March 2, 2020
This standalone from Airth (the John Madden series) offers an uninspired variation on a familiar thriller theme—the innocent caught up in intrigue and violence. The opening, set in Paris, is promising enough, as an assassin who once worked for the CIA, known as Charon for his trademark of leaving a coin between the lips of his victims, strikes again. This moody section leaves readers wondering who Charon works for and exactly what’s going on. That suspense soon dissipates as the focus shifts to American actress Addy Banks, who’s headed from New York to London to visit her Aunt Rose. Though Rose’s letter inviting Addy promised that she would be back from Paris by the time of her niece’s arrival, Rose is nowhere to be found. Addy’s quest to find Rose leads to murder and the search for a dull MacGuffin, a memory stick of great interest to the Russian government. Genre followers will find nothing they haven’t already encountered. Fans of this talented writer will hope for more Madden. Agent: Joy Harris, Joy Harris Literary.