Wednesday, February 25, 2009

Pg. 69: José Latour's "Crime of Fashion"

The current feature at the Page 69 Test: Crime of Fashion by José Latour.

About the book, from the publisher:
Latour’s first novel since his immigration to Canada is a tale of heart-stopping action, deceit, and desperation that sees Elliot Steil race from Miami to Toronto to rescue a fashion model from her kidnappers

In Latour's latest novel Jenny Scheindlin, an ex-New York fashion model and daughter of Steil's former boss, has been kidnapped. The abductors choose Steil as intermediary in the negotiations to free her. Two Israeli agents formulate a devious plan to get the ransom to Toronto and bring Jenny home. But Steil is standing on quaking terrain, where nothing is as it seems, and no one can be trusted. Are the kidnappers members of the Islamic Army of Canada as they claim, or is Jenny the victim of an elaborate conspiracy? Is Steil himself a hero on a mission or a patsy who's walked right into a trap? As he tries to stay calm and one step ahead of a frightening and unknown nemesis, a noose is tightening around Steil's neck.

Crime of Fashion’s serpentine story and its mix of mystery, international espionage, and deceit make it a nail-biter. Latour is a master of suspense and surprises, and he’s writing at the top of his considerable powers in Crime of Fashion.
Browse inside Crime of Fashion, and learn more about the book and author at José Latour's website.

José Latour is one of the Spanish-speaking world’s top crime-fiction writers and is a former vice-president of the International Association of Crime Writers. In 2002, he left Cuba for Spain, and immigrated to Canada in the fall of 2004.

At The Rap Sheet, Linda L. Richards wrote of Crime of Fashion: "[I]t’s wonderful. The story takes place mostly in Miami and Toronto and it involves fashion, espionage, and kidnapping. If it happens your way, grab hard and hold on: I finished it in just a couple of days ago and I still haven’t dreamed up any quibbles."

The Page 69 Test: Crime of Fashion.

--Marshal Zeringue