Neither his colleague’s jealousy or his girlfriend’s obvious annoyance at his devotion to the job dent his enthusiasm, and even dealing with a prima donna movie star who keeps changing her mind about the design is as nothing beside the chance at such a plum assignment.

When a visit to the building site turns up the body of a dead man hanging in the wine cellar, however, Merlin cannot help but feel the project is tainted. The police are calling it a suicide, but the man’s hands were tied behind his back. They report that the victim was a derelict, but Merlin remembers smart clothes and a gold watch. Merlin’s employer, a meat packing millionaire with a shady reputation, suggests rather forcibly that Merlin mind his own business, but Merlin cannot just let it go.

I found Saint’s Rest enjoyable, but not compelling. The setting is interesting, as are some of the details about architecture and I was carried away by Merlin’s enthusiasm for the great Frank Lloyd Wright. The solution to the mystery was fairly obvious, but it was smoothly written and I rather liked Merlin, in a distant sort of way. Not a page turner, but Saint’s Rest was a pleasant enough read.

--Jeri Wright