No Virgin Island: A Sabrina Salter Mystery

Dorsey’s fun first novel introduces Sabrina Salter, who runs Ten Villas, an upscale home rental business on St. John, one of the U.S. Virgin Islands, where she has sought refuge after an unfortunate experience involving the police on Nantucket. Sabrina’s discovery of a renter lying dead in a hammock by the Villa Mascarpone’s pool, however, brings her unwelcome media attention. Since the members of the local constabulary already dislike Sabrina, she gets top billing as a murder suspect. Another possible culprit is Rory Eagan, the drunken bum husband of Sabrina’s friend Mara Bennett, a devoted stepmother to Rory’s twin teens, Kelly and Liam. Just when things couldn’t get any weirder, new renters reject a lavish upgrade and insist on staying in the Villa Mascarpone near Mara. The nonchalant treatment of Kelly’s relationship with the overage pool guy is the one negative aspect of this book, but readers will look forward to Sabrina’s future adventures. Agent: Paula Munier, Talcott Notch Literary Agency. (Aug.)