I’ve always been a fan of Francine Mathews’ police procedurals set on atmospheric Nantcucket Island. They aren’t published on a regular basis so any new one, such as Death on a Winter Stroll, is cause for celebration. And, the residents and visitors on Nantucket do have cause to celebrate in this book. Not only is it time to kick off the holiday season with the charming winter stroll as Santa arrives by boat, and everyone strolls the streets after greeting him, but it’s the first stroll after the losses and isolation of COVID-19 hit the island.
Police Chief Merry Folger understands the grief of the pandemic. She lost her beloved grandfather, Ralph Waldo Folger, during the pandemic, and, as an essential worker exposed to the public, she hadn’t been able to see her grandfather before he died. She’s hoping to enjoy this year’s Winter Stroll, just like everyone else. But, she’s aware that the island also shelters politicians and Hollywood celebrities during the holiday weekend.
The Secretary of State, her husband, and stepson, Ansel, are on the island, looking for opportunities for family photo ops. Or, at least some of them are. Ansel tries to escape the confines of security whenever he can, venturing into town to see the Nantucket he prefers over the touristy one.
Nearby is a compound owned by a tech billionaire who has rented it out for a TV production. That group includes a powerful CEO, his wife who is the producer of the show, and several stars with their entourage. Like Ansel, one of that group would prefer not to be there, Winter Candler, daughter of an action movie hero. It doesn’t seem odd for two young people who have little interest in their parents’ worlds to find each other on the island. But, those two worlds crash into Merry Folger’s when Ansel and Winter find a body.
Together with her detective, Howie Seitz, Police Chief Folger must balance politics and their investigation as they deal with two distinct groups of egotistical suspects. Then, a second body is found.
Mathews’ books featuring Merry Folger are always police procedurals offset by the nature of the island, and Folger’s personal life. This time, in her grief for her grandfather, Folger is able to empathize with two young people still coping with loss in their own lives. Death on a Winter Stroll is another fascinating story by Mathews, one that can be read as a standalone. it was interesting to see how the effects of COVID were handled in an island situation. Don’t hesitate to pick this one up, even if you’ve never met Merry Folger.
Francine Mathews’ website is https://francinemathews.com/
Death on a Winter Stroll by Francine Mathews. Soho Crime, 2022. ISBN 9781641292740 (hardcover), 288p.
FTC Full Disclosure – I read a galley to review for a journal.
