Treasure Hunt (Wyatt Hunt, Book 2) (U)

The widow of a major player in the world of San Francisco nonprofits believes that his alleged mistress killed him-and she's putting up fifty grand to whoever helps prove it. Wyatt Hunt and his investigation firm want in on that action-no matter where it takes them...Publishers WeeklyBestseller Lescroart s lackluster third Hunt Club thriller (after The Suspect) finds PI Wyatt Hunt near the end of his rope. Business has slowed to a trickle; Hunt s relationship with his old high school friend, homicide detective Devin Juhle, is on the rocks; his receptionist, Tamara Dade, has walked out; and Tamara s brother, Mickey, is his only remaining employee. When Mickey discovers the body of Dominic Como, San Francisco s most prominent civic activist, he proposes a way for Hunt s agency to get involved in the murder investigation and perhaps return to solvency. Como s extensive charities, like the Sunset Youth Project and its subsidiaries, operated with a budget of about $50 million a sum large enough to put all sorts of murder motives into play. And just how jealous was Como s wife of her husband s young and pretty female driver? A labored gathering of suspects, police, and Hunt Club operatives allows Hunt to produce the killer in melodramatic fashion. (Jan.)