A series of 300-page quick-reading murder mystery novels full of stuff like the above? Oh, we’re doing this. (I know, I know… it was technically in Middlefield, but then his Wesleyan bit wouldn’t work.) That’s great, right? Clearly this is referencing the (now closed) Red Dog Saloon, the divey biker bar that was on Route 66 on the way west to Meriden. What’s up with the incredibly specific Meriden shade? Was this true in the 1990’s?: Sure, he must use his creative license at times to make the story flow better, but by and large, if the two books I’ve read so far are indicative of the whole series, there’s not a more accurate mass market fiction writer when it comes to Connecticut towns, roads, sights, and geography.Īnd because of that, I’ll be sprinkling in snippets not just to prove my point, but because it’s fun for me. Handler’s geography is really quite accurate throughout his books and he’s not shy about shouting out all parts of Connecticut. The Cold Blue Blood begins with a senseless murder of a single mother in Meriden. The later book I’d read was so Connecticut, and so oddly entertaining… I’m hooked. Back to where it all began between Mitch Berger and Desiree Mitry. I read a later book in the series first, and it compelled me to go back to the beginning. Nick and Nora Charles are a lot of live up to… and I’d never heard of author David Handler until I learned that this series takes place in Connecticut – and that Handler himself lives in Old Lyme. And say hello to the mismatched romantic duo of Mitch Berger and Desiree Mitry, the freshest, funniest crime-solving team to come along since Nick and Nora Charles.īold. Welcome to the quaint historic village of Dorset, the jewel of Connecticut’s Gold Coast. I’m going to introduce this mystery series by using the publisher’s introduction:

This is the first in David Handler’s Berger and Mitry Mystery series The Cold Blue Blood, David Handler (2001) Religion, Remembrances, Statuary, & Outdoor Art.Towers, Bridges, Forts, Tunnels, Roads, Canals, Dams, Fishways, Airports, & Ferries.Houses, Communities, Urban Legends, Lighthouses, Libraries, Schools, Businesses, & Theaters.Sports, Thrills, Cruises, Trains, Fairs, Parades, & Events.Animals, Farms, Gardens, Plants, Trees, Rocks, Waterfalls, & Caves.Firsts, Onlies, Oldests, Largests, Longests, Mosts, Smallests, & Bests.Homemade Ice Cream, Cheese, & Chocolate Trails.Best, Historic, & Unique Restaurants & Foods.Cycling, Multi-Use, & Rails-to-Trails Paths.Audubon, Nature Conservancy, RWA, and US Army Corps of Engineers Trails.State Parks, Reserves, Preserves, Forests, NAPs, WMAs, & Campsites.

The Cold Blue Blood by David Handler