Book Review: The Hampton Connection

Reviewed By: Harriet Klausner

The Hampton Connection     Amazon US HC Amazon Canada HC
Vincent Lardo
Class/Genre:   Mystery   Police Procedural   Amateur Sleuth
Putnam, May 2001, $24.95, 292 pp.

While his roommates are performing at East Hampton, Long Island's John Drew Theater, Freddy Parc model Paul Monroe returns home to find a corpse on his bed. Paul tells the police he never saw the victim, Heather Ryan before he found her dead. The media has a field day with the homicide, dubbing it the "jockstrap murder" because of the apparent murder weapon. Producer Michael Reo worries that his plans to star Paul in a film involving the last major Hampton murder is near collapse. The police suspect the underwear guru of the crime because of the locked room, in this case cottage, phenomena. Instead of seeking a new actor, Michael decides to prove that the infamous model is innocent. However, he never expected to uncover the mess he finds. THE HAMPTON CONNECTION is an entertaining police procedural-amateur sleuth tale that provides an insider look at the playground of the rich and famous. The story line works because of the puzzling, but apropos clues associated with the case. Although the police at time seem to lack credibility, Vincent Lardo shows he knows his stuff both, mystery and locale wise.

Harriet Klausner

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