A MATTER OF MOTIVE

The death of the mayor's daughter upsets the tranquil life of new police chief Dexter Loomis in Hachey's first novel, a by-the-numbers contemporary whodunit set in the small town of Higgins Point, Wis. With scant practice doing actual police work, Loomis must overcome his insecurities to pursue his suspicion that the woman was murdered. His prospects are bolstered by the propitious return of Ann Summer, a veteran homicide detective looking into the mystifying suicide of her father. Veteran mystery readers will expect the plot twists and will have little difficulty identifying the killer. Routine writing ("Both men stared at their beers, while Dexter resolved that as long as he was wearing the badge of police chief, he was going to try and make more of a difference") and underdeveloped characters will have few clamoring for a sequel. (Dec. 24)