Venetian Holiday

Journalist Campbell's fiction debut, a fast-moving crime caper, is too full of implausible characters and situations to satisfy most readers. Kate Fujimori, a high-tech thief, has adopted the mantle of her Pink Panther–like husband, Paul, who stole objets d'art under the identity of "the Professor." When Paul retires (and the couple separates), Kate looks for ever more challenging assignments, a search that leads her to Venice and a valuable fake Mona Lisa. When her elaborate efforts are stymied by the surprise appearance of rival thieves, she must scramble to regroup and fulfill her commission. By coincidence, she manages to hook up with an attractive stranger, who turns out to be a local detective. With a plot featuring assassins, a zombie priest and a climax deliberately lifted from Hitchcock's North by Northwest , Campbell goes deliberately over-the-top. Those who don't require their fictional crooks and cops to act realistically may find this a light diversion. (June)