Underhill, Robert 1931-

views updated

Underhill, Robert 1931-

PERSONAL:

Born 1931.

ADDRESSES:

Home—MI.

CAREER:

Psychiatrist.

WRITINGS:

Strawberry Moon (mystery novel), Arbutus Press (Traverse City, MI), 2006.

SIDELIGHTS:

Robert Underhill is the author of the novel Strawberry Moon, a mystery concerning the disappearance of Dr. Barbara Wilson. At first it is assumed that Dr. Wilson was carjacked, but later her body is discovered in the woods near her truck. She has been strangled and scalped, giving Sheriff Hoss Davis the impression that local troublemaker Harry Swifthawk might be involved. Over the course of his investigation, Davis deals with the politics of both tribal leaders and the FBI, as he attempts to narrow his list of suspects. A critic for Hidden Staircase Mystery Books Reviews called Underhill's effort "intricately plotted" and "all very well done up to a point," but noted that "several key plot elements remain unresolved at the end of the book." A contributor for Heartland Reviews, on the other hand, praised the novel for its "excellent red herrings and relationship foibles thrown in to keep the reader guessing." Jo Ann Vicarel, writing for Library Journal, considered the book to be "a winner, especially for readers who like tales set in rural America or having Native American elements."