Dead Man's Fingers: A Chesapeake Bay Mystery

Realtors, developers and an environmentalist make July on the Maryland shore stickier than usual in Lee's third low-key cozy (after Final Closing). Realtor Lillian Weber and her niece, former Manhattan ad agent Eve Elliot, get a surprise client when Maryland Senate candidate Vince Darner asks them to sell his wife's land. At the same time, the two realtors are contesting the project of Carl Rainey, a neighbor's son who wants to build a luxury home blocking Lillian's seaside view. At a public hearing, zealous environmentalist Lauren DeWitt, who's filming a documentary about how the recent glut of development is ruining the coast, puts a kink in Carl's plans by proving that the original land plot hadn't been officially subdivided to include another house. Carl stomps off, threatening revenge. As Eve shows Vince's land to area developers, she's told about an abandoned fuel tank on the property that will delay sale of the land. After she and Lillian report the tank to environmental watchdogs, the pair become pariahs in the region, accused of trying to hold back progress. As July 4th nears, tempers mount. Then, during the holiday fireworks, Lauren is murdered and Lillian's dock is set afire. Adamantly refusing to hide, Eve, working with reticent detective Patrick Simmons, pieces together the murderer's identity. Though the novel boasts only modest suspense, Lee's clean prose and evocative small-town atmosphere will entertain readers while providing an in-depth look at current issues facing seaside communities. (July)