CLASSIC IN THE PITS

A stolen Porsche and a murdered man add up to another case for Jack Colby, car detective.

Jack is appalled to hear that Old Herne’s, a center for classic cars and aviation activities, may be closing down. Before that happens, Jack, a consultant to the police in Kent, England, is asked to investigate the theft of the famous racing Porsche belonging to Mike Nelson, the incompetent manager of Old Herne’s. Jack turns up at Swoosh, which will probably be the last great event held at the club. But when Mike is found killed by an ax and run over by the antique Crossley fire truck that had once served the former RAF base, Jack turns to investigating his murder. Old Herne’s was founded by two interconnected families, the Howells and the Nelsons. American billionaire and former WWII Thunderbolt pilot Arthur Howell may have tired of providing the money the Nelsons are pouring down the drain. The murdered man was the son of Ray Nelson, the widower of 1940s singing sensation Miranda Pryde. Her grandson Jason is doing very well, updating her famous songs for a new generation, and he and his band performed at Swoosh. Mike’s widow, Anna, better known as Boadicea, insists that she’s entitled to either the car or the insurance money. Jack, who must consider both Jason and Anna possible suspects in the theft, turns an altogether different eye on Jessica Hart, the attractive new hire who’s supposed to get Old Herne’s back in the black, despite his continued attachment to Louise, the beautiful film star who dumped him. When Anna is attacked, Jack digs even deeper into the tangled pasts of the two families whose younger members are fighting for control of Old Herne’s.

The complexities of the case play into Myers’ strength in dealing with complicated relationships (Classic Mistake, 2013, etc.). The result is a twisty tale packed with auto lore and family secrets.