Fifth Victim

November 21, 2011
In Sharp’s nail-biting ninth Charlie Fox thriller (after 2011’s Fourth Day), businesswoman Caroline Willner hires bodyguard Charlie to protect Dina, her 20-year-old daughter. Three young people from the same posh Long Island community as Dina have been held for ransom over the past year, with their wealthy parents paying the demands each time. Dina insists on mingling with the victims, who’ve formed a tight group, as well as with the brash Torquil Eisenberg, “the son and heir to a vast transportation empire,” despite Charlie’s suggestion of laying low. When another kidnapping attempt goes awry and yet another turns fatal, Charlie realizes there’s more going on than rich kids getting grabbed for money. As always, Sharp injects the plot with enough adrenaline to keep the pages flipping while maintaining the suspense over Charlie’s state of mind and the fate of her partner, Sean Meyer, who’s still in a coma three months after the shootout in Fourth Day. Agent: Jane Gregory.

March 26, 2012
With her lover in a coma, British expatriate bodyguard Charlie Fox is charged with protecting a young woman who just might be the next victim in a rash of kidnappings targeting rich heirs and heiresses in New York. But when her personal and professional lives become linked, Fox is forced to make a difficult decision. With a crisp English accent, Justine Eyre provides strong, enjoyable narration. Her rendition of Fox is tough and cool, and she is able to alternate between varied characters without missing a beat. And while Eyre’s male voices tend to be adequate but uninspired, she more than makes up for that during moments of action and tension, projecting her voice and capturing a strong range of emotions that will keep listeners enthralled. A Pegasus hardcover.