Cassie Black is an ex-con working at a Porsche dealership in LA. She was released from prison less than a year ago and her parole has 14 months to go. When not working, Cassie spies on the child she gave up for adoption. She had been pregnant when she went to prison. Then, she sees the for sale sign on the house and learns the family plans to move to France. This is going to require lots of money. She contacts a former partner in crime, a man who is obsessed with astrology, and asks for a big score. He arranges something in Vegas (traveling there will break her parole) but warns her to complete the job before the Void Moon. The Void Moon means disaster. It goes without saying that circumstances prevent her from timely completion.
Private investigator, amateur magician, and cold-blooded fixer Jack Karch is called in to track down the thief. He is startlingly efficient and extremely cold-blooded. He has Cassie's name and is on his way to LA within hours of the heist.
The book is told from two viewpoints: Cassie and Jack. As a career criminal, Cassie is a change of pace for a Connelly protagonist. Her motivations felt like something out of a Hallmark movie. Jack is an outstanding antagonist, a fully-realized character with multiple motivations and depths to plumb. His backstory is more detailed than Cassie's and makes for a villain who is often a sympathetic character.
Thumbs up!
No comments:
Post a Comment