Operation Nassau by Dorothy Dunnett

Operation Nassau is the latest humorous mystery by Dorothy Dunnett to be re-released by Farrago Books. Ibiza Surprise, Tropical Issue and Rum Affair raised my expectations sky-high, and Operation Nassau does not disappoint. Every one of the novels in Dunnett’s Dolly series has a different strong female narrator who is investigating a murder. In each case the amateur sleuth is assisted by Johnson Johnson, a famous portrait painter and British government secret agent. Dolly is the name of JJ’s private yacht, which serves as a luxurious base while he and his guests travel the world.

The star of Operation Nassau is Dr. B. Douglas MacRannoch, who admits she embarked on a medical career as a way of achieving independence from her controlling father, who is head of the Scottish clan MacRannoch. By chance she is called on to give medical aid to Sir Bart, a government agent who is poisoned by arsenic on a flight to Nassau. As a result, she finds herself embroiled in a murder mystery populated by colourful characters, none of whom is trustworthy. Only JJ can be relied on to help the good doctor out at crucial moments. The trouble is, when JJ offers a solution to one crisis it usually leads to another.

All the Dolly novels feature a particular skill or pastime. In Operation Nassau the theme is golf, which makes the book an excellent gift for a keen golfer. The descriptions of locations are superb, giving a genuine sense of how it feels to be in that place. Dunnett was writing years before personal technology was available, which in my opinion adds excitement to the plot. Some of the humour around Dr. McRannoch’s resolve not to marry is jarring to a modern reader, because it is in the style of early James Bond films, but she is more than capable of dealing with unwanted romantic advances.

Many thanks to Farrago Books for sending me copies of this delightful series in return for honest reviews.