Cold Shot to the Heart

Stroby (The Barbed-Wire Kiss) pits a resourceful crook against a ruthless killer in this well-crafted crime novel. Crissa Stone carefully weighs risks and rewards and her criminal associates' skills before undertaking a caper. Ex-con Eddie Santiago (aka Eddie the Saint) will kill on principle or for a buck. After one of Stone's men kills Lou Letteri, whom they intended only to rob in a high-stakes Fort Lauderdale, Fla., card game, things go sour in a hurry. Lou was the son-in-law of a Jersey mobster, who hires Santiago to avenge the dead man. When Santiago finds a weak link and starts rolling up the chain leading to Stone, running may not be an option for her as the action builds to the inevitable and exciting showdown. (Jan.)