At 71, Loretta Plansky enjoys leisurely days of tennis and cocktails in her Little Pine Lake, Fla., condominium community. But after rescuing her retirement funds and bringing Romanian scammers to justice, she seems to have unleashed a knack for adventurous crime solving. Spencer Quinn (Of Mutts and Men; Paw and Order), author of dozens of novels, follows Mrs. Plansky's Revenge with Mrs. Plansky Goes Rogue, the second delightful whodunit featuring the inimitable septuagenarian sherlock.
Quinn, who also writes the Chet and Bernie mystery series, relates this fast-paced, dialogue-rich caper from the third person, which includes Loretta's sentimental memories of her beloved late husband and regular references to her age. "That rang a bell but for no reason she could think of. Was that happening more and more these days, bells ringing, their sound waves flowing through her mind, finding no harbor, silence?" Don't be fooled by her reflections. Mrs. Plansky is a woman on a mission. Her tennis-pro son is incommunicado, and Mrs. Plansky is sure her now-missing tennis partner's yacht explosion wasn't caused by lightning. Her 98-year-old father suggests a link between the men (though he's distracted by his impending splashy wedding), and Mrs. Plansky daringly investigates. Seeking clues, she scuba dives to the sunken yacht site, takes an ill-fated flight to the Bahamas, kayaks in an infamous gator's favorite lake, and fearlessly grills unsavory characters. With over-the-top close calls providing suspense and laughs in equal measure, this savvy and sympathetic sleuth's exploits guarantee a rollicking read. --Cheryl McKeon, Book House of Stuyvesant Plaza, Albany, N.Y.