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Berger and Mitry #1
The Cold Blue Blood
Mitch Berger, a top film critic with a major New York newspaper at a surprisingly young age, has become almost a recluse since his wife died one year ago. He spends his time secluded in his apartment or in the dark recesses of a screening room. Although he continues to dazzle moviegoers and the film elite with his criticisms, his editor and good friend is alarmed about him. As a scheme to pull him out of the doldrums of his grief, she gives him a non-film assignment - to do a color story on the wealthy and social homeowners on Connecticut's Gold Coast. It takes some doing, but in the end Mitch agrees.
He is fortunate to find a cottage to rent on Big Sister, the absolute top-of-the-line private island outside the town of Dorset. His landlady, Dolly, is pleasant and friendly, but some of the other inhabitants of this small piece of land, although too well bred to come right out and say it, are not happy to have Mitch, born of parents only one generation away from Eastern Europe and raised on the city's pavements, arrive in their back yard. But Dolly, whose husband has recently left her, needs the money, and at least she is more than gracious.
The discovery of a body during a bout of optimistic gardening in Dolly's back yard brings on the other main player - Lieutenant Desiree Mitry, one of only three women on the Connecticut State Police major crimes squad, the youngest of the three, and the only black. A dedicated officer, she is the terror of everyone who doesn't really want to give a home to one of her stray cats. She is, as well, a closet artist and a complicated and beautiful woman, and she intrigues Mitch from the start.
He is fortunate to find a cottage to rent on Big Sister, the absolute top-of-the-line private island outside the town of Dorset. His landlady, Dolly, is pleasant and friendly, but some of the other inhabitants of this small piece of land, although too well bred to come right out and say it, are not happy to have Mitch, born of parents only one generation away from Eastern Europe and raised on the city's pavements, arrive in their back yard. But Dolly, whose husband has recently left her, needs the money, and at least she is more than gracious.
The discovery of a body during a bout of optimistic gardening in Dolly's back yard brings on the other main player - Lieutenant Desiree Mitry, one of only three women on the Connecticut State Police major crimes squad, the youngest of the three, and the only black. A dedicated officer, she is the terror of everyone who doesn't really want to give a home to one of her stray cats. She is, as well, a closet artist and a complicated and beautiful woman, and she intrigues Mitch from the start.
308 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published October 1, 2001
69 people are currently reading
946 people want to read
About the author
David Handler
53 books260 followersAKA Russell Andrews (with Peter Gethers)
David Handler, who began his career in New York as a journalist, was born and raised in Los Angeles and published two highly acclaimed novels about growing up there, Kiddo and Boss, before resorting to a life of crime fiction.
David Handler, who began his career in New York as a journalist, was born and raised in Los Angeles and published two highly acclaimed novels about growing up there, Kiddo and Boss, before resorting to a life of crime fiction.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 126 reviews
June 19, 2021
I wasn't real impressed with the description of the book but again...it met a challenge, so I thought I can stand less than 200 pages so lets go for it. I'm glad I did. It's not often that a writer can make the reader feel completely immersed in a story...David Handler can. The only complaint that I had was that he tried too hard to make Mitry into the idea of what a black woman is supposedly suppose to sound like and act like. She was more well bred than that and he didn't really do her justice. For the first book in the series...the author did very well and I will find the others soon.
June 2, 2016
A mystery with main protagonists involved in a romance relationship. Maybe it is good for readers who want a feel-good story, balancing between romance and mystery story.
March 2, 2016
I acquired “The Bright Silver Star” years before being aware new releases had become plugged into series. Standalone gothics were the popular norm until 1990. When I realized I could acquaint Desiree and Mitch two novels earlier, I was sure to collect them. Their bright covers must not be confused with the ‘cozy’ genre. In a male author’s hands, background stories are disturbing and action harder-hitting. Be prepared for standard mysteries. Other than abhorring a disturbing crime, of course: I prefer a standard, non watered-down mystery with grown-up dialogue.
