THE SCIENTIST, THE PSYCHIC, AND THE NUT

A life-changing revelation finds an amateur sleuth juggling another mystery and her strained marriage as she embarks on a search for her biological father.

Dietz’s third book, a sequel to her series debut, The Flapper, the Scientist and the Saboteur (2016)—her second work was a prequel featuring the flapper character—picks up at the funeral of Kathleen McPherson. The adopted Beth Armstrong believed this “redoubtable” woman was her aunt only to learn she was actually her mother. “My aunt’s my mom and my mom’s my aunt and they’re both dead,” Armstrong laments, and she becomes consumed with finding out “who in the world is my father.” Other mysteries immediately present themselves: Is she being stalked by the driver of a beat-up old truck? Who was the unannounced woman playing saxophone at Kathleen’s funeral? Armstrong’s husband, Harold, can be forgiven for feeling let down when he discerns her true agenda after she suggests the pair take an impromptu Caribbean vacation on St. Thomas. “I thought we were off to recapture the romance in our marriage,” he tells her. “Instead we’re off on a mystery hunt for some guy who’s probably long dead.” Romance definitely takes a back seat when, in their hotel bar, Armstrong notices a picture of the saxophone player. “There’s a connection,” she insists. “When does this vacation actually start?” Harold responds. The loss of the unflappable Kathleen robs Dietz of her most intriguing character, but she introduces several vividly drawn stand-ins, including Gnat, an “exceptional child,” and Missus Abu, who “knows everyone and everything—quite a good friend to have.” There are tense scenes, such as an early encounter with a street thief, but it is the personal stakes rather than the mystery that will hold readers’ interest. The stage is skillfully set for more “wild stories.”

An engaging family tale with a strong cast.