Product Description

So much for the peace and quiet New York film critic Mitch Berger expected to find in his antique carriage house overlooking Long Island Sound. Nothing can shelter him from the goings-on in nearby Dorset. A violent death in a speeding Porsche...an attempted suicide by the school superintendent...and dirty politics are about to propel Mitch out of the shadows into a starring role. And then there's his new love, resident state trooper Desiree Mitry...

Des has transferred out of her position as the highest-ranking black woman in the state police homicide department to give more time to the art for which she has a sure talent. But as she soon learns, Dorset's bucolic exterior hides some ugly secrets. The femme fatale daughter of a famous local sculptor is killed in a car explosion that makes tabloid headlines. Now Des is on the case, saddled with a pushy former colleague, and reaching out to Mitch for an extra pair of eyes-and arms-in a case that threatens to tear the town apart...

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #872613 in Books
• Published on: 2003-11-17
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Mass Market Paperback
• 352 pages

From Publishers Weekly
Edgar winner Handler brings back odd couple Desiree "Des" Mitry and Mitch Berger for a second enjoyable round of murder and mayhem (after 2001's The Cold Blue Blood) in the normally peaceful environs of coastal Dorset, Conn. Mitch, a New York City film critic and author of two movie reference books, is spending his first autumn on Big Sister, a private island off Dorset. Des, black, beautiful and a former homicide investigator for the Connecticut state police, has opted for such mundane duties as directing traffic, allowing her to pursue art classes at the famed Dorset Academy. Both get caught up in a squabble that pits pro-development locals against those who want Dorset to remain as it is. They also get trapped in the orbit of eccentric sculptor Wendell "Hangtown" Frye, his two wildly different daughters and murder. Handler's mix of smalltown pleasures and developers who plot to destroy the setting that preserves those pleasures is a familiar one. Nonetheless, the author's skill at depicting everyone from young children to aging adults and investing his characters with delightful quirks or grievous flaws makes this a superior read. The romance between Des and Mitch, an ill-kept secret in tiny Dorset, and bits of film trivia woven smoothly into the narrative add zest.
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal
New York film critic Mitch Berger (first introduced in The Cold Blue Blood) loves his adopted Connecticut village of Dorset, where conflicts have arisen between proponents of new growth and keepers of the old traditions. Mitch and lover Des (Desiree) Mitry, a black resident trooper, become involved in another murder case when they separately encounter eccentric scrap-metal artist Hangtown Frye; his elder daughter "Moose," a school teacher who opposes development; and younger daughter Takai, a real estate maven. When someone murders one of the daughters, Mitch and Des both investigate. With super characters, tantalizing prose, and great plot, this will not leave readers wanting. Highly recommended for most collections.
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist
Circumstance has led widowed NY film critic Mitch Berger to gorgeous and comfortable Dorset, Connecticut, and the beginnings of a relationship with resident state trooper (and black West Point grad) Desiree Mitry. This way overstuffed sequel to The Cold Blue Blood (2001) spends, perhaps, too much time on Dorset characters: the reclusive sculptor, Hangtown Frye, who lives in the farmhouse of the title; the rich real-estate agent who sees Dorset as the home of a fabulous boomer retirement community; the school principal whose complicated private life is overshadowed by his much older spouse. When Frye's beloved daughter is murdered, every character's secret and flaw comes into play. Handler orchestrates the desire to preserve a cherished community and protect it from the need for upgrade and expansion in surprisingly visceral ways. Des' predilection for drawing crime-scene victims and Mitch's ability to find a movie reference for every moment of real life are well played. Let's hope the next installment has a bit less melodrama and a bit more of Mitch and Des. GraceAnne DeCandido
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Customer Reviews

As good, if not better than, expected
A very satisfying 2nd installment to this series - which I hope will have a long, successful run. The characters are so engaging, and the depiction of them in this small town, with all of the idiosyncrasies of small town people, is wonderful. Mr. Handler's insight into each of them is nothing short of masterful. I absolutely loved visiting this place with these people, and look forward to reading more about them.

I enjoyed it so much, in fact, that I couldn't so much as remove 1 star even though I cringed every time Desiree (Des) broke out into `black speak.' It wouldn't have been so disturbing I suppose, if her background hadn't been mainstream/middle class. It just felt inconsistent that she spoke 3rd generation ghetto. When people, even black people, are born and raised in an environment where proper English is spoken, they typically talk like their peers - trust me, I know. Unless they're having an identity crisis and incorrectly assume they must talk like an uneducated thug in order to feel black. However, this character was portrayed as strong and self-assured, sans identity issues. Normally, I steer clear of books where the black characters are portrayed so stereotypically, but Mr. Handler managed to make this one so interestingly multidimensional that I forgive him.

I'm also glad I ignored the review that referred to the romance in the story as `gratingly cute.' I thought it was one of the most emotionally honest depictions of two wounded people falling in love that I've read - and I read a lot. It adds an additional endearing element to this mystery that is absorbing and well written.

Still in good form
Fans of Stewart Hoag, as am I, worried when Handler moved on to cases involving new crime-solvers, but Mitch Berger and Des Mitry shine in this second Sister Island mystery. Pink Farmhouse is rich with exotic characters and intriguing plot twists. Plus Handler is creating a very compelling universe in Dorset, CT, a new England village with a Norman Rockwell appearance but Peyton Place kinks. We needn't have worried about being left Hoagless, in fact, I am already eager for the next Berger mystery.

Dorset isn't quite as perfect as it seems
New York film critic, Mitch Berger and aspiring artist, former Homicide Detective, Desiree Mitry live in idyllic Dorset Connecticut. Mitch meets eccentric local artist Wendell "Hangtown" Frye at the local dump. Before you know it they become bosom bodies. Tragedy strikes the Frye family when Hangtown's daughter is killed in a car explosion when driving home from a rendezvous with a lover.

Mitch and Des are a rather unique crime-solving partnership. Their new romance is at times rather touching, and frequently cloying and sickly sweet. There are plenty of quirky characters to keep you entertained. A well-paced plot keeps the action moving. I look forward to the next entry in this series.