The Coin — Maria Elena Alonso-Sierra

France, 1993. WHO EVER THOUGHT A COIN COULD GET YOU KILLED? A cunning killer trusted his secret was safe, an innocent woman holds the key to his destruction, and an intelligence officer must keep her alive before the madman can strike the fatal blow. A DANGEROUS FIND For artist Gabriela Martinez, life has become complicated: she suspects her mentor and friend wants her as his mistress, her husband is neglecting her, and her latest illustration is ruined. Seeking peace, she visits her favorite thinking spot in La Marbriére, the mountain overlooking her home in the Côte d'Azur. Distracted, she winds up in an unfamiliar clearing, where she discovers a 1945 French coin half-buried in the ground. Delighted with its beauty, she has it set on her favorite bracelet. TREACHEROUS KNOWLEDGE Richard Harrison, an American intelligence officer, is livid. A simple favor for his boss has turned his vacation in the French Riviera into a hellish assignment. Now, not only does he learn the truth about the coin, but he must also protect Gabriela from a cunning killer who will stop at nothing. TIME IS RUNNING OUT Together with Maurice Nôret, from French intelligence, Richard attempts to discover the madman's identity, except his budding love for this beautiful artist is turning into a dangerous handicap. Every one of his moves is thwarted with brutal countermoves. Soon, the psychological games to terrorize Gabriela escalate beyond his control. If Richard doesn't find a solution, it may be too late for them both. Set in the exotic French Riviera, The Coin is a story of hatred, betrayal, love and duty -- of terrible and painful choices that, nonetheless, bring about personal triumph.