cover image Compact with the Devil

Compact with the Devil

Bethany Maines, Atria, $15 trade paper (384p) ISBN 978-0-7432-9279-5

Maines's second thriller romp to feature sexy spy Nikki Lanier falls short of the standard set by its popular predecessor, Bulletproof Mascara. Having just bungled the rescue of the wife of an abusive Colombian drug lord, the Carrie Mae Foundation operative from the L.A. branch aims to do better on her next job—protecting Brit rock sensation Christopher "Kit" Masters on his Hotel Hell tour through Europe. Kit, the son of Carrie Mae agent Camille Masters, has become the target of terrorist Antonio Mergado Cano, a former Basque separatist who recently escaped from prison. Years earlier in Spain, Cano killed Camille's husband and Kit's Irish father, Declan O'Dierdan, who was chasing Cano. A near lethal breakdown of stage apparatus, a near fatal bus accident, and Cano's relentless pursuit keep the action rolling, though the pacing suffers whenever Nikki moons about her missing CIA boyfriend, Z'ev Coralles. (Apr.)