Murder at the Flamingo: A Van Buren and DeLuca Mystery

Set in 1937, this uneven series launch from Canadian author McMillan (the Herringford and Watts series) introduces 25-year-old Toronto attorney Hamish DeLuca, who suffers from a panic disorder. After a humiliating panic attack in the courtroom, Hamish flees in disgrace to Boston, where he’s welcomed by his cousin Luca Valari, who’s opening a new nightclub, the Flamingo. Hamish soon discovers a kindred spirit in Luca’s secretary, Regina “Reggie” Van Buren, the scion of a distinguished New Haven family, who left home after turning down an offer of marriage her family considered advantageous. When thugs threaten Reggie and Hamish, they’re left feeling that Luca’s keeping dangerous secrets from them. Only late in the book does the murder promised by the title occur, and Hamish and Reggie turn sleuth. Readers should be prepared for thin characters and some sentimental prose (“What if home wasn’t something you were born into but rather something you found”). The mystery’s redeeming strength is McMillan’s sensitive portrayal of Hamish’s illness, which she admits she shares in an author note. [em]Agent: Ruth Samsel, William K. Jensen Literary Agency. (July) [/em]