The Shattered Shell
Former Defense Department spook turned slick magazine writer Lewis Cole  is back and better than ever in this third outing by Brendan DuBois. InShattered Shellthe author paints a vivid picture of a New England coastal town held in winter's grip. Cole, given a free ocean-side house in Tyler Beach, New  Hampshire, and a large pension (as the only survivor of a biotech disaster), is ostensibly a columnist for Boston'sShorelinemagazine. It's the cover he uses to dig into two crime stories--the rash of arson fires that are destroying closed motels in Tyler Beach and the brutal rape of  the lesbian lover of Cole's best friend, police detective Diane Woods.DuBois brings his characters to life gradually, giving even secondary players (such as Felix Tinios, who provides Cole with some major backup) full credibility.  Equally important is the author's obvious love for the setting. When he  describes Cole emerging from his snowed-in house during a blackout and observing the stars gleaming in the frozen sky, we know he's been there--and it puts us deeply into the scene as well. Other Cole books includeBlack TideandDead Sand.--Dick Adler