The Blood Red Indian Summer

Well-heeled white-bread Dorset, Conn., isn't exactly rolling out the welcome Range Rover for its newest residents%E2%80%94suspended NFL superstar Tyrone "Da Beast" Grantham and his extended family/entourage%E2%80%94and that's even before bodies start dropping in Edgar-winner Handler's engaging eighth mystery featuring Amazonian African-American state trooper Desiree "Des" Mitry and her schlubby film critic boyfriend, Mitch Berger (after 2010's The Shimmering Blond Sister). Already facing a massive civil suit for allegedly assaulting a nursing student at a pro-am golf tournament, Da Beast becomes the obvious prime suspect after his bloodied, barely breathing teenage sister-in-law, Kinitra, washes up on the beach near Berger's rented cottage. Before you can say "media circus," two of Da Beast's most vocal adversaries are slain execution-style, putting Des%E2%80%94and Mitch%E2%80%94in the middle of an explosive case. Handler's blend of suspenseful plot, skillful telling, and occasional splashes of comic relief add up to a heady cocktail of prime crime. (Oct.)