A Place for Murder

"A murderous romp through the wealthy rolling Connecticut hills where sedate money (and lots of it) mixes with violent death."

And the dogs are rather amusing in some parts, especially when Everett Gabler arrives. John Putnam Thatcher would much rather not be involved in any divorce, but when the chairman of the bank asks him to look into a property settlement as a personal favor, he doesn't have much choice. One of my favorite in the series.

This is my favorite of the whole Thatcher series. A wealthy gentleman farmer who owns a posh dog breeding kennel feels obliged to divorce his wife and marry a doghandler he got pregnant. This involves a dispute with his current wife over his estate The doghandler realizes it is much more valuable than the wife supposes (this key fact is not understood until later). Then the doghandler is murdered. John Putnam Thatcher of Sloan Guaranty Trust investigates.

Vintage John Putnam Thatcher at work. Shenanigans among the Connecticut elite demonstrate how easily the snobs miss the clues to murder in their midst.

I am in agreement with the Newsweek blurb on the cover: "A masterful plotter, an elegant stylist, a comic genius, and an old fashioned purist who never sacrifices logic for surprise effect." An easy read for a single sitting.