cover image Double Knot: A Davis Way Crime Caper

Double Knot: A Davis Way Crime Caper

Gretchen Archer. Henery, $15.95 trade paper (264p) ISBN 978-1-635-11029-6

In Archer's high-energy fifth Davis Way crime caper (after 2015's Double Mint), the undercover security expert for the Bellissimo Casino in Biloxi, Miss., takes what's supposed to be a restful Caribbean cruise with 50 billionaires on a lavish private yacht. Davis is impersonating her pregnant boss, the famous-for-being-famous Bianca Sanders. This is supposed to be Davis's last assignment before her own maternity leave, but shortly after setting sail, Davis finds herself trapped in her palatial stateroom, along with her business partner, her nightmare of a mother, a deaf cat, two mysterious stateroom attendants, and a narcoleptic savant. The mystery of their imprisonment deepens when Davis finds an envelope taped to her mirror, warning her not to try to contact the outside world if she cares about the lives of her boss and her husband. Davis's smarts, her mad computer skills, and a plucky crew of fellow hostages drive a story full of humor and action, interspersed with moments of surprising emotional depth. (Apr.)