Death of an Old Sinner

Mrs. Norris Mysteries #1

by Dorothy Salisbury Davis

When Ransom Jarvis, a retired U.S. Army Major General, is killed, his son Jimmie, his housekeeper Mrs. Norris, and DA investigator Jasper Tully investigate and discover that the General's distinguished reputation hid many sordid dealings

Genres: Mystery, Fiction

176 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published January 1, 1957

About the author

Dorothy Salisbury Davis is a Grand Master of the Mystery Writers of America, and a recipient of lifetime achievement awards from Bouchercon and Malice Domestic. The author of seventeen crime novels, including the Mrs. Norris Mysteries and the Julie Hayes Mysteries; three historical novels; and numerous short stories; she has served as president of the Mystery Writers of America and is a founder of Sisters in Crime.

Reviews

[Ivonne Rovira · Rating 5 out of 5]

Having devoured the four-book mystery series by Dorothy Salisbury Davis featuring the neurotic young writer Julie Hayes, I turned to Davis’ other mystery series, which debuts the redoubtable Annie Norris in the mystery novel Death of an Old Sinner. The eponymous sinner in question is one Major General Ransom Jarvis, a retired military man whose career — in his own words — can be summed up as “Five continents. Three wars.” As with so many military men before him, the 72-year-old General Jarvis is penning his memoirs as the novel opens; with his finances in disarray due to his spendthrift ways, Jarvis certainly needs the money.

The Jarvis family is related to an undistinguished, prim president and ambassador to the Court of St. James from the early days of the American Republic, described by General Jarvis as “sitting there [in his portrait] like a hand-painted burp, an apt subject for neither gossip nor historian, your back to the wall, not a decade between you and oblivion.” Think an earlier James Buchanan with a particularly unbecoming cravat and scowl. Too bad, thinks Jarvis; a scandal or two in his great-uncle’s history would certainly help sell books! That’s when General Jarvis — a completely profligate reprobate — decides to spice up his ancestor’s letters and journals — and reputation — with a spot of forgery. Never mind how it will hurt his son’s chances in the governor’s race!

However, before long, the poor old boy is dead; the circumstances suggest murder. Jarvis’ employee for the past 40 years, the Scottish and Calvinist-Presbyterian housekeeper Mrs. Norris, teams up with Jasper Tully, chief investigator for the District Attorney's Office, and Jarvis’ son, Jimmie Jarvis, to solve the mystery.

To use a term familiar to Mrs. Norris, she and Julie Hayes are as alike as chalk and cheese — a British expression meaning, “not at all alike.” Whereas Julie is indecisive and clinging, Mrs. Norris makes sure that General Ransom knows his place, doesn’t endanger the family homestead in Nyack, N.Y., with his profligacy, and does no harm to her beloved Master James, Ransom’s delightful son Jimmie Jarvis, who is running for governor of New York. Death of an Old Sinner resembles a Golden Age cozy from the 1930s by Agatha Christie or Stuart Palmer than Davis’ noir-like Julie Hayes series, although it has a sensibility all its own. And I loved it just as much: Highly recommended for those looking for something different.

[Kris (My Novelesque Life) · Rating 3 out of 5]

DEATH OF AN OLD SINNER (Mrs Norris: #1)
Written By Dorothy Salisbury Davis
1958; 176 Pages (Open Road Media)
Genre: mystery, detective, cozy, 

Rating: ★★1/2

It's that time again...Mystery Monday! A review for the greatest genre of books, movies and television (and even old time radio). This week's mystery review is for Death of an Old Sinner written by Dorothy Salisbury Davis.

This is the first novel in the Mrs. Norris trilogy. Mrs. Norris is the housekeeper for General Ransom Jarvis and his son Jimmie Jarvis. There is no love lost between Mrs. Norris and the General and it is only the maternal affection for the younger Jarvis that keeps her employed. While the General is writing his memoirs he stumbles upon a scandal from an ancestor. And, Jimmie has decided to run for Governor of New York while having a fling with sculptor. When the General is found dead this leads both Jimmie and Mrs. Norris into a mystery that uncovers deceit, fraud and maybe more possible victims.

