Hannah Garvey, manager of the Valhalla Springs Retirement Community, and her gang of geriatric gumshoes join Sheriff David Hendrickson, Hannah's slightly younger romantic interest, for a third lively romp that picks up the week after readers leave South of Sanity, the second installment in Ledbetter's madcap series. This time around, the circus has come to town, bringing with it a magician named Reilly Boone, who claims to be Hannah's long-lost father. Before Hannah can get used to the idea, Reilly is arrested for accidentally shooting his assistant-wife, AnnaLeigh, during their act. As it turns out, Reilly is the beneficiary of a hefty life insurance policy on AnnaLeigh. Moreover, his two previous wives died in a similar fashion. Hannah still believes Reilly is innocent (he is, after all, her father), but Valhalla's senior sleuths aren't as trusting; they arm themselves with implements purchased from the Private Spy Supply catalog and don clown costumes to infiltrate the circus's inner circles in an effort to learn more about Reilly. More humorous than suspenseful, the colorful prose and farcical action in this cozy keep the pace moving at the speed of a magician's hand, but the novel's endless stream of one-liners will try the reader's patience. (Dec.)
