Maybe it’s the aging demographic, but two mysteries in a row (the first the wonderful Thursday Murder Club, by Orman) set in retirement communities seems a little odd. However, Pheasant Run, the setting for Aviary and located in Montana, is far removed from the upscale, bucolic English village in Orman’s book. It’s down at its heels and may be soon to be sold, leaving the residents, none of them particularly well-off, uneasy and possibly homeless. When a new management company is brought in and new on-site manager, the odious Herbie Bonebright, is installed, they begin to fear the worst. Herbie seems bent on making things uncomfortable enough that residents begin to leave. Then a mysterious fire breaks out in his kitchen and Herbie disappears without a trace. So does resident Viola Six. The reader comes to know the sorrows, worries, and sometimes joys of the residents; of the fire marshal, Lander Maki, who investigates the fire; and Clayton Spooner, a troubled young boy with an awful home life. Recommended. 292 pp.
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