This novel was written in 1958 and yet I only know that because I looked up the novel. As I read I could not pinpoint any time for the setting. The characters and language did not heed any clues - at least for me. I love reading "cozy-ish" mysteries by Patricia Wentworth - also set post-WWII - but this one did not seem like a standard mystery. There was too much build up of characters and death and lagged on with the mystery without any suspense. I don't think I will continue with the other two novels but may try a standalone novel! Did anyone feel different about this novel? Or in agreement with me?

My Novelesque Blog

[Phyllis Duncan) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed discovering Dorothy Salisbury Davis, inspiration to one of my favorite authors Sara Paretsky. I like the fact the heroine is someone my age, and she's Scottish. (Or "Scotch" as characters constantly say, making me cringe; I wish Mrs. Norris would correct them) The only criticism is where the place is well-established, the timeframe is not. At first, from the language and situations I thought it was the 1930s, but several chapters in we find out it's post-WWII--but still not a recognizable time. Given the emphasis on mobsters and sketchy places in Jersey, I'm assuming late 1950s. This may not be important to some, but I need to be grounded in both place and time when reading a mystery.

[Robyn · Rating 2 out of 5]

Early Bird Book Deal | Meh. Slow, unfocused, and much of it was people talking around things instead of being direct, when it was completely unnecessary. Several extraneous plot lines that seemed to be dropped as if the author became as bored with them as I did. I won't continue with the series.

[ben · Rating 2 out of 5]

Annoyingly slow, laborious language, and a plot that almost put me to sleep. The only character that I enjoyed was Inspector Tully. Extremely hard to believe this was a series...

[Nancy]

A grand master of crime fiction, Dorothy Salisbury Davis introduces the redoubtable crime-solving Scottish housekeeper Mrs. Norris in this thrilling tale of family secrets and murder.

General Ransom Jarvis is writing his memoirs about a distinguished career that spanned five continents and three wars. Along the way, he stumbles upon a scandal about a philandering ancestor - America's ambassador to England who went on to become president of the United States. But a very clear and
present danger embroils the irascible retired general in a deepening quagmire of deceit, fraud, and murder. Enter Mrs. Norris, the housekeeper who has been almost a mother to Ransom's son since he was a boy. Jimmie is currently running for governor of New York and enjoying his budding relationship with sculptor Helene Joyce. A sudden death changes everything, plunging Jimmie and Mrs. Norris into a bizarre case headed up by Jasper Tully, chief investigator for the Manhattan district attorney's office. With more lives at stake, the trio follows lead after lead into a web of crime that only the canny housekeeper can clean up in the nick of time. Death of an Old Sinner is the first novel in Dorothy Salisbury Davis' Mrs. Norris Mysteries, which also include A Gentleman Called, a finalist for the Mystery Writers of America's Edgar Award; Old Sinners Never Die; and "Mrs. Norris Observes", a short story in the collection Tales for a Stormy Night.

Didn't read.

[andrea · Rating 1 out of 5]

Either i wasn't smart enough for this book..or it was too dated for me to understand. Too much of the dialogue, innuendo, and wit went totally over my head making the book too much effort to easily enjoy. It just felt like it was trying to be too clever by half and instead just ended up being confusing and tiresome.
Lost track of who many of the characters were and found the unravelling of the mystery dull.
I've read many many mysteries written in the years that DSD wrote...and even more written in even earlier decades and not found them as dated and difficult to read as this was. My guess is it isn't the timeframe this was written in but moreso Davis' style that I didn't like. Doubtful I would read her again.

[dmayr · Rating 2 out of 5]

What a letdown. I've enjoyed A Gentleman Called so much that I expected more from this, although this one was the first of the series. I found the characters tiresome, even Mrs. Norris, and the gangster plot didn't appeal to me at all. Would probably not read the third book since it's a prequel, but would still try her other books though.

