Pictures

by: Robert Daley

Published by: Harcourt, Inc.

Reviewed by Beverly J. Rowe

Vince Conte is back. He destroyed his career with the NYPD when he caught the deputy police commissioner coming out of a hotel with Conte’s wife. He assaulted the man, with no questions asked, and lost his job and his wife. Now he’s working as a private investigator with a security firm. The firm is hired to investigate some poolside photos taken of Tony Murano and a sexy babe that may not be what they appear to be.

Tony is a small-time tennis pro who is married to the daughter of the monarch of a small European Dutchy. She is pregnant with the heir, and the girl’s mother believes Tony’s claim that he is innocent. Unfortunately, the king is sure that the photos are authentic, and since they appear in a multitude of magazines and newspapers, a divorce is quickly granted. The young wife and her mother are sure that it was, as Tony maintains, a set up.

Conte locates the woman in the photos, and she is ultimately convinced to help out with his investigation. The trail of the photographer leads to Amsterdam, Monte Carlo, Milan and several other stops, and Conte falls in love with the beautiful Gigi in the process.

This novel is not quite what I expected from Robert Daley, but is a very entertaining read nevertheless. Daley weaves a bit more romance into this international romp than his usual NYPD tales in a high-octane thriller is laced with deception, betrayal, blackmail and murder. It is loaded with compelling characters and a fast-paced plot that kept me reading late into the night.

Armchair Interviews says: Don’t start this book if you have something else that needs to be done that day.