Played!

Set in St. Louis, this neat little yarn from Kahn (The Dead Hand and nine other Rachel Gold mysteries) is as lighthearted as it is lightweight. Milton Bernstein, an extremely bright but exceedingly nerdy lawyer, is engaged in research that will bring down shyster extraordinaire Leonard Pitt. Milton is startled when Hal, his good-hearted but rather dim younger brother, is arrested for murdering Pitt’s devious trophy wife, Cherry. Despite the mountain of evidence against Hal, Milton goes into full PI mode to prove his brother’s innocence. Readers have witnessed a series of quick-cut cinematic scenes showing Hal being set up for a frame, so the question is whether Milton can step out from behind his desk and become a true mensch—and whether Hal can wake up and transform himself from a slacker, used-to-be-great college baseball pitcher into something heroic, too. The outcome is never in much doubt in this pleasant tale built on the love between two brothers. (July)