Edited Out: A Mysterious Detective Mystery

Copperman’s sequel to 2016’s Written Off manages to keep the quirky conceit of the series fresh and charming—an agnosticism over whether investigator Duffy Madison somehow became a living person five years ago through crime writer Rachel Goldman’s creation of him as her protagonist, or whether he is an amnesiac who assumed Duffy’s persona after reading Rachel’s books. Duffy takes Rachel to Poughkeepsie, N.Y., to investigate the cold case of the disappearance of Damien Mosley, whom Rachel suspects of having become Duffy, in order to help her get over the difficulties with writing that the arrival of Duffy in her life has caused. A plot just complex enough to sustain the story keeps the oddball relationship between reluctant Rachel and driven Duffy centered, as the investigation jumps delightfully between bumbling and inspired, while Rachel, in moments of authorial self-reflection, expresses frustration with the character traits that she’s given Duffy. Copperman provides a bit of sleuthing and suspense grounded in low-key, character-driven fun. [em]Agent: Josh Getzler, Hannigan Salky Getzler Agency. (May) [/em]