Hotel Paradise

by Martha Grimes

Every now and then I pick up one of my dad's cast-off books and I'm usually not disappointed. My dad is a pretty voracious reader and his tastes are not too far from my own. My dad finished this during one of our recent vacations and so I tossed it into my bag to read later. I'm glad I did.

Hotel Paradise is a different kind of murder mystery. It's told from the point of view of a twelve year old girl who lives in a sleepy little town that used to be a resort destination but now is just a dot on a map in the middle of nowhere. The story is almost more about the girl and her neighbors than it is about the mystery. It's filled with colorful characters that are well fleshed out and utterly fascinating. Well worth reading.