DREAM HOUSE **AWARD FINALIST**

New York, NY, U.S.A.: Ballantine Books, 2003. 1st edition, October 2003, so stated, with complete number line beginning with 1. Fine in fine dust jacket, not price clipped, in protective mylar cover. An AGATHA AWARD NOMINEE for Best Novel. This is the author's second columnist Molly Blume mystery set in Los Angeles. Molly is the first to admit she is nosy, impatient, and stubborn. But her character serves her well in her chosen profession: true-crime writer. Molly's radar bleeps when the death of a confused elderly man appears to be related to a rash of vandalism that she's been investigating. Good thing she's curious, as the death turns out to be murder, and the connection to the vandalism fades into the background in the face of the man's family squabbles and the strange disappearance of his daughter, Linney. Molly's ties to her Orthodox Jewish family (and to her new boyfriend, Zack, an Orthodox rabbi) seem especially strong juxtaposed against Linney's sad family history, and they add an extra element of reality to Molly's character, showing how she manages to derive pleasure and solace from both her work and her faith. There's an unusual neighborhood feel about this L.A. crime story that gives a strong sense of people living in a real community. First Edition. Hard Cover. Fine/Fine. Book.