Tropic of Murder (Nick Hoffman Mysteries)
In one of Raphael's last two mysteries, there was no murder for the first two-thirds of the book, and in the most recent, there was no corpse. Now a corpse doesn't show until past the two-thirds mark, and whether it bespeaks murder or accident is uncertain. Raphael's writing, however, suggests a deepening gloom and impending trouble both in the wintry groves of academic Michigan and the sun-kissed tropics of Serenity, the resort to which Nick Hoffman and his partner, Stefan, flee from political infighting at the venal university. Raphael keeps us turning pages with mouthwatering descriptions of buffets and a paradise brimming with cheerful attendants, and even without a corpse, he ratchets up tension with rumors of ghosts and some very substantial fellows threatening to trade blows. Some mystery fans may feel let down by the resolution, which flouts genre expectations, while others may cheer it and welcome Raphael's innovativeness.Whitney ScottCopyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved