The Hand of the Lion — Carolyn Coker

Coker has brought back her splendid characters Andrea Perkins, assistant curator of the Galleria dell'Accademia in Florence, and Aldo Balzani, New Orleans-born captain of detectives of the Florentine police department, a duet that made sparks fly in The Other David. Their combined intellect and bravado add luster and depth to a plot that centers around the attempted theft of an invaluable bronze Egyptian death mask from St. Mark's Basilica in Venice. Shrewd and charming con man Georges Tropard is commissioned by a wealthy art lover to steal the mask, and Georges and his partner Francesca, earlier successful in their theft of a 15th century drawing, enlist the aid of Kyle Hagan, an unscrupulous preacher turned tour director. The trio, led by the murderous and venal Georges, are drawn into unwanted violence and into the intricate and ultimately disastrous kidnapping of a seven-year-old girl. The mask holds a shocking secret that astute Andrea ferrets out. The story is disappointingly brief, but well supported by robust characters. (October)