Elena and her partner Leo are the Los Santos Police department officers called to investigate the murder of senior Graham Fullerton at Herbert Hobart University. Elena was recently presented with an honorary doctorate by HHU in gratitude for solving another crime (in a previous book) and is very familiar with the small, expensive liberal arts school.

It is immediately apparent that Graham's female friends considered him the "Campus Casanova." Therefore, Elena is not surprised when she finds a note on Graham's bed that says: Thanks for a hot time. The Menąge į Trois Twins. In addition, the police find Graham's little black book listing over thirty girls' names along with his personal comments in the margins describing their intimate encounters. When the autopsy reveals that his vitamins contain potassium cyanide, and not all the pills are vitamins at all but experimental drugs used in the treatment of HIV, they have a motive for his murder and an abundant number of suspects.

Interestingly, the many privacy laws encompassing HIV/AIDS in Texas frequently hamper Elena's investigation. The doctors and pharmacies refuse to provide information, and even Graham's family declines access to his medical records. Elena must remain silent, too, even if the health of thirty girls might be in jeopardy.

Elena's interviewing tactics come off as being somewhat pushy and confrontational, but in light of her partner and co-workers' chauvinism, perhaps these traits are understandable. Her own taste in men is frustratingly inept, and she has one divorce under her belt. She struggles with her own demons, faults, and fears without wallowing in self-pity, and she is very much a survivor.

The book's greatest charm lies in the generous number of unique characters and their resulting subplots within the main mystery. For example, there is Professor McGlenlevie, the author of such works as "Erotica in Reeboks" and "Rapture in the Rapids," who is on a quest for fatherhood. He omits to tell his many girlfriends of his plan, or to consider the possibility that more than one of them might become pregnant at the same time.

There is even a secondary crime to solve brought to Elena's attention by Gretchen Farber, the university's health services doctor. She insists Elena must find a way to prosecute a male student who has date-raped a female patient using the drug Rohypnol. Elena is compelled to be creative, since the girl in question is too embarrassed to make the crime public and insists Elena not do anything about it.

All in all, the comical and serious themes in Casanova Crimes work well, an unusually difficult thing to do without creating a farce. This balance continues when pairing the many unconventional characters with an earnest Elena, as they are perfect foils for each other. I particularly enjoyed the ending of Casanova Crimes with its deceptively clear and hard-won solution. It may or may not be as simple as it first appears, and yet it offers a peculiar sense of justice.

--Monica Pope