The Other Romanian
Seattle Police Detective Sergeant Beckman calls the number he finds written on a Copper Gate matchbook cover possessed by a murdered John Doe without any ID. Former Spokane cop turned private investigator Quinn answers the call. The cop asks her to ID the corpse; she does not recognize him nor know how he got her number. At the Copper Gate, Quinn chats with the bartender and receives a text message from Bruno that states: Stefano must die. She does not know either man. Shelly Lavender, wife of missing and presumed dead famous Hollywood screenwriter Alex Krapp, asks Quinn to investigate what happened to her husband who vanished while biking two years ago. She explains an unknown person sent Krapp s last cassettes to her; she chose Quinn because she knows the sleuth loved Krapp whom she met when he hired her (see KRAPP'S LAST CASSETTE). Quinn listens to the cassettes until a clue leads to a young female biker Krapp met on the road. Soon the missing person s case, the strange Bruno calls, Beckman s homicide investigation, and a Hitler 18 Karat bookmark has Quinn wondering whether she should become a full time writer.  Quinn's fourth fabulous mystery (see WALLA WALLA SUITE and HOMICIDE, MY OWN) is an excellent thriller filled with twists that keep readers wondering what next as nothing is quite like it seems. The heroine has a need to know re Krapp though she wishes that wasn t so while the Bruno scenario just will not go away. With Beckman encouraging her to get involved and help on his case while assisting her with the calls, readers will appreciate Quinn s adventures as she is caught in the crosshairs by The Other Romanian. --Harriet Klausner, Genre-Go-Round