A decent little whodunit with much to enjoy. I particularly liked the sense of time and place, 1959 Santa Monica came alive, the oppressive heat of summer and the oppressive feeling of living in an age when the middle class white male was all powerful, with the women trapped in their domestic roles, their homes feeling like beautiful cages. The plight of black folks, completely powerless, trying to eke out a life while subservient to whites makes for suitably uncomfortable reading, all these things were very well portrayed. On the down side, some of the characters were a bit flat, particularly the detective, and some of their actions were somewhat random and didn't ring true, just used as a convenient way to move the plot forward. I also feel the ending dragged on too long and felt almost farcical, though ultimately satisfying. not bad!