The Whale's Footprints: A Doc Adams Suspense Novel

Boyer's prose soars as he describes the shiny gray mammals we know as whales in the short prologue of this mystery, the fifth Doc Adams novel. Unfortunately, that is the best part of a lightweight story that eventually bogs down in silly dialogue and predictable situations. Summer study of the whales in Woods Hole brings Jack Adams and his roommate, Andy Cunningham, to visit the Adams cottage on Cape Cod. But Andy dies mysteriously and evidence points to Jack as the murderer. In endeavoring to clear Jack, his dad, interim county medical examiner Doc Adams, ferrets out surprising facts that alter the case. Jack's mother and her dishy friend, Janice, salt the dialogue with snappy, hip jargon, and while this helps keep the reader smiling it fails to distract from certain conversational redundancies. Doc Adams gives authority to an otherwise frothy mystery that may appeal to fans of Billingsgate Shoal , the opener of the series. (September)