The author talked about food.....a lot. I know this book takes place during a vacation trip so the story had to fit nicely into that time frame but it seemed like all they did was eat and review everything that was happening over and over again. This series is getting a little blah for my tastes. However, if someone hasn't read any of the other books they could still pick up this one and read as a stand-alone because there is just enough background info to get to know the characters a little.

A nice, quick, cosy read that can be finished in a day.

Dorothy Martin goes to France, supposedly with her husband Alan Nesbitt, a retired police inspector, but things don’t go as planned. Instead, he breaks his ankle and is held back in England. While waiting for him, Dorothy explores Mont Saint- Michel and goes to visit the exposition of a dear friend, her reason for a visit to France. Talk of a near-drowning German woman, the attack on a young tourist and rumours of stolen songs by Abelard may provide the perfect puzzle while she waits.

This was my first time reading a Dorothy Martin and a Jeanne Dams book and I must say it was very entertaining.

The setting was beautifully chosen. The descriptions of the typical French streets, the monuments and the environment, in general, made the story very captivating. I could almost see the colours and the places come out of the book.

The plot has enough twists to keep you interested from beginning to end and events that don’t seem connected at all will make your head turn. With each new character introduced, a piece of the puzzle comes along too. The people are the missing pieces in a way. However, keep you with the notion of time was a bit tricky. Jeanne Dams knows fully well how to integrate events not in several days, but in a matter of hours. I noticed that, as a reader, I expect that time just flies in plots, and with this novel, I felt the author took a present approach. Much like, she is in Dorothy’s shoes.

The characters are great and they’re easy to follow throughout the story. Dams does an excellent work in managing all the characters and not losing the strings of their goal and fate. Every single character is there for a reason, even if you don’t realise it until the end of the book. Dorothy is a great female lead. I left like she was like Miss Marple (likes gossip, has no shame in picking up conversations with people) and Jessica Fletcher (for the smooth and intelligent way of gathering information, clues and her impeccable sense of logic and analysis). Alan, the male protagonist, actually becomes a fundamental part of the story. His connections to his former police office in England provide a great deal of help in making sense of everything and finding important and hidden information. I enjoyed reading their interactions and just “seeing” them together. Their relationship gave a fluffy feeling. Plus, the fact that they’re older, the level of maturity is also different. Loved every paragraph!

I recommend this book to all the fans of a puzzling mystery with historical references, a few twists and unexpected endings!

Thank you NetGalley, the publisher Severn House Publishers and the author for allowing me to read and review a digital copy of this book.

Where Dorothy Martin goes, intrigue follows even on vacation in France. As Alan is incapacitated by a broken ankle, Dorothy ends up alone on her holiday. By chance, she meets a young volunteer who claims to be in search of music by Abelard. Coincidences happen, but it quickly becomes clear he isn't the only one searching for missing manuscripts. And what does it have to do with an unknown tourist who almost drowned in quicksand and a man who was attacked at the Abbey and left for dead. And does any of this have anything to do with the forged illuminated pages comin forth from unscrupulous dealers? Everyone lies, as Dorothy and her husband (once he arrives) discover, but is someone a murderer?

Once you get past the improbability of Dorothy getting involved, it’s a good story, quite different from than the average mystery. It makes for a nice change of pace. It is a cozy, so it isn't high on the pulse pounding excitement scale. It is well written, and definitely fine for all ages, but I expect it will appeal most to older mystery fans.

4 / 5

I received a copy of The Missing Masterpiece from the publisher and Netgalley.com in exchange for an honest review.

--Crittermom

What's not to like about a mystery full of medieval history, art theft, forgery and great scenery? In this entry of the series, Dorothy starts out traveling solo because her husband has broken his ankle and will join her later. She must face France and Mont-Saint-Michel on her own, but, being Dorothy, she soldiers on, finds a young man (who has his own secrets) to act as her guide and proceeds to find mystery, murder...all the usual additions to her travels. She's a murder magnet and she's nosy. Having been disappointed with the previous book in this series and having read the entire series, I was very happy with this one.

I think of Dorothy Martin as a modern Miss Marple who married Alan Nesbit, an Inspector Craddock. type. I am always interested in seeing what mischief they get up to.

