feels compelled to investigate, with the help of Chief Constable Alan Nesbitt. As they converse the pair find they enjoy spending time together and become friends- but, of show more course, there are hints of a possible romance developing as the series progresses.

I came across this book through the Kindle Unlimited program. I checked it out from my app without doing a deep dive into it, so I didn’t know until after I had finished the book and started gathering information for my review that this book was originally published back in 1995!! Now that’s really saying something. The only hint I had about the age of the book was perhaps Dorothy’s favorite mystery writers, but- not necessarily, as most of her favorites are still well-read today.

Not only that, but evidently, this book won an Edgar Award for best first novel in 1995- no wonder it was so good!

Dorothy and Alan have exceptional banter and chemistry and the mystery is interesting with several viable suspects and a few big surprises. Dorothy is hilarious, quirky, and smarter than she realizes. Her cat also complemented the story …. And maybe I should mention Dorothy’s unique choice in hats, too.

Occasionally, the story lost some momentum and because this is the first book in a series, some time had to be spent setting the stage, but overall things moved along at a nice pace.

Although categorized as a cozy, a label slapped on any amateur sleuth, this book will appeal to crime fiction readers of all stripes. It is light, humorous on many occasions, but also suspenseful and will keep you entertained and guessing until the very end.

I love it when I happen across a real gem like this one. I am also thrilled that Joffe Books has formatted this series so that it is getting new recognition, or can be enjoyed again by those who are already fans of the series.

Can’t wait to read the next installment!! show less

First cozy mystery by Dams. Not bad but a little slow. I liked her characterization of American widow Dorothy Martin as quick to judge, somewhat prickly and still in mourning for her husband Frank who passed away a year ago. She now lives in England in Sherebury in a little cathedral town. The cathedral is the main focus of her life as well as the place where the body is found. The widower Chief Constable Alan Nesbitt shows more than business interest in Dorothy since she found the body of Canon Billings, but is also an interesting, attractive, smart woman. Plenty of suspects and a few friends that Dorothy can bounce ideas off of including her next door neighbor no-nonsense Jane Langland, but often she feels alone and not quite fitting show more in to the small town. I think she has a right to quite a bit of self pity, but she also struggles to shake herself loose from its clutches. I'm willing to read another book in the series to see how Dorothy develops. show less

Dorothy Martin moved from Indiana to Sherebury following the retirement dream she had with her husband, Frank. On Christmas Eve, Dorothy attended midnight mass at the Sherebury Cathedral. After having difficulty finding a single seat available, Dorothy had the pleasure of meeting Alan Nesbitt, Chief Constable of the county. After the service, he volunteered to walk her home. However, departure was delayed for a most unexpected reason, and suddenly CC Nesbit was on duty.

I enjoyed the author's descriptive writing with my favorite,

"Behind the brusque facade is a mind of diamond—and a heart of custard."

I loved Dorothy's unique hats, delight in wearing colorful clothing, communication and interactions with her feline Esmeralda, and the show more story of Esmeralda's parentage. I do wish I could have been Dorothy's companion, shopping at after-Christmas sales at Harrod's and meeting friends for tea at the Ritz.

At the end of the novel, "Ecclesiastical Notes" shared information about the Church of England architecture and liturgy. "A Glossary of Slang for US Readers" is also provided.

For all who love a senior sleuth, you may also be interested in meeting Miss Rina Martin and Detective Inspector Sebastian McGregor (Mac) in the coastal town of Frantham-on-Sea, Dorset, England, in the Rina Martin series created by British author Jane Adams. show less

First Line: I was struggling against more than wind and rain that night as I battled through the Cathedral Close, but I blamed my mood on the weather.

American Dorothy Martin and her academic husband, Frank, had planned to retire to the cathedral/ university town of Sherebury, England. Unfortunately Frank died, and Dorothy made the move on her own. Still a new widow and a bit wobbly about being on her own, Dorothy is making steady progress at making friends and becoming a member of the community. Shortly after the Christmas Eve service in the cathedral, Dorothy literally stumbles over the body of Canon Billings, an argumentative man who had many more enemies than friends. Her discovery of the body makes Dorothy feel a sense of show more responsibility in helping discover the identity of Billings's killer. Little does she know that she's putting herself in harm's way.

Dorothy is a round little woman in her sixties who has a penchant for colorful, over-the-top hats:

"I made for it like a homing pigeon, and five minutes out of Victoria I was asleep. I would have slept right past my station if the guard hadn't remembered my hat from the morning and wakened me. There are some advantages to being conspicuous."

I enjoyed the depiction of her life in a new town and a new country, as any Anglophile would who's harbored daydreams of moving to England. The Body in the Transept is a pleasant cozy mystery, but it's really not very memorable for me. Nothing like damning a book with faint praise, is there? As in everything else, reading mileage varies greatly from book to book and from reader to reader. If you do enjoy cozies about an older American lady living in England, by all means give this book a try. Even though it wasn't my cup of tea, it may very well be yours. show less

I like mysteries with a leading character who is close to my age. Dorothy Martin is a widowed American woman who moved to England just as she and her now deceased husband planned. She is facing her first Christmas alone and stumbles over the body of Canon Billings in the cathedral. She also meets the widowed Chief Constable Alan Nesbitt. He asks her to stay out of the investigation, but she just can't. Billings wasn't well liked and there are others employed by the cathedral with secrets. Someone even tries to poison her cat, Emmy. I will read more of this series.