Agent in Old Lace by Tristi Pinkston

Shannon Tate’s world is perfect: wonderful parents, great boyfriend ready to propose, and her own company that is fantastic.  As anyone knows, when things feel perfect or seem perfect, the hairs on the back of your neck should be standing on end, because something bad is going to happen.  And, for Shannon it does.  It turns out that her boyfriend is embezzling money from her father and several of her clients.  Then, he tries to kill her while proposing.  When the FBI become involved, she encounters yet another twist: the agent assigned to protect her must dress like a woman in order to stay close to her, then things get really crazy.

Essentially a cute little book with fairly well crafted characters and a solid plot, Agent in Old Lace lives up to its homey title.  There is just enough suspense, just enough romance, just enough humor to keep you interested.  Descriptions of characters, particularly the FBI agent all “woman-upped” could have been hilarious, but were just funny.  The big kiss doesn’t come until three quarters of the way in, but the sexual tension is mild.  A good book centered on a clever plot.  I enjoyed this simple read.

Falling into the mystery-romance genre, Pinkston’s novel has a little something for everyone.  It is LDS fiction so it has some religious references, mostly to prayer and “callings” in the Mormon Church and not enough to feel preachy or heavy handed.  Overall a satisfying read.

Under the Streets of Nice By Ken Follett and Rene L. Maurice

In 1976, Albert Spaggiari and his crew finally broke through the wall of the vault in the Societe Generale bank of Nice and stole $10 million dollars worth of gold ingots, jewelry and cash.  The police were stunned to discover that the thieves had entered through the sewer system where they had spent two months digging an access tunnel.  The plan was complex and comprehensive, and the brain, Spaggiari, led the police through a vast array of clues that embarrassed them.  Once caught, Spaggiari used stall tactics to protect his crew and eventually, he escaped, only to turn up dead twelve years later on his mother’s kitchen table.

Follett and Maurice present the complicated story in a professional and balanced form, even though you get the impression occasionally that they, themselves, were a little impressed with the cavalier, egocentric thief.  Easy to follow, the clues and evidence are woven together successfully as the authors engage the reader with just enough information to keep him reading. 

A non-fiction crime story, Under the Streets of Nice, presents an intriguing story without sensationalism.  Any references to drugs and sex are mild and fleeting as the authors retain their objective, factual presentation.  Only at the end do they “suppose” over the reasons why Spaggiari was so successful.