Reviewed By: Harriet Klausner
Flashpoint
Amazon US PB Amazon US HC Amazon Canada PB Amazon Canada HC
Linda Barnes
Class/Genre: Mystery Private Investigator
Series: Carlotta Carlyle # 8
Hyperion, Sep 1999, $22.95, 276 pp.
After serving as teammates in a volleyball game, Gwen Taymore asks private investigator Carlotta Carlyle to provide security services to elderly Valentine Phipps. Securing a residence is not Carlotta's expertise, but the mention of a fee entices Carlotta.. Reluctantly, she agrees to help the senior citizen feel safer in her rent controlled apartment in the Fenway (not the ball park) section of Boston.
Carlotta's efforts fail as someone murders Valentine a day after the sleuth met the retired person. The police feel Gwen is the prime suspect. Unable to fully accept the seemingly shy and kind Gwen as a killer, Carlotta makes inquiries. On the way, she picks up a new client interested in everything and everyone related to Valentine. As Carlotta digs deeper into the death of Valentine, the case takes many twists, not the least being the police's desire to keep Carlotta away from the crime scene. However, the courageous Carlotta will never allow bureaucratic officialdom or even threats to her to halt her investigation.
The eighth Carlyle mystery, FLASHPOINT, is an entertaining who-done-it due to the antics of the lead character and her support cast. The murder mystery is engaging except for the out of control climax that actually subtracts from a well-designed plot. The sidebars involving Carlotta's personal life, her little sister, and her tenant Roz add depth to the protagonist and help bring vivid life to Boston. Linda Barnes provides her fans with an enjoyable entry in a pleasurable series.
Harriet Klausner
Reprinted with permission. Do Not repost without permission from the author, Harriet Klausner
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