The Beach Alibi
Alison Kent
Kensington Brava, Jan 2005, $7.99, 116 pp.
ISBN: 0758206747

Engineering Project Consultant to the Smithson Group, Kelly John Beach realizes he botched the assignment when he failed to notice the camera inside the wall clock that taped his illegal break and entry into Marian Diamonds. He sought proof that the firm was fronting a Spectra operation involving stolen diamonds from Sierra Leone. His espionage associate Tripp Shaunessey suggests he needs an alibi to prove he was elsewhere; the best alibi is a woman.

Risking a sexual harassment case, head of the group Hank Smithson reluctantly asks his assistant Emma Webster to help. She readily agrees and soon learns what she needs to know about these mysterious consultants. Her task is an easy one for her; pretend to be Kelly's lover, a fantasy that she has had since they first met. Kelly shares her deep desire as Emma has been the star of many erotic dreams. As they work on THE BEACH ALIBI, they fall in love. However, "Professor" Oliver Shore of Spectra IT sees Beach's alibi as another pawn in the war with the Smithson Group.

The fourth Smithson Group erotic espionage escapade is a terrific tale that starts with self-effacing profanity, turns into a heated romance, and twists finally into an espionage encounter with an abducted Emma as the trade-in. Though the tongue-in-cheek (literally) storyline can be read as a stand alone, THE BEACH ALIBI is more enjoyable to follow after the preceding three stories as previous leads make clever, continuous appearances as secondary players. The lead duo and their opponents provide a fine time for fans of I Spy torrid tales with McKenzie up to the plate next.

Harriet Klausner