Mitch Berger holds the rare position of a successful living from home, in what he would gladly pay to do on personal time instead of the other way around: watching films and writing about the industry! He is however, shrouded in sorrow because his young wife died of sudden cancer. Caring about him, his editor coaxes him out, into bright light, on vacation. In Connecticut’s island region, close to New York City, he accidentally acquires access to a rental cottage in an exclusive community. His property owner is a proud but troubled lady whose second husband abandoned her under odd circumstances. As we meet each uniquely-rounded character, the shards of multiple crimes tumble around Mitch more and more widely.
I raced through “The Cold Blue Blood”, propelled by its pace and interesting personalities, enough for five stars. I love the gorgeous black Desiree, an officer with her own story, who reluctantly befriends Mitch. Incongruous, psychological explanations for the criminals that I couldn't buy, lower this book a notch. However David is no shallow author who devises one plot and trots us towards a carbon-copied gimmick. The writing of this mystery is certainly above average. There is constant personal interest and action, producing twists and developments every time we turn a page.
Mitch Berger holds the rare position of a successful living from home, in what he would gladly pay to do on personal time instead of the other way around: watching films and writing about the industry! He is however, shrouded in sorrow because his young wife died of sudden cancer. Caring about him, his editor coaxes him out, into bright light, on vacation. In Connecticut’s island region, close to New York City, he accidentally acquires access to a rental cottage in an exclusive community. His property owner is a proud but troubled lady whose second husband abandoned her under odd circumstances. As we meet each uniquely-rounded character, the shards of multiple crimes tumble around Mitch more and more widely.
I raced through “The Cold Blue Blood”, propelled by its pace and interesting personalities, enough for five stars. I love the gorgeous black Desiree, an officer with her own story, who reluctantly befriends Mitch. Incongruous, psychological explanations for the criminals that I couldn't buy, lower this book a notch. However David is no shallow author who devises one plot and trots us towards a carbon-copied gimmick. The writing of this mystery is certainly above average. There is constant personal interest and action, producing twists and developments every time we turn a page.
Read
July 29, 2024I cannot award stars as I could not get beyond the first pages...very unpleasant depiction of America's lower echelon - no one I would keep company with through a full book!
Abandoned
Abandoned
August 13, 2012
David Handler triumphed with his Stewart "Hoagy" Hoag mystery series, each novel more excellent than the one before. Handler ended that series 1997, leaving his fans bereft -- until the publication of The Cold Blue Blood, the beginning of a new series featuring Mitch Berger, "the lead film critic of the most prestigious -- and therefore the lowest paying -- of the three New York City daily newspapers," and Connecticut State Police lieutenant Desiree Mitry.
Berger, a widower for one year, is having a hard time getting on with his life. He undergoes an ephiphany and moves out of New York City to Dorset, Connecticut, landing in a refurbished carriage house on a island, Big Sister, that overlooks Long Island Sound. Soon after, while digging a flower garden, Berger discovers the body of a husband who was thought to have run off with another woman. It turns out the errant husband, Niles Seymour, was killed with the same gun as another murder victim. What is the connection between a waitress at a seedy roadhouse and the husband of a delicate WASP woman whose family roots in Connecticut dated to the 17th century?
Berger and Mitry join forces to find out, with Berger using inspiration while Mitry uses more conventional methods. The ending of The Cold Blue Blood will come as a great surprise. What won't come as a surprise is the budding but unlikely romance between the jocular Jewish Berger and the business-like African-American Mitry. I can't wait to read the next in the series, The Hot Pink Farmhouse.
Berger, a widower for one year, is having a hard time getting on with his life. He undergoes an ephiphany and moves out of New York City to Dorset, Connecticut, landing in a refurbished carriage house on a island, Big Sister, that overlooks Long Island Sound. Soon after, while digging a flower garden, Berger discovers the body of a husband who was thought to have run off with another woman. It turns out the errant husband, Niles Seymour, was killed with the same gun as another murder victim. What is the connection between a waitress at a seedy roadhouse and the husband of a delicate WASP woman whose family roots in Connecticut dated to the 17th century?
