Thursday, September 1, 2016

Smile and Be a Villain: A Dorothy Martin Investigation by Jeanne M. Dams

Dorothy and her husband might just as well give up on the idea of a vacation.  Even when they set things aside and visit a small island, they run into death.  But was it an accident or murder?

Severn House and Net Galley let me read this book for review (thank you).  It will be published October 1st.  

Dorothy and Alan are on a walk when they find someone who has fallen on the rocky trail.  The man is dead and they learn he is the assistant preacher at the church they attended in the morning.  He had been missed at church and he appeared to be popular with most.  He was from the states and that was where Dorothy had lived earlier in life, so she was interested in meeting him.  She expected him to be alive, though.

What they find out after the man's death is that he was not well-loved by all.  He had a crooked past.  And he hadn't given up on his old tricks in his new life.  A number of people would have liked to give him a push down the path but did anyone?

For a small village, it was a hotbed of secrets.  Everybody has one.  Dorothy tries to point out that even if no one is really mourning his death, if there was a killer he needed to be brought to justice.  In time, the villagers turn against them.  They have one man they can't find and they hope he hasn't committed suicide.  They get a letter from him as they are leaving the island.  It's from the missing man.

This character that was purportedly a church man was a con-artist who stole money because he could.  He cared about no one but himself.  He even jimmied the rummage sale and sold things for more money and pocketed the extra.  He didn't need the money, he just wanted it.  He had other nefarious plans, so falling on the path wasn't a bad thing.  It turned out to be karma in reality.  What goes around, comes around.

I love this couple.  Dorothy and Alan are a joy to read about even if they are investigating a death.  They're empathetic and kind even if they are factual.  Now I'm waiting for their next adventure.

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