The Shattered Shell

It's been five years since Dead Sand, the last mystery to feature defense department spook turned slick magazine writer Lewis Cole. This new one was worth waiting for: DuBois tells a strong, poignant story, meanwhile creating an exceptionally vivid picture of a New England coastal town held in winter's grip. Cole, given a free oceanside house in Tyler Beach, N.H., and a large pension after surviving a biotech disaster (he still checks his scars for swelling every morning in the shower), is a columnist for Boston's Shoreline magazine. But he hasn't given up his sleuthing ways, and here he's digging into two crime stories--the arson fires that are destroying closed motels in Tyler Beach, and the brutal rape of the young woman who is the lover of Cole's best friend, lesbian police detective Diane Woods. DuBois brings his characters to life gradually with a carefully chosen mixture of light and shadow--giving even secondary players (such as Felix Tinios, a graduate of the North Boston crime scene who lists his occupation as ""security consultant"" and provides Cole with major backup) full credibility. Equally important is his obvious love for the setting. When DuBois describes Cole emerging from his snowed-in house during a blackout and observing the stars gleaming in the frozen sky, readers will know he's been there--and he puts them deeply into the scene as well. Agent, Jed Mattes. (Mar.)