Murder Can Singe Your Old Flame: 6

Eichler's sixth installment (after Murder Can Spook Your Cat) to the Desiree Shapiro mystery series finds the zaftig Manhattan P.I. reluctantly agreeing to investigate the suspicious death of her hated ex-boyfriend's new wife. With police homing in on Shapiro's client, Bruce Simon, as their prime suspect and the evidence against him mounting (including the mysterious death of a previous spouse), Simon tells Shapiro the dubious story of his wife having witnessed (just days before her death) a co-worker at Royal Bahamian Air in a drug transaction. Simon's insistence that this unnamed co-worker is the true killer sends Shapiro on a mission that eventually leads her into the same danger Simon's wife faced. Highlighting Eichler's witty dialogue and charming New York City setting are the often hilarious characters Shapiro encounters, both at the airline company and in her personal life. (Jan.)