Berger and Mitry join forces to find out, with Berger using inspiration while Mitry uses more conventional methods. The ending of The Cold Blue Blood will come as a great surprise. What won't come as a surprise is the budding but unlikely romance between the jocular Jewish Berger and the business-like African-American Mitry. I can't wait to read the next in the series, The Hot Pink Farmhouse.
May 31, 2007
This is a standard fair mystery with a couple of things that add to its interest: first it is realtively well written, which is always nice. Second, there is an interrecial romance, which adds interest. I also appreciate all of the film references, though I don't actually get most of them. Most importantly, in this, the first book of the series, the female lead lives in Woodbridge, CT. Specific roads are mentioned. Including one a street away from where I grew up. Sure, there are inaccuracies--the Stop and Show is rendered here as the A&P. But still!
May 11, 2015
Lt. Mitry is a black woman with her hands full, fighting crime and fighting the police force’s good ole boy network at the same time. In Mitch Berger—Jewish and a film critic—she not only finds somewhat of a partner to help her solve the crime that’s uncovered, but a romantic interest as well. The cast of characters was intriguing, and the whodunit resolution completely unexpected. I’ll be reading more by this author.
July 19, 2019
The Cold Blue Blood is the first in The Berger & Mitry Mystery series. The sleuths make a great team with their differences really complimenting each other. Berger is a grieving 30 something widower, whose favorite habitat is a darkened theater. Mitry is a legacy police officer, picking up where her famous father picked up. The pair of them meet up on Big sister, a small exclusive community where Berger is staying for the summer and Mitry is investigating a murder. The case ends up being connected to more bodies and there are plenty of suspects to consider before it is resolved. Very good first in a series. I already requested the second from the library.
February 27, 2022
I absolutely loved this!! Well written with two great main characters that make a very unlikely pair. I will be reading more of this series!
September 14, 2011
It is difficult to create interesting characters, and the author manages to conjure up two that are complete opposites in the opening of this series. Mitch Berger, a film critic with a major New York newspaper has isolated himself since his wife died a year before. As a scheme to pull him out of his grief, his editor gives him an assignment to do a story on Connecticut's Gold Coast. Mitch agrees because it gives him a great opportunity for working on his new book about Westerns. Lieutenant Desiree Mitry, of the Connecticut State Police major crimes squad deals with the stresses of the job by drawing sketches of forensic photos. She also rescues stray cats and is ruthless in finding homes for them. She comes into Mitch’s life when he finds a body in the garden of his rented cottage on a island normally kept exclusively for possessors of Connecticut’s old money. The mystery story and the writing are so-so, but the characters keep you reading.
January 19, 2013
Loved that you didn't know who did until the end. Just like Agatha Christie - always a twist!
October 16, 2022
This is the first book in David Handler's 'Berger and Mitry' kinda-cozy crime series, and this first book was published in 2001.
So. I tried buying all 11 of these books from a specialist mysterious bookshop in New York, however - no go, because most were out-of-print. I have now sourced them all from ebay (for a not bad amount of $!) and I bought them all before even reading book one, based on the mystery series premise.
Which is; Mitch Berger is a NY film critic and widower, who moves to the fictional Dorset on Connecticut's Gold Coast and becomes embroiled in moneyed intrigued and murder! Lieutenant Desiree Mitry is one of only three women on the Connecticut State Police major crimes squad, and she comes into the story when Mitch discovers a dead body in his landlady's vegetable patch.
