cover image Wrecked: A Regan Reilly Mystery

Wrecked: A Regan Reilly Mystery

Carol Higgins Clark, . . Scribner, $25 (272pp) ISBN 978-1-4391-7025-0

In Clark's slapdash 13th mystery to feature New York City PI Regan Reilly (after 2009's Cursed ), the disappearance of divorcée Adele Hopkins interrupts the plans of Regan and her husband, Jack, to celebrate their first anniversary at their weekend place on Cape Cod. During a storm, Skip, a local caretaker, finds Adele lying in a heap outside the house she's renting, her face bloody, her rowboat banging against the rocks in the nearby bay. By the time Skip returns with help, Adele is gone. As Regan and Jack aid the authorities in locating Adele's next of kin, clues surface that suggest Adele has been the victim of foul play. The two co-owners of the boutique Pillow Talk, who knew Adele as one of their best customers, offer Regan and Jack an important lead, while a visiting theatrical troupe lends a bizarre plot twist. Clark's easy humor will please cozy fans, but Regan's unconvincing eureka moment and the villain's lack of a credible motive disappoint. (Apr. 13)