The Burnt Orange Sunrise

"Its means, dear boy, that it is always a mistake to predict one's own future.  Because if you can imagine it happening, if it is rational and makes good sense to you, then that is not what will happen."
"What will?"
"Life will."


Or death will. Nonagenarian Ada Geiger is speaking to her grandson and neither of them know what is in store for them except that the weather man has been right for a change and they are in the midst of a terrible ice storm that is to be followed by  several inches of snow. They both have come to Astrid's Castle near the coast of Connecticut. They were meant be part of a large party of the glitterati who were gathering from both the East and West Coast to celebrate Ada's return from France.

Ada was once an up and coming film director who worked in Hollywood with her husband until they were blacklisted during the McCarthy era. She is unusual in that she was one of the first female film directors as well as having been a colleague of Amelia Earhart and the Rolling Stones. Astrid's  Castle is now an exclusive hotel that is being run by her daughter Norma and her husband Les. Built for Ada by her husband  on the Gold Coast of Connecticut  in little Dorset  it was a faux castle built into a hillside and had become a tourist's mecca, no only to stay there but to marvel at.

One person that Ada has demanded to meet is film critic Mitch Berger who had always been a fan of hers. He and his close friend  Resident State Trooper Des Mitry have then been invited to a dinner at the castle on the fateful eve of the ice storm.  Before dinner is over tremendous crashes are heard and it appears that two large trees have sealed the road into the area  and the power is gone as well. Not only that most of Coastal Connecticut is down as well.

Before the night is over the deaths have begun, at first seemingly natural but as the bodies mount as fast as the snow Mitch is reminded of the movie 'And Then There Were None' and Des is slightly spooked because she alone must figure out what is going on.

The fear in the castle escalates as the day creeps on, the dark, the cold add to the general anxiety . Des knows what she is doing but things would move along better if there was anyone there who would tell the truth.

The description of the ice storm situation certainly brings a sense of deja vu. I am happy that I am reading this during a warm June, trying to forget the winter of 2011. This is an excellent version of the isolated estate murder and we can really feel the suspense building as the story does not seem like you have read it before.  This is the fourth of the Berger and Mitry mysteries, following THE COLD BLUE BLOOD and THE HOT PINK FARMHOUSE.  Handler also created the Edgar-winning Stewart Hoag series in which the hound Lulu is showcased.

Mitch Berger and Des Mistry are well drawn character that have depth  and history. I look forward to reading THE SWEET GOLDEN PARACHUTE.