by Linda Barnes
First published 2008
Boston private investigator Carlotta Carlyle thought she was taking on a simple job. The tall redhead ex-cop agreed to help elderly recluse Valentine Phipps secure her apartment against break-ins. But when Valentine turns up dead, Carlotta realizes the old woman's fears were justified. She digs into Valentine's isolated life, searching for enemies who might want the seemingly harmless woman dead. The investigation reveals that Valentine was hiding secrets behind her closed doors. Carlotta uncovers connections between the murder and an old mystery that powerful people in Boston want to stay buried. City officials and real estate developers have reasons to keep the past quiet. The case becomes more personal when Carlotta questions Valentine's home health aide, the woman who brought them together in the first place. Carlotta faces one of Boston's most dangerous and unpredictable killers as she races to solve the case.
Genres: mystery, crime, thriller, detective
Vibes: emotional, fast-paced, suspenseful
Tropes: amateur-detective, personal-stakes
Setting: Boston
Period: contemporary
400 pages · Mass Market Paperback · Minotaur Books