Kennealy deals another winning hand in his second Carroll Quint mystery (after 2007's Jigsaw
). Quint, an entertainment writer for the San
Francisco Bulletin
, reports to editor-in-chief Katherine “the Great” Parkham, who's worried about the Bulletin
's possible acquisition by Sir Charles Talbot, a media magnate and famed art collector. Hoping to prevent the paper's sale, Parkham asks poker expert Quint to uncover how Talbot's son, Charlie, cheats at cards. Meanwhile, Quint's mother, a former Hollywood actress, asks him to investigate the recent Sausalito “suicide” of an old friend, aspiring actress Ulla Kjeldsen (aka Vicky Vandamn), who once dated Talbot Sr. Quint discovers that Vicky died while working on a scandalous memoir, which has since disappeared. The murder of an art curator and the disappearance of a Picasso painting from Talbot Sr.'s collection send Quint on a wild ride for answers that will keep readers turning the pages. (Apr.)
