Vicki Hinze Bulletproof Princess

Bulletproof Princess

Vicki Hinze

Silhouette Bombshell, Feb 2006, $4.99

ISBN: 0373513925

Gotham Rose member Chloe St. John, the Princess of Astoria of Denmark was engaged to attorney Marcus Sterling III, but he died in an explosion. However, Chloe knew the truth that her fianc was setting her up for a kidnapping, so she is not mourning her loss. Though Chloe has moved in with Architectural Restoration reporter Jack Quaid, Gotham Rose President Renee Dalton-Sinclair insists she attend his funeral to cut down the questions from reporters.

Afterward, Renee informs Chloe she has her field assignment for her. Apparently the international criminal mastermind, the Duke, runs an escort service that fronts a white slave market. They abduct young Russian women with no family ties to sell to willing buyers. Marcus somehow was tied to the group. Though it will upset another Gotham Rose member to be yanked from the case, someone fluent in Russian needs to take over. Renee wants Chloe to be a "victim" of an abduction so they can trace the trail and capture the elusive Duke. Though she anticipates the danger the case will entail, neither she, her best friend Emma nor Renee come close to the reality.

The latest Gotham Roses thriller is an exhilarating action-packed suspense tale that never slows down from the moment that Chloe learns her assignment from Renee. The storyline is fast-paced once the heroine prepares herself to be abducted, and once done realizes how the best laid plans can go astray. Though some of the escapades seem over the top, fans will appreciate this strong look at a surprisingly real problem, the international slave trade.