In Hathaway's fast-moving romp, the fourth entry in this lighthearted series (after 2001's The Doctor and the Dead Man's Chest
), Dr. Andrew Fenimore ventures from Philadelphia to the Czech Republic, the country of his mother's birth, after trying to phone his cousin Anna Borovy every day for two weeks without success. Fenimore soon discovers that Anna and her husband Vlasta have been kidnapped for reasons unknown. Hiding in their empty Prague apartment is the couple's young daughter Marie, who's been munching on crackers and little else since her parents disappeared. Fearful of contacting the Czech police, Fenimore decides he must first get Marie to safety in America and then investigate on his own. A colleague of his cousin, the mysterious Ilsa Tanacek, offers to help him search for the Borovys. When the doctor's girlfriend, Jennifer, arrives unexpectedly, they become ensnared in a murderous plot with political overtones. As usual, the author provides plenty of fascinating local color, making effective use here of often grim Czech history. Fenimore is a mild-mannered hero neither handsome nor particularly dashing, yet his kindness and generosity will endear him to many readers. Agent, Laura Langlie. (Nov. 10)
