Kinley Roby, Two in the Churchyard Lie

Two in the Churchyard Lie

Kinley Roby

Five Star, Oct 2007, $25.95

ISBN: 9781594145995

The car was pulled out of the nearby canal contained the corpse of retarded John "Bunny" Roberts. The police including his brother assume Bunny committed suicide rather than face jail time for his role in a robbery. His sister Martha refuses to accept her happy sibling killed himself so she hires private investigator Harry Brock to conduct an inquiry although he explains the case is four years old, so cold and the probability is Bunny killed himself.

As he interviews family members and meets Bunny's still grieving fianc e Harry begins to believe a homicide was committed, but has no clue or motive. At the same time he gets involved with his neighbor's campaign to protect unique butterflies from development encroachment and his involvement with Helen Bradley turns into a triangle when her former lover Riga Kraftmeier comes to rekindle what they lost.

The latest Harry Brock private investigative tale (see NOW COMES DEATH) is a fascinating dysfunctional relationship drama. Not only is Harry struggling with the omissions of his client, but with getting her insane family members to cooperate. On the personal front, he finds himself caught in a romantic triangle in which he knows his rival is better for their mutual person of affection even though his opponent is a female. Although the three subplots at times seems too much between how Bunny died; saving the butterflies; and romancing Helen, Harry shoulders them all leading to a fine mystery.

Harriet Klausner