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Ben Abbott Mysteries #4
McMansion
Even the cozy New England town of Newbury, Connecticut, is not immune to the relentless spread of McMansions carpeting the countryside. Ben Abbott, realtor and private detective, is so incensed that he refuses to sell them. That Ben is not the only citizen of Newbury who is provoked by over-sized, ugly, wasteful houses becomes apparent when the corpse of Billy Tiller, Newbury's greediest developer, is discovered underneath his bulldozer.
The young and troubled eco-activist Jeff Kimball, who is arrested while sitting at the controls of the bulldozer, protests his innocence. Connecticut's state's attorney sees the opportunity to prosecute an open-and-shut TV murder trial that will vault him into the U.S. Senate. While Ira Levy, the small-town criminal defense lawyer hired by Jeff's hip-hop mogul father, longs to impress movers and shakers in New York City.
Ben Abbott, deep in debt to Attorney Levy for an expensive horse he gave to 12-year-old Alison, is forced to pay off the debt by trying to prove Jeff Kimball innocent of a crime that State Police Major Crime Squad Lieutenant Marian Boyce styles "perpetrator on bulldozer on victim."
It looks that way, says Ben Abbott. But in what order did they really stack up?
The young and troubled eco-activist Jeff Kimball, who is arrested while sitting at the controls of the bulldozer, protests his innocence. Connecticut's state's attorney sees the opportunity to prosecute an open-and-shut TV murder trial that will vault him into the U.S. Senate. While Ira Levy, the small-town criminal defense lawyer hired by Jeff's hip-hop mogul father, longs to impress movers and shakers in New York City.
Ben Abbott, deep in debt to Attorney Levy for an expensive horse he gave to 12-year-old Alison, is forced to pay off the debt by trying to prove Jeff Kimball innocent of a crime that State Police Major Crime Squad Lieutenant Marian Boyce styles "perpetrator on bulldozer on victim."
It looks that way, says Ben Abbott. But in what order did they really stack up?
- GenresMystery
265 pages, Kindle Edition
First published December 15, 2006
About the author
Justin Scott
98 books89 followersAlso writes as Justin Scott, Paul Garrison, J.S. Blazer, and Alexander Cole.
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
August 3, 2015
Justin Scott has written over a dozen mysteries, thrillers and adventure novels under several names, taut, exemplary stories that illuminate and explore many of our social concerns. They are good stories, well-written with drive and panache. This is another, peopled with interesting characters, a serious underpinning, and enough crime and mystery to satisfy the most enthusiastic crime fiction reader.
Ben Abbott is a sometime private investigator, sometime real estate agent, and a full time commentator on some of the more egregious aspects of our modern society and the influence on small town America. Abbott is also one of the more pleasant and thoughtful investigators readers are likely to run across in this age. Abbott is concerned about the effects of aging on his Aunt Constance who lives nearby, he takes in children in need of adult supervision and he worries about unrestrained development of open spaces in the Connecticut town of Newbury where he lives. That last concern forms the core of this interesting novel about crooked developers, and a badly twisted legal system.
One of the worst developers, a Billy Tiller, possessed mostly of terrible taste, monumental greed and a willingness to break the law anytime he thought there was profit in it, gets his come-uppance when somebody drives a bulldozer over him at a construction site. The perpetrator, a young member of ELF, is discovered by the local troopers sitting at the controls of the offending ‘dozer with the crushed body of Billy Tiller underneath. Open and shut, but Abbott, retained by the boy’s lawyer, doesn’t believe it. His pursuit of the truth leads him into some interesting and stressful situations. This is a well written and enjoyable novel.
February 15, 2018
Had a hard time reading this book. I found the writing style a bit weird. Conversations felt a little forced, and the author's word choices were a little weird. I also didn't like how many of the characters revelled in their immoral behavior. All of the married characters were cheating on their spouses.
July 10, 2023
Ben Abbott #4, OK to read as a stand-alone. A rich greedy developer has been killed and Ben is hired by his lawyer to help prove that the accused young man is not guilty. This is another very fine easy-going mystery with a delightful cast of characters and a plot that defies the reader's efforts to solve. I liked it a lot -- 4 stars.
July 27, 2024
This is the only Justin Scott book I’ve read so far. Generally I like the way he builds the plot and describes the characters. I find his conversations to be a little stilted and forced. But overall it was a great read. It bears repeating that he draws some very entertaining towns-people and that really carries the story.
August 13, 2007
McMANSIONS (PI-Connecticut-Cont) – VG
Scott, Justin – 4th in series
Poisoned Pen Press, 2006- US Hardcover – ISBN 1-59058-063X
*** Ben Abbot is a realtor and private investigator in Newbury, Connecticut, a town whose history dates back to the Colonies. Billy Tiller was a developer and the nightmare of every preservationist. His only concern was making as much money as possible in any way he could and the number of those who hated him is impressive. Billy’s body was found crushed under a D4 Bulldozer and although Jeff Kimball, a 20-year-old kid and member of ELF (Earth Liberation Front) opposed to development, he says he stumbled on the scene and was trying to get the D4 off the body when the police arrived. Now Jeff’s lawyer has hired Ben to find a defense for his client.
*** It has been nine years since the last Ben Abbott book, and I’m delighted he’s back. Ben is a great character—he comes from an old, New England family, has his Aunt Connie who is showing early stages of dementia, loves his town, became involved with the wrong people that landed him in prison for 3 years, is clueless about relationships with women but has befriended a young girl being raised by a single mother and is a somewhat unwilling PI. The story is a well-plotted traditional mystery with plenty of suspects and motives through which to be sorted. The issue of preservation versus development is certainly timely but doesn’t overwhelm the mystery. I found “McMansions” to be a very good read, with a very bad title, and sincerely hope the next book will be soon than nine year’s away.
Scott, Justin – 4th in series
Poisoned Pen Press, 2006- US Hardcover – ISBN 1-59058-063X
*** Ben Abbot is a realtor and private investigator in Newbury, Connecticut, a town whose history dates back to the Colonies. Billy Tiller was a developer and the nightmare of every preservationist. His only concern was making as much money as possible in any way he could and the number of those who hated him is impressive. Billy’s body was found crushed under a D4 Bulldozer and although Jeff Kimball, a 20-year-old kid and member of ELF (Earth Liberation Front) opposed to development, he says he stumbled on the scene and was trying to get the D4 off the body when the police arrived. Now Jeff’s lawyer has hired Ben to find a defense for his client.
*** It has been nine years since the last Ben Abbott book, and I’m delighted he’s back. Ben is a great character—he comes from an old, New England family, has his Aunt Connie who is showing early stages of dementia, loves his town, became involved with the wrong people that landed him in prison for 3 years, is clueless about relationships with women but has befriended a young girl being raised by a single mother and is a somewhat unwilling PI. The story is a well-plotted traditional mystery with plenty of suspects and motives through which to be sorted. The issue of preservation versus development is certainly timely but doesn’t overwhelm the mystery. I found “McMansions” to be a very good read, with a very bad title, and sincerely hope the next book will be soon than nine year’s away.
January 7, 2008
I'm not a big fan of mysteries in general, but the Ben Abbott series by Justin Scott is clearly, lovingly, set in my hometown of Newtown, CT. It's a treat spotting details that only other Newtowners would know. In this book, my favorite was the lady who dresses as a Polish peasant.
January 17, 2008
Fun mystery with reasonable plot. Some of the details seemed off.
July 8, 2008
I enjoyed reading this and solving the mystery as I went along.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews