American Dorothy Martin, a former schoolteacher living in England with her husband, Alan, a retired Scotland Yard detective, keeps finding crimes to investigate so many that by this point (this is the twentieth entry in the series) readers might wonder why Dorothy doesn't just hang out a shingle and become a professional PI. This latest mystery is a particularly vexing one for Dorothy and Alan: a married Muslim couple, who have come from Iraq to visit the cathedral town of Sherebury, has disappeared; soon they turn up in London, where it seems they were engaged in a terrorist plot. But Dorothy wonders, Is it possible they came to England not to commit a terrorist act but rather to stop one from being committed? The terrorism-related story line gives the book a bit of extra dramatic heft, and Dams makes the most of it, showing Dorothy at her inquisitive, resourceful, determined best. Fans of the series will be pleased to see this engaging heroine once more.--Pitt, David Copyright 2018 Booklist

A sleuthing couple fights bigotry.Returning from yet another round of travel abroad (The Missing Masterpiece, 2017, etc.) to the cathedral town of Sherebury, expatriate American Dorothy Martin and her husband, retired Chief Constable Alan Nesbitt, find trouble close to home. Their friend Margaret Allenby, the dean's wife, introduces them to the Ahmads, a wealthy, charming Iraqi couple who are interested in attending a service at the cathedral. Because she foresees that the current unpleasant political climate may find people unhappy at seeing Muslims in a Christian church, Margaret asks Dorothy and Alan to accompany them. The visit, including the Ahmads' children, Aya and Rahim, goes smoothly, but the couple's return visit to the cathedral the following week to hear an evening performance of Handel's "Messiah" does not. While the children are left at the Rose and Crown under the supervision of the inn's owner, Greta, the Ahmads vanish along with their car. Alan uses his clout to launch an immediate investigation into the volatile situation. Have the Ahmads been kidnapped? Even worse, are they involved in terrorism? While Dorothy uses her contacts to investigate home-grown crazies who may be targeting Muslims, Alan works with the police and MI5, who are scouring London for the missing pair. The search becomes even more frantic when the spare suitcase Greta remembers the couple having left in the attic turns out to be packed with cash. Though Dorothy and Alan can't believe the Ahmads are terrorists, they feel pressed to find them and learn what they're doing before any of the hate groups on every side discovers their whereabouts.The slight mystery takes a back seat to a heartfelt exploration of religious animosity and bigotry. Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

International terrorism intrudes into the cozy world of American Dorothy Martin, a former schoolteacher, and her English husband, retired Chief Constable Alan Nesbit, in Dams's unlikely 20th outing for the endearing couple (after 2017's The Missing Masterpiece). Impressed by the friendly, cosmopolitan Mr. and Mrs. Ahmed, who have recently moved from Iraq to Sherebury, England, with their two beautifully behaved children, and finding that they share her interest in Western classical music, Dorothy suggests that they attend a performance of Handel's Messiah at the local cathedral. The concert is to be followed by a buffet laid on at the Rose and Crown, a nearby inn. When the Ahmeds fail to appear at the Rose and Crown, Dorothy begins to worry, especially since the couple have left their children at the inn. She thinks recent terrorist incidents in London and elsewhere in England could mean terrorists are behind their disappearance. Aided by MI5, elderly Dorothy and Alan investigate in between snacking, shopping at Tesco's, attending church services, washing the dog, and cataloguing their aches and pains. Those seeking a realistic picture of terrorism in modern-day Britain will have to look elsewhere. Agent: Kimberley Cameron, Kimberley Cameron Agency. (June) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.