cover image Murder in a Nice Neighborhood

Murder in a Nice Neighborhood

Lora Roberts. Fawcett Books, $4.99 (0pp) ISBN 978-0-449-14891-4

Living the life of a vagabond in the quiet streets of Palo Alto, Calif., has been remarkably uneventful for freelance writer Liz Sullivan--that is, until the day the body of Gordon Murphy is deposited under her VW van. Immediately a suspect, Liz has a lot of explaining to do, especially when ruggedly handsome detective Paul Drake discovers that she maintained a hearty dislike for the dead homeless man known as ``Pigpen.'' Things get even stickier for Liz when another homeless man dies, followed quickly by a member of her Senior Center Writer's Workshop. With the support of her friends, fellow writers Bridget Montrose and Claudia Kaplan, Liz begins her own research into the crimes, hoping to unearth evidence to prove her innocence. What she uncovers is a devious plot that involves greed and an intolerance of the homeless and the elderly. It nearly costs Liz her life to try to persuade detective Drake that the real killer is not a member of the homeless population, but someone considered to be an outstanding member of the community. Roberts ( Revolting Development ) not only has an exciting and innovative story line that will keep readers guessing, she also has a sympathetic heroine. Liz Sullivan is the kind of engaging, self-reliant female sleuth that will be sure to inspire a following, and hopefully more adventures to come. (June)