Reviewed by Beverly J. Rowe, MyShelf.Com
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Ed McAvoy, a former homicide captain on medical retirement from the Detroit Police force, accepted the job as Police Chief of Peekamoose Heights, in New York's Catskills. It's a quiet, little village that probably won't have much use for a homicide detective...but murder can happen anywhere. Ed's skills are stretched to the limit in this sequel to STREAM OF DEATH.

Sam Douglas and his wife own an antique shop in Peekamose Heights. Sam makes a trip to Florida for an antique auction to add to his inventory for the big antique show and sale coming up. He finds an exquisite Queen Anne tall-case clock at a bargain price that is just what Kate Winthrop has been wanting. He knows of another lady who also wants a tall-case clock, so if he trades Kate the Queen Anne for her Massachusetts clock and sells the Massachusetts to the other lady, he can make a tidy profit. He has not met the other lady and sends an employee to do the negotiations. When the lady ends up dead, and just before the fatal gunshot was heard by the police department over the telephone, she identifies Sam Douglas as the man who stole her new clock, Sam winds up in jail, accused of her murder.

Though I would like to see the romantic interest of McAvoy's life, Stephanie ("Stevie"), play a larger role in the stories, the outlandish, oddball, rural characters that populate Stackhouse's stories are likable and believable. The plot is well thought out and unique with lots of action. There are twists and turns and an ending that catches you by surprise. Okay, Bill, I'm ready for the next Ed McAvoy mystery!

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