Flinch Factor, The: A Rachel Gold Mystery (Rachel Gold Mysteries)
Attorney Rachel Gold is mired in a case that may be a lost cause, Finkelstein v. City of Cloverdale, or, as Rachel calls it, the Frankenstein Case. A group of elderly residents want to prevent a wealthy real-estate developer from acquiring their homes via eminent domain and tearing them down to build an exclusive gated community. Not only is the case a nightmare, the judge is known to be incompetent. Meanwhile, Susannah Beale seeks out Rachel to investigate the death of her brother, Nick Moran, a popular contractor in St. Louis. Not only was he a skilled artisan, the ladies whose homes he renovated found him irresistible. When police discover his body in his truck parked along the city’s Gay Way, everyone is surprised. As Rachel investigates, with some help from her brilliant but crude best friend, Benny Goldberg, and her law partner, Jacki Brand, witnesses start dying, and Rachel begins to worry about her family’s safety. Readers will enjoy the skillful blend of suspense and humor. --Barbara Bibel