Every year, the Gant family performs an annual ritual desecrating the tomb of Aurora Bing. The Gants have held a grudge against the legendary silent film star for almost eighty years, but for Shem Gant and his son, things have become personal. Aurora's only grandchild, Hubie Swope, has shut down Shem's notoriously rowdy beachfront bar, and refuses to allow The Pit to reopen until Shem undertakes expensive upgrades. This means war. And when The Pit catches fire and Hubie Swope's charred remains are found in the rubble, it also means murder.
Who killed Hubie Swope? Crime-fighting duo Mitch and Des have no idea. Not only are Shem and his son prime suspects, but so are the women in Hubie's life. To their surprise, Mitch and Des discover that Dorset's building inspector, a quiet widower who repaired cuckoo clocks in his little house on Lavender Lane, was secretly juggling four girlfriends at once. And then there's Gaylord Holland, a builder who had a beef of his own with Hubie. Dorset is in turmoil, and only New York City film critic Mitch Berger and Connecticut State Police Resident Trooper Des Mitry can put it back together.
The Lavender Lane Lothario is the eleventh in David Handler's original, hilarious and charming series featuring the engaging biracial couple that fans love.
"Handler's The Coal Black Asphalt Tomb (following The Snow White Christmas Cookie and The Blood Red Indian Summer) is an excellent addition to the wonderfully whacky and intriguing Des Mitry and Mitch Berger series. It is highly recommended for fans of cold case mysteries and Agatha Christie-like whodunits. It's a playful, eye-opening reminder that one day I will be old."
Gumshoe Review
"Warm and cozy...The affable Burger mines town gossip, and Mitry digs into some sordid town history en route to the satisfying resolution."
