Copp on Ice

PI Joe Copp is back for a grim fifth outing in this mystery with a twist. To solve the murder of a Brighton, Calif., mayor, and investigate a corrupt police department. Copp agrees to serve as acting police chief. Working on the inside as a ``lightning rod'' for trouble, he puts his life in immediate danger when a pair of cops tries to run him over and are themselves shot by Brighton's finest. Other law enforcement officers are soon murdered. A possible link to the killings is a mysterious mansion purportedly built by investor Harold Schwartzman, who may have bought up bars in Brighton's ``Helltown.'' Looking for someone trustworthy, Copp turns to detective Delilah Turner, who seems genuinely worried about the killings, but may also be less than truthful about reasons for her visits to the mansion. A romance ensues, but it is just a punctuation mark in Pendleton's ( Copp for Hire ) gripping story, as more cops and ostensible bystanders are slaughtered. The true identity of the mysterious Schwartzman, the purpose of the mansion, the motive behind the killings and Turner's role in all these events are unveiled in a riveting resolution. (Apr.)