Sticky Fingers: A Roxy Abruzzo Mystery

Martin's wacky second Roxy Abruzzo mystery improves on the excellent first entry, 2010's Our Lady of Immaculate Deception (retitled for reprint Foxy Roxy). A few days after Roxy—architectural salvage expert, singer, and recovering sex addict—turns down an offer on behalf of her imprisoned mobster uncle, Carmine Abruzzo, to kidnap snooty museum curator Clarice Crabtree, a former high school classmate of hers, Det. Bug Duffy of the Pittsburgh police takes her to a crime scene at an old industrial site. Bug shows her a body recovered from the Ohio River that Roxy identifies as Clarice. Curious to find out who popped Clarice, Roxy rolls into action accompanied by her lovable sidekick, Nooch Santonucci, a big lug with a heart of gold, and her pooch, Rooney. Roxy's evolving relationships with Sage, her rapidly maturing teenage daughter, and with Sage's chef dad, Patrick Flynn, give this series an extra heart-tugging zing. (Mar.)