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Aaron Tucker is a freelance writer and aspiring screenwriter, a former investigative reporter and a current stay-at-home dad. None of that qualifies him, as he would be the first to admit, to investigate the disappearance of a local woman in his suburban New Jersey town. It's because Aaron knows that he would be over his head that he has no trouble turning down the missing woman's husband, the wealthiest man in town, when he tries to hire Aaron to locate his wife. But when he's offered several times his usual rate by the local paper if he'll do a story on the case, Aaron can't say no, even though he's aware that it's the missing woman's husband who is responsible for this unexpected and overpaid assignment. Aaron, the consummate amateur, does his best to find out what happened the night Madlyn Beckwirth vanished from her bed in the middle of the night, but the husband who was so eager to have him on the case is less than forthcoming, the local police don't want Aaron's help, and not even Madlyn's closest friend has any useful information. But Aaron is nothing if not persistent, so he keeps trying, especially after he receives a threatening phone call ordering him to drop the investigation. As Aaron sees it, if someone wants to kill him, he must be on the right track. Life (and the investigation) would be easier if Aaron didn't also have to juggle his paternal and spousal responsibilities. Wife Abigail Stein is a lawyer with a demanding career and Aaron is supposed to keep things under control on the domestic front. Daughter Leah is the apple of her father's eye, as is son Ethan, but Ethan's Asperger's Syndrome makes him the more challenging offspring. Aaron somehow manages not to drop any of the balls he's juggling and never loses his sense of humor (although his temper isn't kept quite as well) as he determinedly stumbles his way to the solution of his first, but maybe not last, missing person's case. For Whom The Minivan Rolls is Jeffrey Cohen's first novel and the first book in what promises to be a series featuring Aaron Tucker. Comparisons to Jon Katz's Suburban Detective mysteries are inevitable, but Cohen's voice is unique and this is no Katz knockoff. Tucker is an appealing protagonist, a smart aleck who is actually a softie. There are some improbable plot twists in this maiden effort, but the book is so much fun that it's not hard to suspend disbelief and go with the flow. Aaron Tucker and his creator deserve a long run and fans of humorous cozies will likely see that they get one.
Reviewed by Susan Anderson, September 2002
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