The series ends up being the two of them embarking on a tentative romance, with cozy-mysteries playing out to the backdrop of Connecticut's beautiful coastal town. And you know ... the first book did have twists and turns that kept me hooked, I would have liked more development of Mitch & Desiree's relationship, but I am feeling confident in preemptively buying the other 10 books because this is exactly the kind of crime series I've been craving
So. I tried buying all 11 of these books from a specialist mysterious bookshop in New York, however - no go, because most were out-of-print. I have now sourced them all from ebay (for a not bad amount of $!) and I bought them all before even reading book one, based on the mystery series premise.
Which is; Mitch Berger is a NY film critic and widower, who moves to the fictional Dorset on Connecticut's Gold Coast and becomes embroiled in moneyed intrigued and murder! Lieutenant Desiree Mitry is one of only three women on the Connecticut State Police major crimes squad, and she comes into the story when Mitch discovers a dead body in his landlady's vegetable patch.
The series ends up being the two of them embarking on a tentative romance, with cozy-mysteries playing out to the backdrop of Connecticut's beautiful coastal town. And you know ... the first book did have twists and turns that kept me hooked, I would have liked more development of Mitch & Desiree's relationship, but I am feeling confident in preemptively buying the other 10 books because this is exactly the kind of crime series I've been craving
March 13, 2018
PROTAGONISTS: Mitch Berger, film critic, and Desiree Mitry, homicide detective
SETTING: Connecticut
SERIES: #1
RATING: 4.25
WHY: Mitch Berger is a respected film critic for a New York newspaper. Ever since his wife died, he's been living an isolated life. His editor tempts him with a new assignment, and he rents a cottage in Connecticut. It's an insulated community, and there are unexpectedly quite a few murders that occur. The lead investigator is a black female detective named Desiree Mitry. There's a confusing for both of them attraction to the other. Mitch comes up with a plan straight out of the movies to flush out the killer. Although that was a bit of a stretch, the book overall was enjoyable, particularly in the way the relationships were portrayed.
SETTING: Connecticut
SERIES: #1
RATING: 4.25
WHY: Mitch Berger is a respected film critic for a New York newspaper. Ever since his wife died, he's been living an isolated life. His editor tempts him with a new assignment, and he rents a cottage in Connecticut. It's an insulated community, and there are unexpectedly quite a few murders that occur. The lead investigator is a black female detective named Desiree Mitry. There's a confusing for both of them attraction to the other. Mitch comes up with a plan straight out of the movies to flush out the killer. Although that was a bit of a stretch, the book overall was enjoyable, particularly in the way the relationships were portrayed.
July 13, 2018
Rated two books this week at three stars, one because it was less than fresh (book 13 in a series felt like an OK visit from a family member one loves but tells the same stories every time) and this one because it was better than I expected. There was some wit.
March 27, 2022
The protagonists were realistic and thoroughly fleshed out characters. The mystery was complicated and more gritty than a cozy mystery. Think more Agatha Christie than Lillian Jackson Braun. I will read more when I need another break from my usual books.
October 24, 2018
Abandoned. It's just not for me.
Want to read
February 2, 2019Synopsis: reporter Mitch Berger is doing a story on the wealthy of Connecticut's Gold Coast. He and policewoman Mitry discover a body.
April 10, 2014
4 ½ out of 5 Stars
★ ★ ★ ★ / ★ ★ ★ ★ ★
Mitch is a widower with an obsession with sweet foods and old films, but being a movie critic what else is he supposed to do (?). Knowing Mitch is battling depression Lacy, his boss, sends him to an historic rich version of Pleasantville, or is it more Hot Fuzz? While he’s in Dorset he meets Des, a black female lieutenant in an all-white male monopoly service with a love for art, after a couple of murders in the little quiet island Big Sister. As the victims list grows so does the suspect list and a couple of attempted murders, and the question remains who can you trust who can’t you?