Dorothy and Alan plan another vacation together. You'd think they'd learn from the others they've attempted to take, but no...

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

The first thing that happens is that Alan falls and breaks his ankle. She's ready to cancel the trip but they've already bought the tickets and reserved their room. They're non-refundable. He tells her to go on without him and as soon as the doctor approves, he'll join her. She hates going by herself and misses him dreadfully, but she's determined to have fun and see the wonders by herself. What she never expected was to get into the middle of a search for missing manuscripts and music.

Her feet are wet and she slips down some stairs at museum she's walking through. The guide stays with her and escorts her home. She knows there is more to him than he's saying. The more people she meets, the more she finds lying to her. When Alan arrives, he agrees with her. They run an unofficial investigation trying to find out who tried to drown a German woman (who actually was an American man, someone lied to the police) and who knocked a tourist down a stair well into a place cut off from the public. The deeper they dig, they decide the three people they suspect couldn't be the guilty party. It's trying to find an invisible player that proves challenging.

Ms. Dams always writes good mysteries, throws some history in, and makes the crimes difficult to solve but a retired school teacher and a retired police inspector always figure it out!

This book was given to me in return for an unbiased review from NetGalley.

I have been long time fan of Jeanne Dams books and so I was excited to receive the latest release. The book, to me, felt a bit jumbled at the beginning... many different characters and events with out seeming to be related. Was I ever wrong! I few days later when Alan arrives to sort it all out and assist Dorothy with her inquiries, things seem clearer, but nothing seems to make sense. Dorothy and Alan continue to pursue the truth and discover a murderer. The amount of info about the location was daunting, but necessary to develop the story, still I found it a bit overwhelming. The characters were all interesting and eventually intertwined, it just seemed to take a long time to figure it out. Not my favorite of the series, but a good test of Alan and Dorothy's sleuthing skills.

Dorothy and Alan have planned a trip to Normandy to help their friend launch her first art gallery showing with a trip to Paris and Mont-Saint-Michel afterwards. However, Dorothy finds herself traveling alone when Alan is forced to stay behind nursing a broken ankle. Dorothy is forced to travel ahead and soon finds herself involved in one mystery after another. All seem to revolve around a possible missing piece of music penned by Abelard.

This is the first time I’ve read anything by Jeanne M. Dams. I found the story engaging and the main protagonist easily relatable. I enjoy a good mystery that involves lost manuscripts and ancient, historical sights. Dams involves all of these elements and wraps them up with interesting players within a beautiful backdrop we would all love to visit. The threads of the story come together nicely. Those who like their mysteries solved without heart stressing palpitations will enjoy this.

I would like to thank NetGalley for providing a copy of this book for review. Dorothy Martin's visit to Mont St. Michel is anything but a routine tour. The report of a near-drowning of a German woman, the attack on a young tourist and rumors of missing songs by Abelard waiting to be discovered provide a number of puzzling clues.

Dorothy inadvertently involves herself in investigations wherever she goes. However, this time her husband, retired police inspector Alan Nesbitt, is laid up back in England with a broken ankle. Waiting for him to join her, she is assisted by Peter, a guide at the abbey, who is not always truthful with his answers and may be more involved with events than he admits. By the time Alan arrives on the scene Dorothy has more questions than answers.

Jeanne Dams introduces enough twists and red herrings to keep you confused and amused. Her characters interact well and each new encounter brings another piece to the puzzle. Fans of Miss Marple or Jessica Fletcher will be charmed by Dorothy Martin.

The lovable Dorothy Martin finds another mystery, this time at the fabulous Mont Saint-Michel in Normandy. The theme of this story seems to be lying by just about everyone they encounter, which makes for a rather unpleasant time of it. No one seems worthy of the charming couple this time. However, the attraction of this particular story is its enchanting setting and, of course, the always lovingly described food of the area. On a negative note, I was very surprised at the portrayal of the American medieval scholar as a country bumpkin, which was completely ridiculous. This definitely lowered my opinion of the story, which is a shame because I did enjoy the rest of it. And I recommend this as necessary reading for the Dorothy Martin fans!