By Jane Haddam
Minotaur Books, $25.99, 282 pages
The gated community of Waldorf Pines is exclusive and safe – or so people thought, until Arthur Heydrich discovered two bodies in the pool house, one assumed to be that of his wife, Martha. When the DNA results come back as male, Arthur is freed from jail. With the small police force out of suspects and desperate for a quick resolution, they hire ex-FBI agent Gregor Demarkian to consult and investigate. What he finds is a community full of secrets, lies and motives for murder.
Blood in the Water is the latest book in the Gregor Demarkian series. It has a nicely blended focus on both the mystery and on Gregor himself, who is going through a personal philosophical crisis following the death of a friend. The story is well paced, the mystery well thought out, and the supporting characters interesting (other than Gregor’s wife, who reads as a fairly bland character in this book). Despite his insistence that he isn’t Poirot, the presentation of facts is very similar to that Belgian detective. Mystery fans will be pleased with this book and enjoy discovering the secrets at Waldorf Pines.
Reviewed by Barbara Cothern
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