White Shotgun: An FBI Special Agent Ana Grey Novel

Smith's overly complicated fourth suspense novel featuring FBI special agent Ana Grey (after Judas Horse) takes the spirited Ana and her moody lover, Sterling McCord, to Siena, Italy, ostensibly to meet a half-sister Ana only recently discovered existed, Cecilia Nicosa. But in fact, they intend to check out Cecilia's husband, Nicoli, a wealthy coffee importer with a shady past. Nicoli's mistress has disappeared without a trace, the victim of a lupara blanco, or "white shotgun" murder. On arriving in Siena, Ana and Sterling find themselves over their heads in a morass of intrigue. How deeply involved is Nicoli with the area's crime lords? Who's trying to kill the Nicosas' teenage son? How corrupt are the local police? When Cecilia disappears, Ana wonders if she herself was the intended victim. A harrowing attempt to rescue Cecilia led by Sterling, who works for a private security firm, is a truly gripping conclusion to a book with far too many unnecessary entanglements. (June)