I believe I now have yet another series that I want to read my way through, if volume one is any indication. I really like the main character, Dorothy Martin, the American woman transplanted to the English town of Sherebury. It was very smart of the American author not to attempt to write an Englishwoman and very probably screw up the job. For we North Americans, it's difficult to get the details right.
This is a cozy mystery series, so it still surprises me how much I enjoyed it. There is, of course, a significant cat, a focus on food, and a police officer taking a personal interest in the widowed Dorothy. It all worked for me. I also liked the academic environment and the allusions to English mystery novels. I chose it this month for its Christmas connection, which is prominent without overwhelming the mystery. It proved to be a perfect Boxing Day occupation.
For a thirty year old novel, I felt it held up quite well. Some might find Dorothy's church going habit unusual, but I thought Ms. Dams gracefully made it part of Dorothy's life without over-explaining. I also appreciated the treatment of widowhood. She is still struggling with her emotions and other people (her American friends in particular) are ready for her to move on. Everyone else is more ready for the grieving person to “get back to normal" than they usually are. I'll be interested to see how this issue gets treated in future volumes.
No comments:
Post a Comment