cover image The Moscow Deception

The Moscow Deception

Karen Robards. Mira, $26.99 (352p) ISBN 978-0-7783-3074-5

In bestseller Robard’s exciting follow-up to 2017’s The Ultimatum, master thief Bianca St. Ives has recently discovered an explosive secret about herself, and she’s being hunted by those who are desperate to keep that secret contained. When she learns that a $1 million contract is out on her life, her adoptive father, Mason Thayer, tells her that he can get the contract called off if she steals King Priam’s Treasure—priceless artifacts thought to have belonged to Helen of Troy—right out from under Vladimir Putin’s nose. With the help of her friend, hacker extraordinaire Miles Davis “Doc” Ziegler, Bianca just may pull it off. The delightful, capable, and frequently funny Bianca is an intoxicating combo of Stephanie Plum and James Bond, and her globe-trotting quest takes her from the glittering casinos of Macau all the way to Moscow, paving the way to a (literally) explosive finale. Dodging bullets and fists are all in a day’s work for Bianca, and, while her adventures may stretch credulity, readers will likely be having too much fun to care. Agent: Robert Gottlieb, Trident Media. (June)