The Final Cut

Bestseller Coulter (Bombshell) teams with Ellison (Edge of Black) on a thriller that manages to be both intricate and full of jaw-dropping action sequences. Det. Chief Insp. Nicholas Drummond, frequently described as akin to James Bond, travels from London to Manhattan, where a thief known only as the Fox has stolen the Koh-i-Noor diamond, the centerpiece of the Queen Mother’s crown on display at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. The Fox’s relationship with the man who hired her to steal the diamond, Saleem Singh Lanighan, and the man who trained her, William Mulvaney, complicate matters. In the course of his investigation, Drummond connects in entertaining fashion with Coulter’s main series heroes, FBI agents Dillon Savich and Lacey Sherlock. A number of well-developed subplots keep this from being a simple one-on-one contest. Ingenious disguises, daring bluffs, and hair-breadth escapes add to the fun of the chase. Agent: Robert Gottlieb, Trident Media Group. (Sept.)