Charlotte Douglas, Spring Break

Spring Break

Charlotte Douglas

Harlequin Next, Mar 2006, $5.50

ISBN: 0373880839

In Pelican Bay, Florida, private investigator Maggie Skerritt and her beloved partner and fianc Bill Malcolm hate two periods during the year; college breaks when the students flood the state, especially since they are drafted by the cops as former police, to work party patrol. However, so far this spring break has been relatively quiet, though there is the usual minor misbehavior. Maggie and Bill hope it remains that way.

Clearwater Police Detective Dave Adler informs his former partner Maggie at the now defunct Pelican bay PD about the recent murder of Deirdre Fisk. Maggie reflects back to sixteen years ago; Deirdre was the "lucky one", when at nine years old she survived abduction; the kidnapper who killed others was never caught. A cursory look takes Maggie and Bill, while also on the trail of a dog-napper, back to that unsolved case from their police days that still haunt them. Neither are able to let go, and Maggie and Bill begin digging into the connections, not realizing as they get close to solving the two cases, someone wants to insure they fail, even if that means killing the sleuths.

The latest Skerritt Florida cozy is a fun tale that fans of the series and the sub-genre will enjoy. As always, the state plays a key role in providing the background; albeit this time with the annual spring break invasion serving that purpose. The murder mystery is cleverly devised to link past and present, while the dog-napping of Roger is an amusing aside, though that pays the bills. Readers will appreciate Maggie's latest escapades, as she tangles with a murderer, a dog-napper, and the most dangerous adversary of all, her irate octogenarian mom.