Unlucky Charms: A Superstition Mystery

In Johnston’s so-so third Superstition mystery (after 2015’s Knock on Wood), the town of Destiny, Calif., where superstition generally keeps the residents safe, is hit by a rash of very bad luck, including vandalism, theft, and the murder of real estate agent Flora Curtival, whose death is foretold by a dog howling in the middle of the night. Rory Chasen, the manager of Lucky Dog Boutique, and her fellow business people decide that they have to help find a solution before the tourists leave for a more fortunate venue. Police chief Justin Halbertson, Rory’s sometime boyfriend, moves fast to keep ahead of his amateur helpers, including Rory’s spaniel-terrier mix, Pluckie, but it takes all of them to identify the killer. Johnston’s loyal readers will probably enjoy this installment, but this book reads more like an overview than a complete story, with insufficient attention devoted to motivation and character development. (Oct.)