West 47th

West 47th Street, New York's diamond district, gets a guardian angel in the person of Mitch Laughton, a professional recoverer of stolen jewelry, in Browne's pulse-racing new novel (after 18mm Blues). Six million dollars worth of gems have been taken from an Iranian couple in New Jersey; Mitch is asked to get them back. As he tries, he mingles with a gallery of notable characters, including a slightly friendly street cop, a secretary with a weakness for layaways, several not quite honest jewelers and a bevy of lowlifes. Mitch's dealings with New York street types, mobsters and bent fences is nicely counterpointed with his movements within moneyed society and with his relationship to his wife, Maddie, a flamenco guitarist who's rich, sexy, bright and blind. Browne, who can create characters of rare substance, beautifully details the couple's marriage, a loving, dependent union that helps drive the nearly nonstop action. Although not billed as such, this grandly old-fashioned entertainment with a cutting edge could kick off an excellent series: Maddie and Mitch deserve another adventure. Major ad/promo (June)