Due to a sudden, unexpected passing in the family a few years ago and another more recently and my subsequent (mental) health issues stemming from that, I was unable to download this book in time to review it before it was archived as I did not visit this site for several years after the bereavements. This meant I didn't read or venture onto netgalley for years as not only did it remind me of that person as they shared my passion for reading, but I also struggled to maintain interest in anything due to overwhelming depression. I was therefore unable to download this title in time and so I couldn't give a review as it wasn't successfully acquired before it was archived. The second issue that has happened with some of my other books is that I had them downloaded to one particular device and said device is now defunct, so I have no access to those books anymore, sadly.

This means I can't leave an accurate reflection of my feelings towards the book as I am unable to read it now and so I am leaving a message of explanation instead. I am now back to reading and reviewing full time as once considerable time had passed I have found that books have been helping me significantly in terms of my mindset and mental health - this was after having no interest in anything for quite a number of years after the passings. Anything requested and approved will be read and a review written and posted to Amazon (where I am a Hall of Famer & Top Reviewer), Goodreads (where I have several thousand friends and the same amount who follow my reviews) and Waterstones (or Barnes & Noble if the publisher is American based). Thank you for the opportunity and apologies for the inconvenience.

The Bath Conspiracy is the 24th (!) book in the Dorothy Martin cozy mysteries by Jeanne M. Dams. Released 1st June 2021 by Severn House, it's 224 pages and is available in hardcover and ebook formats. It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links throughout. I've really become enamored of ebooks with interactive formats lately.

This entire series is very cozy and enjoyable and the characters are refreshingly down to earth, intelligently portrayed, and believable. All of the books work well as standalones and this would be a good starting point to hop on the series. The author is adept enough to provide the necessary back story without spoon feeding or info dumping and there aren't any major spoilers from earlier books which aren't included in the blurb on the back cover, namely that Dorothy is an expat American who is married to a retired English chief constable and who now resides in England and they solve mysteries together as a sort of superannuated Nick & Nora.

This is pure escapist entertainment and the language is squeaky clean. There's *very* light unspecific consensual sexual content hinted at in the book, but nothing at all suggestive or off-color (and the characters are married). The narrative arc doesn't contain any real danger or threat and I found it a lovely interlude to a very stressful time. This is the book for a pot of tea and nibbles, curled up on the sofa on a rainy weekend.

Four stars. A lovely read.

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

A light, cozy mystery that is a GOOD distraction from everyday life. When Alan and Dorothy go to vacation in Bath, as usual they become immersed in a mystery. Someone loaded their trunk with stolen goods, mostly from the gift shops of local museums and attractions. As they begin to investigate, a variety of dangerous accidents occur, threatening their lives. A very nice light mystery. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

Jeanne Dams' stories always made me travel to different places and I thoroughly enjoy them.
This one was no exception and I like the well thought plot and the solid mystery.
An entertaining and engrossing story that kept me guessing.
Recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine

The Bath Conspiracy by Jeanne M Dams is an engaging cozy mystery set in the beautiful English city of Bath, Somerset. Dorothy and her ex-Chief Constable husband Alan are in the habit of getting caught up in mysteries, wherever they go. This time they must clear their names when some loot is found in the boot/trunk of their car. Everything seems tied to the tourist industry of the area, which involves the healing waters and nearby Stonehenge. Can they find out the real culprits before it’s too late - and before things escalate?

Although this is book 24 in the series, I had no problem jumping right in at this point. There is no need to have read any of the previous books to understand this one. I liked that the story centred around an older retired couple and how they used their experiences of life and work to solve the case. The supporting characters were also appealing and there was a lovely family feel about them all. It was also lovely to follow them on their holiday in Bath and to find out about the city and its attractions. An enjoyable way to pass a few hours in the company of a liveable sleuthing couple.

I was given this ARC to review.

Dorothy Martins and her husband retired Chief Constable Alan Nesbitt decide to celebrate Dorothy's birthday with a few days in a luxury hotel in Bath, Somerset.
Dorothy is an American, a widow who has lived in England for sometime. Alan is also a widower. They have fabulous sights to see - the Baths, Jane Austin Society, the Pump room, the regency architecture as well as the enticing restaurants and cafes.
They travel by car and because the hotel is in the centre of the city, where parking is scarce, the hotel use parking facilities remote from the accommodation. After a few days walking and sightseeing, they decide to get their car returned to the hotel and travel to Stonehenge.
It is there that they discover various items in the boot which don't belong to them. The police get involved and they meet detective inspector Cedric ( Rob ) Roberts. This is where their adventure begins trying to find the person or people responsible.
This is incredibly the fifteenth mystery featuring Dorothy Martin. The book is part very good travelogue and part restaurant and pub guide as well as a very good cozy mystery. I have not come across this author before but she writes well and tells a good story.
I lived and worked in Bath some years ago and it was delightful to follow Dorothy and Alan's explorations. It is a wonderful city and as a local once admitted it is the graveyard of ambition, because no one wants to move away willingly!
I enjoyed the book and fully recommend it. I will definitely read more by this American author who lives in Indiana and has another successful series based there but in the last century.