[Brian Carney · Rating 3 out of 5]

An irascible old general and his housekeeper helps find the killer. This is the first book in the award-winning Mrs. Norris series, and it takes some time to get its footing. It gets better once the plot finally kicks in (when the general finally gets murdered) but there is still a lot of expository material and a lot of minor characters to introduce. A pleasant read. I wonder if the series revs up in the next book.....

[Carol · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is a good old-fashioned mystery - feels English, though set in America in the 1940's-50's somewhere. It's so old-fashioned that at times it's trying to talk about things that must not be talked about, and I got a bit confused as to what was being discussed. Having said that, it was a good read (no pun intended) and led me to immediately purchase the last of the 3; Old Sinners Never Die, which is set before this novel.

[Janet · Rating 3 out of 5]

Meh. Didn't like it nearly as much as I though it would and despite being fairly short, took me a week to read it. (Of course, there were some extenuating circumstances, but I should have finished it on Monday or Tuesday.)

[Rachel · Rating 3 out of 5]

OK. Not great. Something to read. passed the time. The focus of attention in the book seemed to wander - as if the author hadn't decided who the protagonist was until half way through. And the mystery wasn't too mysterious. But it was still interesting enough to keep me reading.

[Carol Berkman · Rating 3 out of 5]

Old fashioned

Amusing collection of characters but no mystery to be solved by the reader. Also very much of its time. But well and sometimes amusingly written.

[Mare · Rating 4 out of 5]

I very much enjoyed Mrs. Norris.

[David Williams · Rating 4 out of 5]

Death of an Old Sinner, a classic 1958 murder mystery by Dorothy Salisbury Davis will be released in ebook format this February. This is the first book featuring her character Mrs. Morris. Mrs. Morris is a housekeeper for General Ransom Jarvis. The old general comes from a good family in New York. In fact one of his great granduncles was a President of the United States. The general is a bit of rascal and his income is tied up in debts. His son controls the purse strings and keeps his father on a tight leash. The general decides that he can make some extra after going through the President’s old papers in the attic. The President was had also been the Minister to England and left blank pages in his diary from those years. The general decides to add forged entries in the diary that would show that his forbearer had engaged in an illicit affair with a married noblewomen while in England.

All of this is completely unknown to his son who is about to run for governor. When the General dies suddenly foul play is suspected. The general’s latest mistress seems to be connected to organized crime. Now his son, the determined Mrs Morris, and an investigator from the District Attorney’s office are on the case. This is a fun story that harkens back to the classic days of detective fiction. People who enjoy Agatha Christie’s books should enjoy Mrs. Morris. Open Road Media is a digital publisher that publishes great books from the past in digital format. They are releasing all three of the Mrs. Morris mysteries in February. If you enjoy classic mysteries then do yourself a favor. Get these great books and enjoy.

[Bill · Rating 4 out of 5]

Murders of both his father, a retired general needing money with many schemes to get some, and a notorious gangster imperil the general’s son, Jimmie Jarvis’s chances of being nominated for governor.

That is, until his housekeeper, Mrs. Norris, and Manhattan DA’s chief investigator, Jasper Tully, help Jimmie uncover the story behind his father’s death, along with crimes connected in various ways with his dad’s passing.

This is a captivating mystery, part procedural and part ‘cozy’ – a rich combination!

[Linda · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was a charming book, with all the characters being appropriate to the time frame. I found the story gently compelling: the mystery and suspense without the gory bits. I will continue with Mrs. Norris.

[Clare Doyle · Rating 4 out of 5]

First in the Mrs Norris series. On the gothic side of cosy, with a side of NYC mobsters. I liked it better than A Gentle Murderer, the only other DSD I've read.

[Kate · Rating 3 out of 5]

For my full review click on the link below:
https://crossexaminingcrime.wordpress...