Elusive Quarry: A Tish McWhinny Mystery

Levelheaded septuagenarian Tish McWhinny, seen before in The Cashmere Kid, has her hands full in this delightful caper set in Vermont. First, the home of Sophie, Tish's honorary niece, is blown up, an event that draws the interest of agents from the Treasury Department of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms. The dynamite used is traced to a slate quarry owned by Sophie's new admirer. Meanwhile, Tish's old friend Hilary Oats, who is being pressured to sell his land, announces that he is willing it to Sophie. As Tish pokes around, she unearths the rumor that Sophie and her boyfriend detonated the house. Worse, the authorities agree with this account. Incensed, Tish works harder to find the culprit, only to be caught up in new crimes as Hil is the object of an escalating campaign of terror by someone who wants his property. When a body is found in Hil's bedroom, Tish goes on the warpath to protect her friends, determined to discover who's responsible for all the violence and why. Despite a disjointed plot that doesn't quite gel, Comfort's lovable Tish and Hil easily hold the reader's interest. (May)