The Explorer's Code

CNN correspondent Pilgrim's entertaining debut focuses on a classic theme: the search for missing treasure, in this case the lost deed to untold acres of invaluable Arctic land granted to Victorian-era explorer Elliott Stapleton by the Norwegian government. Since many believe Stapleton's great-great-granddaughter, the stunning Cordelia, a feisty, brilliant oceanographer, has the deed (she doesn't), Cordelia is soon pursued by flamboyant evangelists, fanatical ecoterrorists, and some nasty Russian thugs. Even the CIA gets into the act. Determined to find the deed herself, Cordelia sets off on a whirlwind hunt from one exotic locale to the next%E2%80%94Monaco, Monte Carlo, a luxurious cruise ship, and a lavish estate in the English countryside%E2%80%94along with ally and protector playboy archeologist John Sinclair, who's totally smitten with her. While everything is over the top%E2%80%94a storybook romance; odious and loathsome villains; Hollywood settings%E2%80%94it all works, providing a heady and highly engaging mix. (July)