In the finest tradition of the classic British mystery, The Body in the Transept introduces a charming amateur sleuth and lover of outrageous hats, all the secrets and eccentricities of a small town, and a cast of characters whose company will be the pleasure of mystery readers everywhere. For Dorothy Martin, widowed American removed to the England she so loves, the Christmas service is painful enough. It is her first holiday without Frank. And stumbling over the body of Canon Billings does nothing to improve her mood. Of course, she does get to meet Chief Constable Alan Nesbitt, and a good mystery on a chilly English night does have some appeal ... Dorothy Martin is an inquisitive American widow who has relocated to Sherebury, a small college town outside of London, after the death of her beloved husband. Although it's difficult to get into the Christmas spirit, she does her best--until she trips over the dead body of a cranky cleric. This is the first book of the Dorothy Martin Mystery series.