Death Duties
A Port Silva mystery
By Janet LaPierre

    Before Andy Larson died he made his daughter, Chris, promise to clear his father's name. Twenty-eight years ago Edgar Larson, a Port Silva businessman, was accused of child molesting. He was innocent, but he was shunned, and a few months after receiving anonymous phone calls accusing him, he killed himself.

   His granddaughter, Chris, to fulfill her father's wish, wants to hire Verity Mackeller and her mother, Patience of Patience Smith, Investigators, to find the anonymous callers. The women are reluctant to take on the case, feeling it would only open old wounds.

    In the meantime, Patience is involved in a case of tracing the missing niece for a dying woman.

     Verity begins to reconstruct Edgar's life. She finds connections between his volunteer job as a high school parking lot supervisor and activities on prom night. Then a woman Verity is questioning about a suspicious party involving a missing girl is found dead, victim of either of suicide or murder. With the help of Detective John Hebert, Verity finds that a group of teenagers, now adults, is dangerous and determined to keep the secrets of the past buried. Verity and Herbert find links between their search and Patience's missing girl.

      This is a fast moving story offering insights into life in a small town with secrets better left unrevealed. The relationship between mother (Patience) and daughter (Verity) is well established, while the relationship between Verity and her "adopted" daughter, Sylvie, is full of trials and tribulations. The two budding romances between Patience and Hank Svoboda, chief of police, and between Verity and detective John Hebert are a delight to watch. The atmosphere of the town of Port Silva is realistically portrayed.

     This is a well written, well plotted story with a return to likeable characters who (we hope) we will read more about in the future.