annieb123's Review of Death Comes to Durham (A Dorothy Martin Mystery)

by Jeanne M. Dams

How can Dorothy Martin clear an elderly woman of murder - when she can't remember if she did it or not?

American Anglophile Dorothy Martin and her husband, retired chief constable Alan Nesbit, are enjoying a pleasant - albeit rain-soaked - stay in the historic university city of Durham with their old friend David Tregarth. Castle tours and cathedral services fill their days as they wander up and down the steep, cobbled lanes of the medieval city. But the holiday comes to an abrupt halt when David's elderly great-aunt is accused of the murder of a fellow patient at her nursing home.

How could a frail dementia sufferer commit such a terrible deed? Dorothy is determined to prove Aunt Amanda's innocence, and launches into an unofficial investigation. But as she and David navigate their way amongst reckless students, inefficient police work and witnesses who have lost the ability to remember, the investigation soon becomes as twisty, slippery and treacherous as the damp cobblestones outside . . .

Originally published on my blog: Nonstop Reader.

Death Comes to Durham is the 23rd book in the Dorothy Martin cozy mystery series by Jeanne M. Dams. Due out 1st Sept 2020 by Severn House, it's 224 pages and will be available in hardcover and ebook formats (ebook out now). It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links. I've really become enamored of ebooks with interactive formats lately.

I love English cozies and this one is warm, well written, engaging, and with well developed mature characters whose kind and loving relationship is a pleasure to read about. The plotting is gently meandering but doesn't drag. There's not a lot of dramatic tension and there are a few oddly humorous plot twists. The author manages to write intelligently and compassionately about dementia patients and long term elder care without being strident or preachy.

The denouement and resolution are satisfying and capably written. For all lovers of English modern cozies with clean language and little to no on-page violence, this is a series which delivers very well. This one can be read as a standalone, but they're all enjoyable mysteries and it's nice to see the development of the main characters' relationship from the early books onward.

Four stars.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.

Death Comes to Durham (A Dorothy Martin Mystery)

by Jeanne M. Dams

Reviewed by annieb123 on Jul 8, 2020

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