Say It Was Murder: A McShan Thriller

In this rapid-fire if middling series launch set in southeastern Arizona from Mertz (Fade to Tomorrow), Marna Richards hires PI McShan to keep an eye on her 19-year-old daughter, Janine Richards. A former Olympic gymnast, Janine has become involved in a New Age cult at the Spirit Ranch run by the enigmatic Birch Sunday. Marna%E2%80%99s ex-husband, Del Richards, an entrepreneur who owns a local ghost town, is also concerned about his daughter, but his plans for developing the area around the Spirit Ranch could put Janine in jeopardy. When Marna winds up dead in her bathroom, it%E2%80%99s up to McShan to sift through a slew of shady suspects while keeping himself alive. Muddying the waters are Johnny the Barber and Yolanda, a brother and sister who run a drug-dealing business and have a penchant for making unhappy clients disappear. Fans of throwback hard-boiled noir, in which damsels need saving and the heroes fight to the last bullet, will best appreciate this by-the-numbers exercise. (May)