Dodge and Burn
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- $9.99
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- $9.99
Publisher Description
Washington, D.C.-based photojournalist Sophie Medina is not a murderer - but someone is determined to make sure she goes down for a crime she did not commit in this gripping mystery.
When billionaire philanthropist and art collector Robson Blake hires Sophie Medina to take photographs for him, she doesn’t expect to show up and find her client dead. It seems he was the victim of a burglary gone wrong. But why was his state-of-the-art security system turned off . . . and why, in a house full of priceless Old Masters, is the only thing missing a beautiful but insignificant Ukrainian religious icon?
Before long, Sophie finds herself in the crosshairs of a D.C. homicide detective who suspects she knows more than she is saying about Blake’s murder – and he’s not wrong. To Sophie’s mixed delight and horror, she’s recently learned she has a half-brother . . . who might also be an international art thief, with eyes on Blake’s collection.
As the police get closer to finding Blake’s killer, Sophie is certain someone is trying to frame her for his murder. Can she find the real killer in time – even if it means turning in her own brother to prove her innocence?
The latest instalment in this gripping series featuring fearless photojournalist Sophie Medina is a great choice for readers who enjoy high-flying female sleuths, deft red-herrings, page-turning plot twists, and glamorous settings.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Crosby's uneven fourth adventure for news photographer Sophie Medina (after Blow Up) undermines its devilish central whodunit with some far-fetched backstory. Sophie once jetted around the world at a moment's notice for the International Press Service, but she left that job to be closer to her family in Washington, D.C., after her CIA agent husband was murdered. She still takes private gigs, however, and one afternoon receives an inquiry from philanthropist and art collector Robson Blake, who wants her to photograph a rare patent apparently prepared by Thomas Jefferson that he stumbled across while browsing used books. Sophie agrees, and promises to turn over all her work to Blake once it's complete. The commission takes a deadly turn when Sophie discovers Blake dead in his home with one of his valuable antiques missing. Authorities find blood on one of Sophie's tripods, and determine that Blake was bludgeoned to death with a blunt object, placing Sophie near the top of the suspect list. In the attempt to clear her name, she uncovers secrets about her own lineage that cause her to believe someone in her family may have set her up. Crosby's prose and characterizations are top-notch, but her plotting becomes unwieldy in the third act, and she wraps everything up with a predictable reveal. Here's hoping the series returns to form next time out.