CROWN JEWEL

International freelance spy Simon Riske returns in one of the most entertaining new series in years. This sequel to THE TAKE gives readers a hero we can root for, locales we wish were in, and a plot that never lets up.

Stolen sports cars, brilliant casino heists, and the brazen kidnapping of a prince: only the shadowy spy-for-hire Simon Riske can stop the mastermind behind it all. Monte Carlo's most lavish casinos have become the targets of an efficient, brutal, and highly successful group of criminal gamblers; a casino dealer has been beaten to death; a German heiress' son has been kidnapped. Who better to connect the crimes, and foil the brilliant plot, than Simon Riske, freelance industrial spy? Riske knows the area well: it's where once he was a thrill-seeking thief, robbing armored trucks through daring car chases, until he was double-crossed, served his time, and graduated as an investment genius from the Sorbonne. Now Riske is a man who solves problems, the bigger and the "riskier" the better. From the baccarat tables of the nest casinos to the yachts in the marina, to the private jet company that somehow ties these criminal enterprises together, Simon Riske will do what he does best: get in over his head, throw himself into danger, and find some way to out-maneuver villains of every stripe. Christopher Reich is the New York Times bestselling author of The Take, Numbered Ac- count, Rules of Deception, Rules of Vengeance, Rules of Betrayal, and many other thrillers. His nov- el The Patriots Club won the International Thriller Writers award for Best Novel in 2006. He lives in Encinitas, California.