21 Huntington Court

At the start of Zellerbach’s enjoyable sixth romantic mystery set in San Francisco (after 2014’s The A-List Murders), Cas Casserly, the owner and publisher of the weekly magazine CityTalk, decides to attend a block party in Huntington Court, “an elite cul-de-sac in the midst of the city’s finest residential district.” Cas is curious about the street’s accomplished residents, including a Pulitzer Prize–winning author, a U.S. senator, and a designer of gowns that sell for thousands of dollars. During the party, Cas finds the body of Kimberly Wu Taubin, the wife of retired 49er quarterback Manny Taubin, lying on the kitchen floor of her home at 21 Huntington Court. At first, it appears that Kim died of natural causes, but it soon becomes clear foul play was involved, and Cas’s wife, reporter Hallie Marsh, once again turns amateur sleuth. Credible characters and natural dialogue help speed the plot along. [em](Feb.) [/em]