The Sweet Golden Parachute

January 9, 2006
Rumor has it around Dorset, Conn., that film critic Mitch Berger and police trooper Desirée "Des" Mitry have broken up due to Mitch's ill-timed marriage proposal in their diverting fifth adventure (after 2004's The Burnt Orange Sunrise
). But before the town's resident odd couple can resolve the big question, a homeless man known as Pete is found slain near the home of famed chef Poochie Vickers. It's quite a coincidence that Pete is murdered just as Poochie's prize Mercedes Benz is stolen, right after local bad boys Stevie and Donnie Kershaw have been released from prison. Everyone knows there are decades of bad blood between the Kershaws and the Vickers, and Poochie's Mercedes proves to be the tip of the iceberg. When a second body turns up, it's clear the blood feud between Dorset's Montagues and Capulets will take a devastating toll on the town unless Mitch and Des can unravel a twisted tale of love, hate, greed and cold-blooded murder. Handler once again delivers a top-notch tale of crime and intrigue.

January 30, 2006
Rumor has it around Dorset, Conn., that film critic Mitch Berger and police trooper Desirée "Des" Mitry have broken up due to Mitch's ill-timed marriage proposal in their diverting fifth adventure (after 2004'sThe Burnt Orange Sunrise ). But before the town's resident odd couple can resolve the big question, a homeless man known as Pete is found slain near the home of famed chef Poochie Vickers. It's quite a coincidence that Pete is murdered just as Poochie's prize Mercedes Benz is stolen, right after local bad boys Stevie and Donnie Kershaw have been released from prison. Everyone knows there are decades of bad blood between the Kershaws and the Vickers, and Poochie's Mercedes proves to be the tip of the iceberg. When a second body turns up, it's clear the blood feud between Dorset's Montagues and Capulets will take a devastating toll on the town unless Mitch and Des can unravel a twisted tale of love, hate, greed and cold-blooded murder. Handler once again delivers a top-notch tale of crime and intrigue.

February 1, 2006
Handler's Berger and Mitry series features a true odd couple: pudgy, white film critic Mitch Berger and tall, elegant African American state trooper Desiree Mitry. The two reside in the Connecticut gold-coast town of Dorset, where the townsfolk are as oddly matched as Berger and Mitry: preppy, plaid-clad rich folks mix (sometimes uneasily) with hardworking laborers and farmers. The fifth entry in this solid series finds Mitch waiting for Des' answer to his marriage proposal. She has other things on her mind, though, as the vintage Mercedes of eccentric, filthy rich "Poochie" Vickers is stolen, and the murdered body of Pete, the town bum, is discovered. Meanwhile, Poochie's daughter, Claudia, confides in Des that her mother is hoarding candy, shoplifting, and exhibiting other strange behavior. The appeal here remains rooting for the mismatched Berger and Mitry to make a go of their unconventional but heartwarming relationship.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2006, American Library Association.)