Hugo Marston,
security chief at the American Embassy in Paris, is supposed to meet
Amy Dreiss, a girl he considers almost a daughter, for breakfast at
his favorite American restaurant. When Amy doesn't show up, he's
concerned. He becomes even more concerned when no one as seen her for
several days, and it appears that she has gone to Barcelona with a
man she hardly knows.
At the urging of
Amy's father, Hugo and his CIA pal, Tom, head for Barcelona. Once
there they become entangled in the murder of the man Amy went to
Barcelona with. Now the hunt for Amy takes on a new dimension as they
hope to find her alive.
For me, the
Barcelona setting was the best part of the novel. I enjoyed the
description of the small streets leading into open piazzas where
parents enjoy the cafes
while the children play.
Hugo is a likable
character. He's dragged into the police investigation of the murder
because of his FBI background, and he does a creditable job of
dealing with a foreign police force. Tom is another story. His
alcoholism and juvenile antics alienate the Barcelona police and seem
designed to make him appear to be a totally unlikable character.
Marston and the
Barcelona police follow up on clues and do a credible amount of
police work. I like that. I don't enjoy books where coincidence piles
on coincidence, and the police are not forced to do any
investigating.
I recommend this
book if you like a good mystery, just take Tom's antics with a grain
of salt – Hugo does.
I reviewed this book
for the Amazon Vine Program.
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