Final Settlement

February 25, 2013
In Doudera’s absorbing fourth Darby Farr mystery (after 2012’s Deadly Offer), realtor Darby returns to her island hometown of Hurricane Harbor, Maine, for the winter wedding of her friend and fellow realtor, Tina Ames. The joyful visit is marred by the discovery of the body of the police chief’s assistant, Lorraine Delvecchio, in the frigid waters off the island’s lighthouse. Lorraine may have drowned after slipping on the icy rocks and falling into the sea, but Darby doubts she died by accident. After all, Lorraine was used to taking the same walk every day past the lighthouse, no matter what the season or the weather. With the police chief’s support, Darby once again turns sleuth. Credible characters and evocative descriptions of smalltown Maine in winter complement the fast-paced plot. Agent: Tris Coburn, Tristram C. Coburn Literary Management.

February 1, 2013
A winter wedding in Maine brings both joy and tragedy. Realtor Darby Farr (Deadly Offer, 2012, etc.) has returned to the island of Hurricane Harbor with mixed feelings. Since running away from her difficult childhood there years ago, she's come back only once before returning this time to serve as a bridesmaid for her friend Tina Ames. Darby arrives just in time for Police Chief Charles Dupont, an old family friend, to ask for help. Lorraine Delvecchio, a former employee of the department, is dead. The neighboring police have written off her demise as an accidental fall from a sea wall into the frigid water. But Charles thinks otherwise, and no wonder: Lorraine was evidently a blackmailer who preferred to identify her marks only by initials. Meanwhile, Darby discovers a diary in a box hidden in the attic of her house, which once belonged to her Japanese mother. The diary, written in Japanese, may exonerate her grandfather of World War II atrocities. Darby shows it to a Japanese chemist who claims to just be in the neighborhood. When her boyfriend, British journalist Miles Porter, arrives, his observation that several pages have been cut from the diary prompts Darby to call the FBI. She's just starting to enjoy her old home when Charles is shot dead. Even though her investigation puts her own life in danger, she continues to hunt for the mysterious killer and search for more information about her family. A twisty fourth case that strikes close to the bone for a complex, likable sleuth.

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April 1, 2013

In her fourth outing (after Deadly Offer), realtor Darby returns to Maine for a colleague's wedding. But a death near the local lighthouse mars the festive mood.

Copyright 2013 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

April 1, 2013
Lorraine Delvecchio, employed by the police department in a small town on the Maine coast, walked the mile-long Manatuck Breakwater to the lighthouse and back, every day, in all seasons. One icy February morning, a lobsterman finds her body tangled in a lobster trap. Most think it's an accident, but not her former employer, the chief of police on the offshore island, Hurricane Harbor. Darby Farr, back in town for the wedding of her partner in the realty business she'd inherited from her aunt, agrees to ask around, using the business as a cover. While visiting, Darby also tries to learn more about her own family, a task spurred on by the discovery of a Japanese lacquer box under the eaves of what had been her aunt's house, which is now hers. The box contains a journal in Japanese, likely written by her grandfather. As she learns about the journal and who knew Lorraine, Darby uncovers the secrets that are the motive for murder. Cozy atmosphere, suspenseful story.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2013, American Library Association.)