Emily and Judith Pancoast have set the stage in both their houses - the one they live in and the miniature replica dollhouse - for the perfect Thanksgiving. Their younger brother and his wife have arrived, as well as their nieces, nephew, respective spouses and five grandchildren.

A disturbing vignette in the dollhouse dining room - dishes and furniture thrown about and the doll that resembles the older ladies’ niece Pamela, lying on the table, becomes even more disturbing when the same scene appears in the real dining room, with Pamela dead on the table. Although the original cause of death is choking, the aunts aren’t too sure and call up longtime family friend, Philadelphia physician, Dr. Andrew Fenimore, who solves murders as a hobby, to look into the death.

The doctor agrees and begins to make discreet inquires, along with the help of his nurse, Kathleen Doyle. With alarming frequency, more vignettes appear, followed by more murders until only the elderly sisters, their niece Susanne, daughter-in-law Mildred (and all the young children) are left. Fenimore feels certain this has narrowed the pool of suspects and is finally able to point his finger at who he feels is the perpetrator, until Doyle notices one last thing that saves the doctor’s reputation, her own life and an innocent person’s all at once.

The Doctor Makes a Dollhouse Call is a delightful cozy full of quirky characters. The pace is fast and the dialogue light and humorous, almost making this a farcical novel. As the murders progress, sister-in-law Mildred, a strong believer in astrology, sinks further and further out of reality, adding to the overall tone, while still casting suspicion on her as a suspect, possibly during her times of psychosis.

A more serious note to the story is created with Fenimore’s attempt to help Horatio, a young man from the wrong side of town, and his family, without injuring their Irish-Hispanic pride. Fenimore’s much younger love interest, Jennifer, is away for much of the story, but sends postcards and arrives at the end, promising for added interest in future outings.

In two novels, Robin Hathaway has created a solid set of core characters and has ably place them in wonderful settings with unique mysteries that will surely win her many new fans, looking forward to a long and successful series for Andrew Fenimnore.

-- Jennifer Monahan Winberry