In some ways, this 24th book in the Dorothy Martin cozy series is much like the others. Dorothy and her retired police chief constable, Alan, do a lot of sightseeing, a lot of eating, and a lot of crime solving.

Unlike the other 23 books, the crime solving in this one never had the sense of urgency found in the others. When Dorothy and Alan go sightseeeing, they find what appears to be stolen loot from museum stores in Bath and Stonehenge in the boot of their car and they quickly join forces with the lead police detective to try to unravel the thefts.

This is a fun series. Great cast of characters and about as gentle and cozy as a cozy mystery could be. Highly enjoyable!!

American expat, Dorothy Martin and her retired police detective husband, Alan are enjoying a holiday in Bath. The luxury hotel, splendid meals and visits to local points of interest are Alan's birthday gift to Dorothy. Plans go awry when after a visit to Stonehenge, Alan opens the boot of the car to find a strange collection of items. Once it's established that the items were stolen the birthday plans quickly morph into the search for a thief. Alan and Dorothy work with the local police to solve the crime and clear the name of a young Down Syndrome man who seems to be linked to most of the items. Interesting plot and characters but Dorothy's constant need for food is a bit annoying.

Alan Nesbitt decides to take his wife Dorothy to Bath for her birthday. They stay in a very nice hotel. Although their car is valet driven to a parking place on the edge of town, they have the use of a very nice car and driver. The second day they go to Stonehenge. Dorothy loves gift shops, and when they get back to their car, they find the boot filled with boxes and bags they've never seen before! Alan even saw pieces of bluestone! Alan immediately calls in the local police. Alan insists they take his and Dorothy's finger prints, so not only are they not suspects, but Detective Robrealizes who they are, and suggests they may want to help the local police.

Dorothy's love of gift shops soon brings her into contact with Sammy, a young man who has Downs Syndrome. She befriends him, and soon it appears that Sammy might be involved the the petty theft going on from several gift shops. Dorothy and Alan become friends with both Rob and his wife Sylvie, and meet and befriend Sammy' grandmother, Judy. Some of the items stolen are not worth very much. When someone tries to drown Sammy in the large pool at the baths, and then attempts to kill Andrew, the driver of the Royal Hotel's Rolls, with crashing into the car, they know that someone is trying to get rid of folks that might know too much.

No one is actually killed, but there is certainly a mysterious thief in the picture. Alan and Dorothy do their detecting very well among the great sites in the Bath area. This is a fun read with some excitement and good characters.

The Sherebury Sleuth In Bath....
The Sherebury sleuth, aka Dorothy Martin, strikes again when she becomes involved in strange goings on having travelled to Bath for a birthday celebration. When Dorothy and Alan discover a pile of seemingly historical loot in their car boot whilst at Stonehenge, the finger of suspicion may automatically point to them. This is the twenty fourth book in this hugely entertaining cosy mystery series with a likeable protagonist in Dorothy and a colourful cast of supporting characters. A gentle, relaxing, fun read and a worthy addition to the series.

Retired Chief Constable Alan Nesbit and his wife amateur detective Dorothy Martin have come to Bath for a birthday treat. When stolen goods are found in their hire car this lovely old couple feel there’s a mystery to solve. You fall in love with the beautiful settings of Bath and Stonehenge. There is plenty of time to soak up the atmosphere of this lovely cozy mystery.
I was given an arc of this book by Netgalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Dorothy and Alan are in Bath for her birthday. Those who've read the earlier books in this long running series I(this is fine as a standalone) know that she's an American and he's a retired police officer; together they've solved all sorts of crimes. This time, though, they' are the ones under the microscope when a box of items shoplifted from places they've visited is found in their car. But of course they didn't do it and they are off--but there's more afoot than petty theft! No spoilers from me. These two are aging gracefully (I love that they are a "mature" couple) but they haven't lost their pep. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. It's a gentle, genial read.

