Crimson Shore

The 15th fantastic adventure of eccentric, brilliant Special FBI agent Aloysius Pendergast finds him and Constance Greene, his lovely young ward, leaving their Manhattan mansion for Exmouth, Mass., on a case unrelated to the agency—the theft of a wine cellar. This basic bit of sleuthing leads to much more: a corpse in a hidden chamber, additional murders, a colony of witches, and an unstoppable, homicidal creature that is thought to exist only in local lore. Over the years, Auberjonois has developed the perfect voice for Pendergast—seasoned, aristocratic, Southern, and, when dealing with a bully like Exmouth’s police chief, irritatingly arrogant. Auberjonois’s version of Constance, who is having difficulty hiding her desire for her older mentor (and he for her), is acceptable, but if the authors continue to expand her participation in these thrillers, a younger, female co-reader may be advisable. A Grand Central hardcover. (Nov.)