McMansion

Ben Abbott, realtor and private detective, is so incensed by mammoth McMansions that he refuses to sell them. Ben is not the only citizen of Newbury who is provoked by over-sized, ugly, wasteful houses, however: Billy Tiller, Newburys greediest developer, is discovered underneath his bulldozer.

Publishers Weekly

Scott's satisfying fourth installment of his Ben Abbott series (after 2003's Frostline) hinges on the murder of Billy Tiller, a greedy developer determined to ruin the smalltown charm of Newbury, Conn., with a string of tacky starter palaces. When he's found dead run over by a bulldozer the police arrest a young environmental activist, Jeff Kimball. Ira Levy, Kimball's lawyer, asks Abbott, realtor-cum-PI, to dig around. Abbott doesn't want to take the case he despised everything Tiller stood for and worries that his loathing might hamper his investigation but Levy twists his arm. Abbott determines pretty speedily that Kimball couldn't have committed the crime, but figuring out who did is a tad trickier. Though the reader never gets to know Abbott very well, this novel will resonate with those in the countless communities that are beset by real estate monstrosities. (Jan.) Copyright 2006 Reed Business Information.

Justin Scott is the author of twenty-two novels. He has been called the Dick Francis of yachting. In his other life as a mystery writer, he created the Ben Abbott detective series and was twice nominated for the Edgar Allan Poe Award. He holds Bachelors and Masters degrees in American history. He lives in Connecticut with his wife, the filmmaker Amber Edwards.