Indian Pipes: A Martha's Vineyard Mystery

At the start of Riggs's warm and witty sixth Martha's Vineyard mystery to feature Victoria Trumbull (after 2005's The Paperwhite Narcissus ), the feisty 92-year-old deputy sheriff stumbles on the body of a neighbor, reclusive engineer Jube Burkhardt, who appears to have fallen to his death from a cliff. Two days earlier, Jube attended a meeting of the local Wampanoag tribal council about testing soil for a prospective casino's septic system. Not surprisingly, many islanders oppose the casino project. The arrival of a gang of motorcyclists who like to stunt-ride further raises the temperature. Victoria's investigation leads her to a second body, a burning house, a missing computer and considerable personal peril. Lovely descriptions of the Vineyard in the fall, plenty of suspenseful action and a cast of eccentric supporting characters, including the bikers' tough college professor leader, help make this another winner. (May)