Burned out and cynical, unemployed engineer Sam
Acquilo's curiosity is piqued when he finds the body of his 80-year-old
neighbor floating
in her bathtub. Crippled by arthritis, the neighbor, Regina Broadhurst,
had taken only showers for many years. Having been appointed
the
administrator of her estate, Sam begins to discover some interesting
but puzzling facts. For one thing, she neither owned her house,
nor paid any rent to live there; and the ownership of the house
is shown on the tax rolls as an unknown corporation. Soon, despite
the fact that he knows nothing, Sam is badly beaten and warned
to stop his investigating. This of course makes him all the more
determined to get to the bottom of the situation. It soon becomes
apparent that real estate, especially this waterfront property,
is the motive behind the happenings -- not a surprise considering
the astronomical prices involved in this incredibly expensive
market. As he digs further, Sam discovers that the death of another
old
woman, a property owner in the same area, was also murder. Through
Sam's intervention, there is a final confrontation in which justice
is served.
This is an extremely well written book, with three
dimensional characters that engage the reader's interest as
well as incorporating
some enjoyable sardonic humor. It is set in the Hamptons area
of Long Island (just down the road apiece from where I live)
where
the rich and famous of New York City spend their summers. The
portrayal of this area is wonderful, both in the early history
of the area
before the Hamptons became "the Hamptons " and in portraying
the current scene. Of course, I enjoyed reading a book about
a place close to home that was so accurate in its portrayal of
local
government and some of the complexity of the governmental entities
in New York . Sam, although an unstable character who comes across
as a person whose good instincts make him likeable.
