BROKEN HONOR

History professor Amy Mallory's devotion to her long-deceased grandfather is put to the test when he and two other high-ranking World War II vets are accused of having looted Jewish treasures nearly 60 years earlier. Raised by a flower-child single mom who scorned all authority, Amy's naturally leery when handsome, 40-something Lt. Colonel Irish Flaherty, also determined to disprove the allegations against his family name, arrives in Memphis just in time to witness her house burnt to the ground. Nevertheless, she slowly begins to trust him after he thwarts several attempts on her life. While the two pour over a box of military documents which may hold a key to their grandfathers' pasts, they desperately attempt to contact the third major player, D.C. bigwig, Dustin Eachan, whose true agenda will keep readers guessing until the novel's end. The gutsy action and compact dialogue that marks Potter's latest (after The Heart Queen) is softened by a believable romance between her seemingly mismatched protagonists and extensive character development—even Amy's irritating, emotionally distraught dog, Bojangles, is afforded some psychological depth. Although Potter is better known for her historical romances, this bracing romantic thriller proves that she's just as comfortable writing in the contemporary arena. (Jan.)