Water Dogs

Lewis Robinson has written an appropriately enigmatic novel about a coastal Maine family: young Bennie eventually comes to understand his intensely guarded older brother, who comes under suspicion following  the  mysterious disappearance in a blizzard of  one of the contestants in  a paint gun fight.

Water dog is a nickname for their pet  Labrador  as well as  the father and three children of this family, the latter trying to heal themselves of the sudden loss by heart attack  of their much loved father and biathlon coach. The title fits the setting on the shore of the wintry ocean from and around which so many of the inhabitants make their living.

With the help of friends and despite the malign intentions of an invidious small town cop,  the three young people make progress toward maturity.