Pros :
o Handler’s Characters – The characters in this novel where very unique and likable. Mitch was not a sexy guy with the physique of a Greek god, he was real and just your average Joe. His personality was becoming and he was easy to like with his sadness, but also with his progression to become happy again. Des was a wonderful character with a quirky sense of humor, and a boatload of closed off feelings that women feel like they cannot express when in a position such as hers; also her obsession with cat’s was very funny also. The people in the town were very believable, and unlikable…in a good way.
o The murders – Although that may sound peculiar, the murders where very real (well as real as I get from TV shows) and the suspects where really tricky. I didn’t know who did it until a good portion of the way through the book.
o Careers – I haven’t read many books with the professions of these characters, so that was pretty cool.
o Progression – For me this novel never had a dull moment, it was loaded with soft mystery and interesting plot development.
Cons :
o Grammar – I’m not going to lie and say that I’m a grammar queen, I mess up all the time, but those who do care should know it probably won’t make it to editor heaven.
o I felt like the ending was a tad bit rushed.
Overall The Cold Blue Blood is a splendid novel with remarkable characters, and writing that keeps you entertained until the end.
I have no idea why but this is who came to my head every time I pictured Mitch
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And Des
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★ ★ ★ ★ / ★ ★ ★ ★ ★
Mitch is a widower with an obsession with sweet foods and old films, but being a movie critic what else is he supposed to do (?). Knowing Mitch is battling depression Lacy, his boss, sends him to an historic rich version of Pleasantville, or is it more Hot Fuzz? While he’s in Dorset he meets Des, a black female lieutenant in an all-white male monopoly service with a love for art, after a couple of murders in the little quiet island Big Sister. As the victims list grows so does the suspect list and a couple of attempted murders, and the question remains who can you trust who can’t you?
Pros :
o Handler’s Characters – The characters in this novel where very unique and likable. Mitch was not a sexy guy with the physique of a Greek god, he was real and just your average Joe. His personality was becoming and he was easy to like with his sadness, but also with his progression to become happy again. Des was a wonderful character with a quirky sense of humor, and a boatload of closed off feelings that women feel like they cannot express when in a position such as hers; also her obsession with cat’s was very funny also. The people in the town were very believable, and unlikable…in a good way.
o The murders – Although that may sound peculiar, the murders where very real (well as real as I get from TV shows) and the suspects where really tricky. I didn’t know who did it until a good portion of the way through the book.
o Careers – I haven’t read many books with the professions of these characters, so that was pretty cool.
o Progression – For me this novel never had a dull moment, it was loaded with soft mystery and interesting plot development.
Cons :
o Grammar – I’m not going to lie and say that I’m a grammar queen, I mess up all the time, but those who do care should know it probably won’t make it to editor heaven.
o I felt like the ending was a tad bit rushed.
Overall The Cold Blue Blood is a splendid novel with remarkable characters, and writing that keeps you entertained until the end.
I have no idea why but this is who came to my head every time I pictured Mitch
[image error]
And Des
December 3, 2014
The Cold Blue Blood is the 1st book in the Berger and Mitry series. Mitch Berger is a New York City film critic. After the death of his wife, he has become a recluse. He is given an assignment to go to a small town in Connecticut. Impulsively he rents a carriage house while there on Big Sister Island. His life totally turns around from this decision.
The book starts out fast with a murder in the prologue. There are more to follow. There are also mysteries from the past. The residents of Big Sister Island are old money and most resent a newcomer in their midst. Lieutenant Des Mitry is in charge of the case. There is chemistry between Des and Mitch. Des rescues feral cats and she finds homes for them with people she meets while on the job. The people who are gifted the cats did not ask for them. She also is an artist who sketches before she starts out her day.
There is much to like about this book. One is the location and Mitch's new home. The story/mystery contained mysteries and relationships from the past. The main characters Mitch and Des were different and quite likable. It was interesting watching their relationship progress. Enjoyed the antics and adventures of Des and Bella when they went on cat rescue missions. It was a good enjoyable read. One could see the set up for the next book in the series which is The Hot Pink Farmhouse. I look forward to reading the series.
