Nantucket Sawbuck: A Henry Kennis Mystery by Steven Axelrod
Description from Goodreads
When Nantucket homeowner Preston Lomax is killed in his McMansion, everyone on the island could be a suspect. Lomax lived large, owed money, and the word was spreading he was planning to stiff them all and disappear. Chief of Police Henry Kennis, a newcomer from California, finds himself investigating with help from the State Police. Together they solve the case—or so it appears. But Kennis can’t shake the feeling that they’ve missed something.
Kennis soon discovers scandals and intrigues behind the scenes in one of America’s most exclusive resort locations. This glamorous setting hosts an eclectic cast of local characters— oddball journalists, surfing carpenters, drug dealers, wealthy homeowners, and their slacker children. Kennis uncovers a truth that lies somewhere between the bad blood and the good neighbors and realizes that the real answer hits painfully close to home.
I gave this book four stars out of five
My thoughts:
I really enjoyed reading this book. It is a while since I read a book that I found difficult to put down, but this was it.
I loved the main character, police chief Henry Kennis, and how he viewed his job and the case, on the island of Nantucket. The author really brought the location alive for me, with his descriptive language, and obviously knows the area well.
The plot was interesting and clever and there were many twists and turns. A number of clever plot devices were employed to lead the reader in the wrong direction, before the revelation of the real motive behind the murder of the loathsome Preston Lomax.
The story was well paced and worthy of the overused cliché ‘a real page turner’. I had to read the book in stages due to time constraints, but I have to confess that it was difficult to put the book down and I would have loved to read it in one fowl swoop.
If you like an intelligent murder mystery with personable, believable characters, then I would heartily recommend this. I look forward to reading further adventures of Henry Kennis.
This review is based on a digital ARC provided by Netgalley and the publisher.
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