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Sometimes the reader knows by the end of the third chapter that the male and female protagonists will end up together --- certainly in bed and probably in a lifelong relationship. This is the case in Jayne Ann Krentz's newest suspense novel, LOST AND FOUND. However, the relationship between Cady Briggs and Mack Easton is simply a sidebar to the real story, a mystery.
Cady is an art historian, a consultant specializing in the decorative arts. Mack runs Lost and Found, an Internet company that specializes in recovering lost objects. Because of her expertise in the area, Mack has called on Cady to authenticate several found objects. However, until Mack asks Cady to come to Las Vegas to help recover some stolen armor, the two have never met face to face. Nevertheless, Cady has spent considerable time fantasizing about the man attached to the voice on the telephone. Meeting him in Las Vegas only encourages her fantasies, even though nothing but business is discussed.
When Cady travels to San Jose to pursue a lead on the missing armor, Mack erroneously thinks she is about to double cross him and follows her --- Cady neglected to inform Mack of the lead. He arrives in time to find her trying to thwart a robbery attempt, and together, they are successful not only in stopping the robbery but in recovering the armor from the software genius who thought he was getting a great buy on a nice piece for his collection.
Cady's great-aunt, Vesta Briggs, is a significant figure in the world of art and antiques and the semiretired head of Chatelaine's, a high-end gallery and auction house specializing in the decorative arts. While Cady is in San Jose, Vesta dies suddenly, drowning by way of an apparent heart attack or panic attack (of which she was known to suffer) while swimming alone at night (as was her habit). Chatelaine's is about to merge with another major gallery, and with Vesta as a major stockholder, her death leaves Chatelaine's in a state of upheaval.
Cady feels that her aunt's death is suspicious; after all, Vesta was an excellent swimmer. Even more significant to Cady is a phone conversation she had with Vesta a day or two before her death. During the conversation, Vesta said she was reconsidering the merger, something she would do only if she had grave doubts about the solidity of the other company. Consequently, Cady wants to investigate Vesta's death and why she was hesitant about completing the merger. Cady asks Mack to help with the investigation and, as a cover story, tells the family he is her "almost fiance," allowing him access to family intimacies and secrets.
With LOST AND FOUND, Krentz has once again proven that she is a talented author excelling in the suspense genre. She strikes the right balance between sexual tension and mystery, with a surprising twist at the end. Cozy up before a crackling fireplace on a snowy winter weekend and enjoy LOST AND FOUND.
--- Reviewed by Debbie Ann Weiner
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