Gorman Bechard, Ninth Square

I came for the location: Ninth Square, written by fellow Connecticut native Gorman Bechard, is set in and around New Haven, and there are lots of local references beyond the expected Yale and pizza—Willoughby's, Toad's Place, Showcase Cinemas in Orange (back when that was a thing). Even more remarkable, some of the action takes place in North Haven, my adopted hometown. The main character's parents have a bakery right near the town hall, and—more amazing yet—they live just a ten-minute walk from me! That's all very cool. The story is pretty good, too. Detective William Shute is investigating the stabbing death of a big-deal Bible thumper whose organization of holier-than-thous is planning to move its headquarters to New Haven. But it seems that some of them aren't above satisfying the needs of the flesh in inappropriate ways. Shute has to wade through a lot of porn in the course of his investigation, and he uncovers some surprises along the way: police corruption, a city-wide conspiracy, and an unexpected connection to the case that makes it personal for him.