We're in the middle of the early Autumn heatwave from hell. So I could be doing all sorts of jobs around the place. But I'm not. I'm reading instead.
Dodging some historical information as a lead in and a prologue to take this opening paragraph from Chapter One.
"Drumlanrig Castle, Scotland
18th April - 11.58am
As the car drew up, a shaft of light appeared through a break in the brooding sky. The castle's sandstone walls glowed under its gentle touch, an unexpected shock of pink against the ancient greens of the surrounding hills and woodlands."
As hooded penitents march their floats through the cobbled streets, a man runs for his life, determined to keep an age-old secret. But time has just run out ...
When former art thief Tom Kirk hears of the tortuous crucifixion of a long-time friend, he immediately abandons his enquiry into the theft of a priceless Da Vinci and turns his attention to the murder.
Over in New York, Special Agent Jennifer Browne's forgery case is threatening to explode into a scandal that strikes at the heart of the global auction business. With the body count rising and a tabloid hack trailing her every move, she follows a lead to Paris where she comes face to face with Tom.