The Doctor Digs a Grave -- 1998

The Doctor Digs a Grave
(1998)

Robin Hathaway

(...His own mother had had no delusions about her sons and would have been pleasantly surprised if anyone had wanted to marry them.) [Chapter 16]

Summary:
Dr. Andrew Fenimore was not your typical doctor. He actually cared more about his patients than the almighty dollar. So that was why, on the evening of October 29th he could be found helping a young boy bury his pet cat.

Even 200 years after his decease, the people of the city of Philadelphia remembered their founder, William Penn. And not just for his broad brimmed hat and somber clothing. They remembered his compassion for the people who had lived there before he and his had come: the Native Americans. That is why there was a place held with some esteem in the midst of the city. With MacDonald's on one side and a hotel on the other, an ancient burial ground of the Native tribe Lenni-Lenape that the city was not allowed to encroach on.

This was where Dr. Andrew Fenimore had taken his new friend to bury his pet. Obviously, he knew all about the history of the place which is why he took Horatio there. But the good doctor didn't expect to find it recently used. However, a newly inhabited grave was just what he discovered. This in itself was odd, of course, but not unexplainable because the body had been placed in the grave in the custom of their people: in a sitting position, facing east. Dr. Fenimore probably would have written the burial off as nothing if he hadn't been mugged in the process of discovery... with his own shovel.

The body was of a lovely young Lenni-Lenape woman. From all appearances, her death was from natural circumstances. But the further our doctor dug, the more dirt he found. (Forgive the most awful pun you have ever read. Please.) Even with the experience Dr. Fenimore had in detective work, he didn't suspect the whole truth... and it almost cost him his life.

What I Liked:
1: The humor. Excellent. Some of it was pretty corny but the good stuff was so good that it made up for it.
2: The mystery was good.
3: It was fairly clean.
4: It was well written... definitely a first novel. You can tell Mrs. Hathaway was still trying to find her style but that made it unique in a nice way.
5: Everything fit in it's own place. Nothing was in that book without a good reason. I liked that. :-)
6: The in depth look at the Natives and their customs. I really appreciated the effort Mrs. Hathaway went to explaining and making sure everything was accurate.

What I Didn't Like:
1: There was some language.