HIDE AND SNAKE MURDER

A misfit crew band together in an antic misadventure.

Shay O’Hanlon, trying to get into a routine while her finally-girlfriend Lt. JT Bordeaux is training at Quantico, is just getting comfortable when something goes wrong. Not for Shay this time; it’s her up-to-no-good friend Basil who comes to Shay for help because someone’s after him for stealing a large stuffed snake from an office where he was doing ductwork. At first Shay’s certain the whole thing must be a mistake, but when Baz adds that Shay’s older friends Agnes, Eddy and Rocky now have custody of the snake and are holding it in New Orleans—though he never exactly explains why—Shay knows she’s got to do something. When she tries to get in touch with the trio, they’re MIA, so Shay grabs her old friend Coop and with Baz, heads for the Big Easy. Although she knows Agnes and Eddy are feisty enough to take care of themselves, gentle Rocky isn’t street-smart, and Shay wants to be there to offer everyone extra protection while explaining the situation in person. When they arrive, Agnes and Eddy report that Rocky hasn’t been seen since the night before. It shouldn’t be hard to find Rocky with his distinctive aviator cap in the southern heat, but somehow, along the way, the group ends up mixed up with a crooked cop, a group of circus performers, and a powerful drug lord.

Fans of Chandler (Bingo Barge Murder, 2011) will appreciate the character development and sense of humor, though newbies may wonder why anyone would help hapless Baz.