At fifty-five Gloria retired from her job at a research lab in California and returned to her birthplace of Massachusetts. There she lives in an apartment over a funeral parlor run by her childhood friend, Rose and her husband. This makes it convenient for interviewing suspects when Gloria is drawn into police investigations due to her “special knowledge" as a scientist.

This series follows the periodic table for its inspiration and is at element number four, beryllium. A former colleague and expert at handling that particular material is found dead and Gloria suspects foul play. So it’s off to California with a special services agreement from beau Detective Sgt. Matt Gennaro which she hopes entitles her to nose into the matter. Her hopes are dashed by the local police who consider the death accidental but luckily for them Gloria isn’t satisfied.

Very soon she finds herself searching for a missing teen, confronting scientists who have much to hide, tracking down boxes of tissues, drinking endless cups of double cappuccinos and ultimately climbing fences in a toxic waste dump with a determined killer chasing her. No guns or weapons for this sleuth, it’s computers and fact filled publications which yield the truth.

This was the first of the series I’ve read and I recommend it with reservations. Some of the scientific language is tedious especially when you’re looking to the book for relaxation. Plus on nearly every page Gloria laments that scientists are involved in a crime. She seems to consider the profession to be exclusive of criminal activities. After the twentieth iteration, and this is no exaggeration, I wanted to say “get over it.” I’ll watch for more of Minichino’s books and follow Gloria, the pudgy gray-haired scientist and skip over the “super scientist” portions.

--Jane Davis