Garden Cop

Law enforcement figures return in Palmer's Garden Cop, the fast-paced story of vacationing FBI agent Curtis Russell. He comes afoul of his mother's pretty neighbor when he accuses her of growing marijuana and nearly gets himself arrested for destroying one of her tomato plants. Soon he and the feisty gardener, who turns out to be prosecutor Mary Ryan, are stumbling around the neighborhood together in an earnest but clumsy attempt to find a missing federal witness. With its deadpan wit and lively mystery, Garden Cop is the most satisfying of the entries, but all three succeed in evoking the ambiance of the sultry South.