Hautman's 10th novel (after 2001's Rag Man) is an amiable thriller infused with the author's characteristic wit, equipped with a Rube Goldbergian plot, and featuring a roster of eccentric (to virtually outrageous) characters who keep readers entertained when the story's pace slackens. Nicholas Fashon and his pal Vince Love own a fashionable leather goods store in Tucson, Ariz. Nick's roguish granddad dies, leaving him a inheritance of useless inventions. Useless, that is, with one exception: a doohickey called the HandyMate, which performs numerous kitchen functions most efficiently. Yola Fuentes, a TV chef, is interested in the HandyMate and wants to use it on her TV show. Nick is grateful, especially since the building housing his store and the apartment upstairs containing all his worldly goods has just burned down. The fire department says the cause was electrical, but the insurance company says it's arson and won't pay. In addition, his partner Vince owes money to a scary man called Robo who, after cracking several of Vince's ribs, threatens to kill him for an encore. Nick isn't sure whom to trust. Why would anyone deliberately burn down his store? Nick is a likable and intelligent hero, Robo a suitably menacing villain, and the plot's clever resolution satisfies. This unremarkable novel may not linger long in readers' memories, but it delivers a few hours of enjoyable reading. Agent, Jonathon Lazear. (Oct. 2)
