A Mysterious Review of The Coal Black Asphalt Tomb by David Handler. A Berger and Mitry Mystery.
Review summary: While the mystery storyline here is incredibly light, not necessarily weak but not very demanding either, this tenth entry in this series largely accomplishes what it sets out to do, providing a few hours of reading entertainment. (Click here for text of full review.)
Our rating:
The Coal Black Asphalt Tomb
David Handler
A Berger and Mitry Mystery
Minotaur Books (March 2014)
Publisher synopsis: The historic New England village of Dorset has actually elected a living, breathing woman as its First Selectman. And now she’s about to undertake the Historic District’s biggest public works project in a generation — the widening and re-grading of Dorset Street. The job has needed doing for ages but the previous First Selectman, Bob Paffin, always opposed it. So did a lot of Dorset’s blue-blooded old guard.
The long put-off dig uncovers a body buried underneath the pavement in front of the Congregational Church. It belongs to Lt. Lance Paffin, Bob Paffin’s older brother, a dashing U.S. Navy flyer who went missing off his sailboat the night of the country club’s spring dance more than forty years ago. Everyone had assumed he just left town. But now it's clear Lance has been under Dorset Street this whole time, and that he was murdered.
Des and Mitch soon discover that there are deep, dark secrets surrounding Dorset's elite, and some very distinguished careers have been built on lies.