This is the first book I have read in Jeanne M. Dams A Dorothy Martin mystery series and I loved it. I felt as if I actually was back in Bath, a place I visited last over 32 years ago, as the descriptions of the locale and the mood was expertly drawn. The interchanges between Dorothy and Alan are delightful, and seem realistic for a couple of a certain age. The compassion shown Sammy, a main suspect in thefts and later a victim himself was educative and compassionate. I enjoyed the resolution and am going to go back in the first of the series to get the full enjoyment I know is waiting for me.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. The opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.

The 24th in the Dorothy Martin mystery series by Dams, this is a well written relaxing mystery that leans heavily on the investigation of Dorothy and her retired Chief inspector husband to solve the thefts that have been occuring in and around Bath and Stonehenge. They become involved when much of the stolen loot is discovered in the trunk of their car. Dorothy's husband Alan immediately calls the police and insists they be fingerprinted which he knows will minimize them as suspects. As he makes his credentials known, the local inspector in charge of the investigation welcomes his and Dorothy's assistance.
The story is easy to follow, and the guilty party is easy to identify,, but this is still a delightful read for anyone who wants to sit and have a relaxing afternoon or two. It's the perfect rainy day read for grabbing a cup of coffee or tea and curling up in front of a fire to while away the afternoon.

Retired Chief Constable Alan Nesbit and his American-born wife, Dorothy Martin, like to travel the UK. This book finds them celebrating Dorothy’s birthday in the beautiful, historic city of Bath. Living near Bath myself, it was a joy to find that the author’s research was accurate.

Alan and Dorothy hire a car and take a trip to nearby Stonehenge. After a lovely time, they return to the car to find that a very mixed assortment of items, both valuable and of little worth, have been left in the boot. Alan contacts the police and, in view of his previous career, the police are grateful for him and Dorothy to assist them in solving the mystery.

A gentle, cosy mystery but one that is totally believable.

Thank you to NetGalley, Canongate Books, and Severn House for an advance reader copy in return for an honest review.

The Bath Conspiracy is the latest mystery set in historic cities of the United Kingdom, and featuring the author's usual team of not-so-young Anglophile American Dorothy Martin and her retired, very high-ranking, policeman husband Alan Nesbit. On returning to their car after a visit to Stonehenge, they find an assortment of items has been dumped in their boot. What's the connection; why do totally innocent and naïve tourist helpers become involved, and why do events suddenly turn violent and sinister? The local police turn to Dorothy and her husband for help. The delight of this long running series is in its gentle pace and impeccable historical research, whose knowledge is imparted gently and in a way that always entertains, along with realistic conversation and dialogue. There are wry observations too on coming to terms with the pitfalls and fallibilities of ageing. Always enjoyable; always page turning in its quiet and compelling way, with a very human and well-observed cast of characters. And don't miss the descriptions of Dorothy's hats!

I received this ARC via Netgalley and Canongate Books/Severn House, in return for an honest review. While the 24th book in this delightful series, it is easily read as a standalone. It is always a joy to return to retired American teacher, Dorothy Martin, and her retired Chief Constable husband, Alan Nesbit, as they explore the world and encounter unplanned mysteries and murders to be solved. In this outing, a celebratory birthday trip from their English cathedral town home to Bath turns unexpectedly strange. As they are about to depart Stonehenge, they discover a mixed amount of goods in the trunk of their rental car and can only conclude the things are stolen. But the glimpses they saw before Alan contacted the local police include both trash and treasure which makes no sense! After establishing their bonafides with the local police force, they’re encouraged to use Dorothy’s people skills and Alan’s police skills to help figure out the mysteries that are accumulating faster than you can say ‘Bath Buns’!
Ms. Dams writes such a lovely series about a mature couple who’ve both been widowed and are now enjoying a second romance. Dorothy notes things that would have been very easy at a younger age that now requires a bit extra time or effort, like walking for miles on cobblestones. This is a gentle cozy series and one that I return to, time and time again. I hope you enjoy this latest outing as much as I did.

A solid cozy mystery. I’ve been reading the Jeanne Dams series starring American born Dorothy Martin since it's inception. In the course of her 24 books I have travelled with Mrs Martin all over the UK and always enjoy her descriptions of the areas and tourist sites. This latest novel takes place in Bath and has lots of historical information and descriptions for armchair travel. For the last several books I felt that the protagonist had become sort of stodgy and a bit whiny. I'm happy to see that in this novel I feel the original amateur sleuth was back.