Cop Job: A Sam Acquillo Hamptons Mystery

In Knopf’s enjoyable sixth Hamptons mystery (after 2011’s Black Swan), Sam Acquillo, a former corporate troubleshooter turned carpenter, joins forces with attorney Jackie Swaitkowski, the star of her own series (Ice Cap, etc.), when a murder case threatens to get ugly. The Southampton police haul lifeless Alfie Aldergreen, a disabled and disturbed vet, out of a pond, still strapped to his motorized wheelchair. Alfie is the third local confidential informant to fall victim to foul play. Sam’s probing isn’t subtle, and he gets blowback from such shady characters as Mustafa Karadeniz, whose warehouses hold more than just legal items, and town detective Lionel Veckstrom (whom Sam and Jackie refer to as Prick Cop). When an attack on Sam’s grown daughter, Allison, makes the investigation personal, he calls on friends such as philanthropist Burton Lewis, computer guru Randall Dodge, and girlfriend Amanda Anselma. Sam and Jackie once again make a formidable team as he searches for answers and payback. (Sept.)