In Minichino's eighth chemistry-themed mystery (after 2005's The Nitrogen Murder
), Gloria Lamerino, a physicist, and her new husband, homicide detective Matt Gennaro, head to New York City for a much-anticipated Christmas holiday. But Gloria gets sidetracked from shopping and sightseeing when she discovers a murdered woman in the apartment of Matt's niece, Lori Pizzano, a documentary filmmaker. The victim is Lori's camerawoman, Amber Keenan, whose ambition and schemes could have provoked a number of suspects. Lori and Amber had been working on an environmental sciences documentary film about the ozone layer, and had encountered corporations that could be ignoring governmental safety regulations and using strong-arm tactics. Is Lori in danger, too? But Amber's other gig was as a photographer for a PI, and she may have aggravated more than a few questionable characters with her snooping. Cozy fans will find this a breezy summer read. (Aug.)
