Indian Summer

September 15, 2010
Military policeman Max Rydal is having a difficult time with both his personal and professional lives. His on-again, off-again lady friend, Livya Cordwell, has finally called an end to their romance; so instead of spending two idyllic weeks touring Europe with her, hes back on the job, facing a doozy of a case. Corporal Philip Keanes nearly nude body has been found floating in a giant water tank used for the military bases annual Open Day festival. Around Keanes neck is a purple rubber jellyfish. Sure the jellyfish is symbolic, and Max sets out to determine what it means. What he discovers is a tangled web involving drugs, the war in Afghanistan, an illicit love affair, an illegitimate child, a suspicious traffic accident, and a murderous mix of hatred and revenge. Darrell does her usual solid job of balancing a realistic picture of life on a military base with a compelling examination of human foibles, all framed by a cleverly plotted, keep-em-guessing mystery.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2010, American Library Association.)