Loot

In Alexander’s light fourth whodunit featuring standup comic Buster Hightower (after 2012’s Interlock), the unlikely sleuth is caught up in a chase for a fortune in gold. Buster’s girlfriend, Carla, introduces him to blue-blooded Tyler Polk “Tip” Taylor III, who has just taken out a policy for an Aston Martin through Carla’s Last Chance Insurance Agency. Tip is also a recent graduate of the Gumshoe Online Institute of Private Detection, and when one of Tip’s clients, Judith Roswell, reports being stalked, Buster finds himself helping out the naïve, unworldly Tip. Judith claims not to know what has attracted her stalker, ex-con Dicky “Mad Dog” Coll, but Buster discovers that a long-hidden treasure may lie at the bottom of the case. Buster’s nightclub act provides an amusing counterpoint to the fast-paced story line, which might disappoint readers looking for a realistic mystery but offers a breezy read perfect for the early days of fall. (Sept.)