Cold Florida: A Foggy Moscowitz Mystery

Set in 1974 in Fry’s Bay, Fla., this appealing first in a new series from Edgar-winner DePoy (December’s Thorn and six other Fever Devlin mysteries) introduces colorful Foggy Moscowitz, who once stole cars in his native Brooklyn. When Nurse Maggie Redhawk tells Foggy, who now works as an investigator for Child Protective Services, that addict Lynette Baker, a new mother, has fled the hospital with her sick baby, who needs medicine to survive, Foggy goes on a successful hunt for the baby. Later, members of the Tribal Council of the Seminole Nation take Lynette and her baby to their swamp. Foggy’s efforts to find the baby bring him into contact with a slew of characters, including Seminole sage John Horse, with competing interests. The baby is the key, and Foggy must figure out why before he can act. DePoy’s lively mix of Seminole history and the wry observations of a “Yankee Jew criminal” make for an amusing tale. [em]Agent: Janet Reid, FinePrint Literary Management. (Apr.) [/em]