Book Review: The Hot Pink Farmhouse

Reviewed By: Harriet Klausner

The Hot Pink Farmhouse     Amazon US PB Amazon US HC Amazon Canada PB Amazon Canada HC
David Handler
Class/Genre:   Mystery   Police Procedural   Cozy
Series: Berger & Mitry # 2
St. Martin’s, Nov 2002, $23.95, 336 pp.

Dorset, Connecticut is a quaint New England town, which is home to world renown sculptor Hangtown Frye. He has two daughters living with him, Moose the apple of his eye and Takai an evil slut. Moose is coming home after a night of sex with her married lover when someone using a sniper’s rifle shoots out the engine causing it to explode.

When the police determine somebody murdered Moose, Resident Trooper Desiree Mitry finds herself in the middle of homicide investigation that confuses her because the victim was driving her sister’s car and Takai had more enemies than anyone else in town. Before they can flush out the perpetrator they have to find out who was the intended victim. Mitch Berger, Desiree’s lover and Frye’s movie critic pal finds himself in the unique position of being able to give Des all the answers to her questions if he doesn’t get himself killed first.

Mitry and Berger are a great team both personally and professionally but the star of the book is the town of Dorset, which looks perfect on the surface but has all the problems and eccentric characters of the inner city. There are a surplus of suspects who could have killed Moose but the actual perpetrator will come as a total shock to readers, who will enjoy this regional mystery.

Harriet Klausner

Reprinted with permission. Do Not repost without permission from the author, Harriet Klausner