London Frog (Five Star Mystery Series)

A string of unlikely coincidences turn a simple scam into a deadly confrontation between a convivial con man and a conniving killer. It all starts semi-innocently. Todd Gleason, amateur confidence man and all-around charmer, just can’t stand the fact that Henri and Elise Procopio, already rich beyond avarice, has just won, all things, the lottery. So, Todd does what any self-respecting crook would do, he schemes to bilk them of their undeserved winnings. Todd follows them to London, where the Procopios are celebrating their tenth wedding anniversary. That flat were Todd is setting up shop, however, falls through when he stumbles upon the landlord lying on the carpet, fatally shot With sirens blaring the background, this frog out of water suddenly finds himself running from the law and falling into the hands of a couple of goons. They’re not the only folks caught up in a scam spirally dangerously out of control. There’s Clive, the hitman with a quick right hook; Brandy Alexander, the lovely blonde scholar from the airplane; Beth Simon, an American friend of Todd’s who just can’t stop talking; the bumbling Birdie, a man seeking revenge against Todd; and Inspector Brury, the cop with the bad stomach, determined to solve a seemingly senseless murder. Oh, and then there’s Toad, Todd’s pet frog, who may hold a secret all his own. With sharp comic timing and a pace that never quits, London Frog jets from New York to London and back again (and back again) for a wryly suspenseful, sexy tale of crime, punishment, and amphibians.