McMansion    by Justin Scott Order:  USA  Can Poisoned Pen, 2006 (2006) Hardcover     Reviewed by Mary Ann Smyth Realtor and private detective Ben Abbott is not too happy with the way McMansions are springing up like tulips in his New England town of Newbury, Connecticut. The corpse of one of the greediest developers is discovered, having been run over and killed by his own bulldozer. A young tree hugger is arrested for the dirty deed. The State's Attorney hopes to use the case to propel his move into the U.S. Senate. Small-town attorney Ira Levy hopes to exploit the notoriety generated by this case to impress big money and attract powerful people to his practice. Whether the young man is guilty seems incidental to a number of people except for Ben. This story moves at a good clip, full of interesting characters who all seem to have their own agendas. The plot goes beyond small town life to bigger issues of greed and power, which are the same the world over. The stretch to move up the ladder to what one considers success seems to include stepping on whomever is on a lower rung. A big issue for a man of simple delights like Ben - who appreciates his antique car, his ninety-three year-old Aunt Connie, and twelve-year-old Alison. McMansion is the latest offering in a long line of books by author Justin Scott. Each and every one just gets better – if that's possible. Note: Opinions expressed in reviews and articles on this site are those of the author(s) and not necessarily those of BookLoons. Find more Mystery books on our Shelves or in our book Reviews