Death by Fire: An Uncle George Mystery Novel

The fifth Uncle George mystery (Murder Sweet and Sour, etc.) by MWA Grand Master Pentecost is set again in rural New England. While a dairy farm burns down on the outskirts of Lakeview, the Town Hall is firebombed. The farmer is killed and an unidentified corpse is found in the Town Hall ruins. A young farmhand who'd fought with the farmer is arrested, and George Crowder is persuaded, mainly by his 13-year-old nephew Joey, to act as the man's lawyer. While Uncle George is trying to clear his client, his own cabin is torched and his dog is wounded by a gunshot. Then a TV anchorman who has come to Lakeview is shot dead by the same .22 that wounded George's dog, and next, a teenage boy is killed. By the time they are halfway into the book, experienced readers will guess whodunit. Not racy or sophisticated, and labored with too much rehashing, this may nonetheless have a cozy appeal for Pentecost fans. (January)