Merryll Manning, cop extraordinaire, is on vacation. By his side is a gorgeous nubile nymphet named Susan Ford. Susan is not above using her charms on the man she seeks and Manning, besotted by this dazzling beauty, is only too willing to be her puppet. So much so that he pays two grand for a vacation on an island in the Florida Keys - just to please her.
This vacation is, however, one with a twist. An eclectic group of people have paid a thousand dollars each to be part of a murder mystery setting on an isolated island. They are cut off from any communication with the mainland. The sixteen or so guests comprise of a priest, a lawyer, a novelist, a cop and several actors. They are asked to select a ‘suspect’ and a ‘victim’ and solve a ‘murder’. The winner will walk away with five grand. Susan has her sights set on the money and Merryll Manning is her trump card. Manning too is keen on getting his two grand back – if he can resist the charms of his sweetheart, that is. As he admits, ‘ My only hope was her unpredictability. She was a spoilt child. The more I humoured her whims, catered to her caprices, the more likely she’d suffer a sudden attack of guilt.”
The stage is all set and the players each have their parts. But the fun and games soon turns to more morbid business when evidence of blood and a real victim are found in the old priory. With no way of contacting the mainland, the only option is to find the murderer. Tension, suspense and mistrust creeps in among the guests. Merryll Manning takes the matter into his own hands and with his clever but somewhat erratic deductive abilities manages to nail the culprit.
John Howard Reid has written a fast paced whodunit with skilful use of dialogue to move the plot along. He points the finger at many, keeping the reader guessing till finally the real murderer is disclosed. Reid has over 70 books to his credit and the Merryll Manning mysteries are great page turners.
Book Facts
Avialable on Amazon and Barnes and Noble
ISBN : 9781435720855
Genre : Fiction
Editions: Paperback - $12.50
Kindle - $ 4.99
Regis