Golden Fleece

In this entertaining mystery debut, geologist Harry Potter is believed to be an incompetent sailor, so it is no surprise when he and his boat, Fishin' Fool , vanish near the Minnesota side of Lake Superior. in this entertaining debut mystery. While investigating the disappearance, Caribou County sheriff Ray MacNulty learns that Potter was, in reality, an expert navigator. MacNulty also finds Potter's relatives very anxious to declare the missing man dead in order to collect a fortune in insurance money. Although Potter's whereabouts remain unknown, MacNulty discovers the body of a logger and has a hunch that the incidents are related. The connection appears in the person of Big Charlie (nee Charlene Mittner), the dead logger's girlfriend and partner in an illegal gold mine. According to Charlie, Potter killed her boyfriend for the gold, then dropped out of sight. The absent Potter becomes a prime suspect in a murder and/or possible insurance fraud. MacNulty's sleuthing takes him into a Florida hurricane and uncovers a very clever murder plot. Becklund's salty, eccentric characters prevail over a plot that is sometimes submerged by boating jargon. (Jan.)