Cohen, Jeffrey – FOR WHOM THE MINIVAN ROLLS

[LJ Roberts]

FOR WHOM THE MINIVAN ROLLS (Unlicensed Investigator/Writer-New Jersey-Cont) – G+ Cohen, Jeffrey – 1st in series
Bancroft Press, 2002- Hardcover

Aaron Tucker is a husband, father, ever-hopeful screenwriter and freelance reporter. Madlyn Beckwirth, wife of the town’s wealthy resident, disappears in the middle of the night. Gary Beckwirth insists that Aaron is hired to find her, but then refuses to cooperate with the investigation. After Aaron is threatened, he is determined to find out what happened.

I did not find it as funny as some and become tired of being reminded that Aaron is short. I enjoyed his references to music and to other authors and fictional PIs, even through he missed by stating that Kat Colorado is an LA PI, when the character was set in Sacramento, California. What I did like was strong dialogue, a good sense of place, Aaron’s relationship with his family and, when he realized he was being used, his determination to find the answers to the mystery. It had an interesting plot with unexpected twists along the way. Cohen has written an enjoyable, entertaining book that I would classify this as a solid traditional mystery.