Pineapple Port is a killer of a town

Since we would be on the road for a family wedding, I selected Amy Vansant’s “Pineapple Lies” as a travel companion.

Pineapple Port is a Florida retirement community. Residents are at least 55 with one exception – thirty-something Charlotte Morton.

The orphaned Charlotte was raised there by her grandmother. By the time her grandmother died, Charlotte was in her late teens and a part of the community, so rules were bent allowing her to stay.

Growing up with a county sheriff nearby gave Charlotte a taste for detecting, and she has been shadowing Sheriff Frank. A man has been found face down in a bowl of cereal. His wife died only two days ago. When Charlotte discovers a very sick sphinx (hairless) cat, she and Frank suspect poisoning.

They soon find a clever poisoning system hidden in the refrigerator. Frank recognizes the clues. Is the Puzzle Killer back?

At the same time, Alex has launched a killing spree. The first victim is a master puzzle maker. He is stabbed then thrown into a swimming pool with a large and hungry alligator. No one notices the puzzle pieces in the pool. The gruesome crime is ruled an accident.

Next a world-famous crossword puzzle solver dies after falling out of bed and stabbing his pen into his jugular. A puzzle piece is found beneath his head.

From that point the plot gets extremely tangled. Charlotte’s boyfriend, Declan, runs the local pawn shop. At one time he dated Stephanie, a high-powered defense lawyer, but now never wants to see the manipulative woman again. But she waltzes into his store and explains that her client is the real Puzzle Killer and needs Charlotte to find the copycat killer.

Declan’s uncle Seamus is thrust into the mess when U.S. Marshall Simone demands that he investigate the recent murders. He once had a fling with Simone and wants to steer clear, but it is easier said than done.

We soon learn that the original Puzzle Killer has a long history of murder and she is Stephanie’s mother, Jamie. She gave Stephanie to a caretaker but supported the child well. Now Jamie has moved to Florida and reconnected with the daughter. The appearance of the copycat has her upset, so she hired Stephanie using lawyer/client privilege as a shield.

Jamie wants to do something to make Stephanie and suggests killing Charlotte to eliminate the competition for Declan, but she refuses to let Jamie kill anyone. It’s frustrating, because she enjoys killing and is very good at it.

Charlotte has a reliable routine of walking her little dog each morning, so she is unaware that each time she leaves the house one of the groundskeepers has been slipping inside, looking at her underwear and even lying in her bed. When Jamie snoops through Charlotte’s house she discovers “the peeper” and decides to kill him but loses an earring in the process.

The case takes a bizarre twist when Alex contacts Jamie and threatens to expose her if she doesn’t agree to kill Stephanie. It doesn’t take Jamie long to agree. She is unaware that Alex is Stephanie, setting a trap to test her mother.

As things hurtle to a climax, Charlotte, Declan, Seamus and Stephanie arrive at Simone’s house only to discover that Simone is Jamie. She is ready and waiting to kill anyone who might upset her comfortable life. But Stephanie tries to fight back by poisoning Jamie’s drink. By the time she has freed the others, Jamie has reached an antidote and fled the scene, leaving behind far more questions than answers.

Not all stories have clear-cut endings. Some leave us wanting more, and that is where YOUR public library comes in. They have what you want. Just go check it out.