HIGH HAND

Patricia Floyd hits the jackpot with this Las Vegas caper. With silky cool smoothness, she tells the story of Martha Chainey, ex-showgirl turned courier for the Mob, who must find out who stole a seven-million-dollar delivery. On her tail is a South African hit man with sadomasochistic predilections. Wading through Vegas Strip street chatter and gambling empire intrigue, Chainey faces a lethal deadline of 72 hours to find and return the money. HIGH HAND is a gem of a noir crime thriller doubling as an unpretentious work of African- American fiction with a strong female protagonist. S.E.S. (c) AudioFile 2004, Portland, Maine [Published: AUG/ SEP 04]