Shy Tulip Murders [Paperback]

Saving the trees isn't always pleasant work, as plant pathologist Claire Sharples discovers in her third case (after The Bulrush Murders and The Dandelion Murders). Rebounding from a broken romance, Claire finds herself in California's San Joacquin Valley, where, having befriended the Friends of the Redwoods, she catches some of the flak flying in the battle between environmentalists and loggers. Marcy Hobbes, who recruited Claire into the cause (if Claire can identify the exceedingly rare Shy Tulip, the environmentalists will have a better case), seems unconcerned when her Jaguar is vandalized. Claire, however, takes it personally when she finds herself speeding down a mountain road without brake fluid. Claire is understandably nervous when she and Marcy go tracking the Shy Tulip and Marcy, disregarding an anonymous warning to "stay out of our business," ventures into the forest, where Claire finds her struck unconscious by a blow to the temple. The sheriff, who is cozy with the loggers, says the crime is out of his jurisdiction. Nobody's killed until late in the book, as Rothenberg opts instead to draw out the suspense with a series of threats. Meanwhile, Claire's pining for her ex-lover yields to a lively interest in eligible men that threatens to derail her scientifically trained intellect. Rothenberg makes this an enjoyable hike through a deftly sketched landscape of issues, personalities and scenery.
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Amateur sleuth and MIT Ph.D. Claire Sharples (The Dandelion Murders, Mysterious, 1994) arrives at her new California plant pathology job with a spiffy car and no financial worries. However, as soon as she shows interest in Friends of the Redwoods, a local environmental group, she becomes the target of vandalism and sabotage. When she discovers a rare wildflower in an area of forest scheduled for clear-cutting, someone steals the plant and murders an environmentalist. Rothenberg enlivens a potentially stale subject with a sharp sleuth, diverse characters, and a few festering relationships. For most collections.
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.