THE SECRET INGREDIENT MURDERS

A standout in Pickard’s series (The Blue Corn Murders, 1998, etc.) resurrecting Genia Potter, a heroine who first came to life in the novels of the late Virginia Rich. This time out, Genia has temporarily deserted her Arizona ranch for a rented house in her old stomping ground of Devon, Rhode Island. There she’s planning, in collaboration with aging one-time banker and ardent recipe collector Stanley Parker, to compile an offbeat sort of cookbook. Together, the co-authors plan a dinner to which the invited guests will each bring a recipe whose ingredients are secret. But Stanley never shows up for the best reason in the world. Soon enough, he’s found on a nearby beach, killed by a series of vicious blows to the head. Anybody as rich and irascible as Stanley is guaranteed to leave behind plenty of promising suspects, and here they include Stanley’s nasty groundskeeper Ed Hennessey, scorned son-in-law Randy, and of course the half-dozen dinner guests, all self-proclaimed experts at keeping a secret. The police can’t overlook even Genia’s great-nephew, teenaged Jason, who worked in Stanley’s greenhouse. The solution is too late to head off another murder, but it carries conviction when it finally comes.

Chatty, good-humored, and entertaining, with a believable puzzle, a charming heroine, and a consistently light touch.