The book starts out fast with a murder in the prologue. There are more to follow. There are also mysteries from the past. The residents of Big Sister Island are old money and most resent a newcomer in their midst. Lieutenant Des Mitry is in charge of the case. There is chemistry between Des and Mitch. Des rescues feral cats and she finds homes for them with people she meets while on the job. The people who are gifted the cats did not ask for them. She also is an artist who sketches before she starts out her day.
There is much to like about this book. One is the location and Mitch's new home. The story/mystery contained mysteries and relationships from the past. The main characters Mitch and Des were different and quite likable. It was interesting watching their relationship progress. Enjoyed the antics and adventures of Des and Bella when they went on cat rescue missions. It was a good enjoyable read. One could see the set up for the next book in the series which is The Hot Pink Farmhouse. I look forward to reading the series.
February 11, 2016
Book #1 of a mystery series set in Connecticut, with all the requisite elements of a classic murder novel. It was fun to recognize so many of the places mentioned in the book; not too many books use Eastern Connecticut as a setting. The two main characters are Mitch Berger, a pudgy New York film critic and recluse, and Lieutenant Desiree Mitry of the Connecticut State Police, six-foot-one with long dreadlocks and legs up to there, who rescues feral cats in her spare time. The dialogue between the two is snappy, and the unlikely sexual chemistry is palpable. This is an easy, fast read for any lover of good old-fashioned mysteries (nothing gritty or slick here) and particulary enjoyable if you live in Connecticut.
July 12, 2008
fun light mystery
April 23, 2009
I love this series. Des and Mitch are 2 of my favorite characters.
October 11, 2010
Found this series by accident. Love it and have read everyone. Would recommend it to anyone who love a well written parlor room mystery
August 15, 2011
Very well written. I was never sure who the culprit(s) were until the end. Will definitely read the rest of the series. Unusual, quirky characters!
February 3, 2013
I really enjoyed this mystery. I like both main characters and I was happily clueless until the very end about the killer. Can't wait to read more.
July 30, 2015
Book was ok but the characters were stronger than the story.
Given that it was the first of a series I may give the author another try sometime in the future.
Given that it was the first of a series I may give the author another try sometime in the future.
August 6, 2014
Do yourself a favor and pick up this series! Can't wait to read all of them!
April 4, 2019
This book wasn't bad, but I hate the sequence in which
It also put me off that
And combining it with the first problem, I doubt this author should write about rape. He seems to need to spend time and effort learning about it if he wants to include the subject in his book again. Or he should avoid writing about rape in the future. Otherwise, he will just do more and more harm, aware or unaware of what he is doing.
It also put me off that
And combining it with the first problem, I doubt this author should write about rape. He seems to need to spend time and effort learning about it if he wants to include the subject in his book again. Or he should avoid writing about rape in the future. Otherwise, he will just do more and more harm, aware or unaware of what he is doing.
June 28, 2021
I enjoyed this book immensely. I got completely caught up in the story and I was delighted to find out that Mitry was black. I didn’t realize it until I was half through the book! It was nice to read a black character who did not speak that hip hop/yo-yo type dialect as a rule. I am black and grew up in the early 50’s. My mama was white with only a 4th grade edu. Our extended family was black and I couldn’t even use slang at home. This is not important except that then you had better speak well, learn to read and get education if you wanted to have a chance to get along. It was great to read an educated black character who was doing very well. Anyway, I’m looking forward to reading more in this series.
December 4, 2021
I picked up this book on a sort of impulse after Kat mentioned it because even though I haven’t been as into mysteries of late, a Jewish film critic and a Black detective as the main characters immediately sold me. And then actually starting the book, it is so fantastic! The characters are all so well-rounded and I love how Mitch and Des are broken in different ways (his grief over the death of his wife, the way Des draws crime scene photos to distance herself from them) but there’s so much more to them than just their jagged edges. And the mystery! I was guessing through the whole book (I’m terrible at figuring out the murderer lol) and love the way everything was resolved. This book is an utter delight and I’m excited to continue diving into this series!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 126 reviews