Nantucket Sawbuck: A Henry Kennis Mystery-Stephen Axelrod

Nantucket Sawbuck: A Henry Kennis Mystery

Stephen Axelrod

Poisoned Pen, Jan 6 2015, $24.95

ISBN 9781464200878

On Nantucket Island, Preston Lomax is the pretentious prototype of grandiose excessiveness as even the gaudiest of McMansion owners feel his is by far the most affected.  Additionally, seemingly everyone who knows him, including his wife and three children, loathes this pretentious fool.

At the same time that Preston flaunts his wealth while failing to pay his drug and whore bills, Homeland Security agents Jack Tornovitch and Frances Tate arrive to look into the viability of an alleged terrorist threat to the Boston Pops.  Having worked with these Feds before, Nantucket PD Chief Henry Kennis feels displeasure with Jack coming to town and immense enjoyment with Frances’ arrival.  When Preston’s daughter Kathleen finds her father dead with "Nantucket Sawbucks" jammed inside his mouth, Nantucket PD Chief Henry Kennis leads the homicide investigation.  He knows firsthand Lomax’s surviving kin as he arrested the two sons (Eric and Danny) in a bar brawl and ticketed Diana, accompanied by married Mike Henderson, for speeding.  However the case proves difficult as someone cleverly frames the first two suspects to distract the police from learning the true objective. 

Although the second Henry Kennis Mystery (see Nantucket Sawbuck) contains too many sidebar felonies; the prime investigation is a fabulous whodunit; as a shrewd killer plays a virtual performance against the cops.  Action-packed, but with an improbable finish; this enjoyable twisting tale brings to life the island in a vivid though more often than not uncomplimentary way.

Harriet Klausner