Mystery/Romantic Suspense
Sleight of Hand by Shawna Delacorte
Six years ago, Huntington Wolfe III, heir to a fortune with a reputation as an international playboy, was a jewel thief. Now, he uses his skills and knowledge as a freelance insurance investigator to recover stolen jewelry, and he has a new case.
Six years ago, Huntington Wolfe III, heir to a fortune and with a reputation as an international playboy, was a jewel thief. Now, he uses his skills and knowledge as a freelance insurance investigator to recover stolen jewelry, and he has a new case. But when he encounters a beautiful pickpocket at the scene of the next heist, he sets out to discover her identity and what other secrets she might be hiding.
Devastated by her father’s death during a high-speed police chase, Aurora Brentano goes undercover to prove his innocence. At the top of her suspect list is Huntington Wolfe III…until he catches her red-handed in her quest for clues and suggests they work together. She's not sure she can trust him, but they say to keep your friends close and your enemies closer.
As their unexpected alliance leads to an undeniable attraction, can they bring the true thief to justice, or will they be caught in a web of danger and deceit?
From Nancy at NNLight’s Book Heaven, a 5++ Star review. “I thoroughly enjoyed reading Sleight of Hand. Between the characters, plot, and narration, the writing is flawless. The story is peppered with intrigue and addictive to read. If you’re looking for a suave romantic mystery, pick up Sleight of Hand. You’ll adore the team of Hunt and Aurora. I wish the author would continue the fun and make this a series. The most fun I’ve had reading in quite awhile.”
Excerpt:
He stepped across the threshold onto the porch, Aurora right behind him. In an attempt to stop her from getting ahead of him, he held out his arm to block her path as he swept the surrounding area with a sharp eye. Everything appeared normal, yet a nagging tingle of anxiety told him otherwise.
A ripple of trepidation continued to assault his senses. A moment later, he stepped off the porch.
“Wait a second.” Aurora bent down to adjust the ankle holster.
“What’s wrong?” He turned to see what she was doing.
And a fraction of a second later a shot rang out. The bullet ripped through his jacket. A sharp sting hit his upper arm just below his shoulder, a shot that would have caught him in the middle of his chest a second earlier before he turned toward Aurora.
A sharp adrenaline surge charged through his body. He instantly dropped to the ground, pulling Aurora down with him. He covered Aurora with his body. His heart pounded in his chest, the sound reverberating in his ears. A second then third shot in rapid succession shattered the night air of the normally quiet neighborhood.
Hunt reached for the 9mm snugged into the small of his back.
Shawna Delacorte
Shawna Delacorte is from Los Angeles, California. It may sound a little weird, but she started her writing career through photography. While trying to market her photographs, she found that she had a better chance of having them published in magazines if they were accompanied by articles. So…she started writing. Non-fiction articles at first such as travel destination pieces, then she tried her hand at fiction. The result was twenty-one published novels with Harlequin for their Intrigue and Desire lines. Harlequin has reissued eighteen of her backlist titles in ebook. She currently is published by The Wild Rose Press. She also taught a beginning fiction writing class for fifteen years at the state university.