Hot Ticket

November 2, 1998
Concert violinist and secret U.S. agent Leslie Frost returns (after her 1992 debut in Frost the Fiddler) to perform at the White House, where she finds the body of fellow agent Polly Barnard and soon digs up dirty doings at the highest levels of government. Herself an acclaimed concert pianist, Weber clearly knows a lot more about music than espionage but compensates with the urbane wit of her James Bond-ish heroine, who rides Harleys, wears black leather, kills only in self-defense--and snappily tells her own tale as she investigates her colleague's death and finds herself drawn into the inner circle of Clinton-esque President Bobby Marvel and his first lady, Paula. When Leslie is invited to breakfast at the home of aptly named Washington power broker Fausto Kiss, she soon decides that he holds the key to Polly's murder (she also decides that Fausto, reminiscent of Sydney Greenstreet, is downright sexy). With her controller, Maxine the Queen, pushing her to go after the president himself, Leslie travels from Washington, D.C., to the steamy jungle of Belize, from New York to Berlin in her quest for the truth. Arms merchant Krikor Tunalian, the vice president's brother, a doctor developing a deadly poison and a power-hungry female senator are some of the colorful suspects who fill this farcical romp, an entertaining though convoluted story that dresses its weary cynicism about the Washington scene in a cheerful procession of laughs, sex and intrigue. (Nov.) FYI: Reviewers of this novel will receive a privately pressed CD with music mentioned in the text. Frank Powdermaker plays Leslie Frost's solos, and Janice Weber acts as Fausto Kiss, Leslie's piano accompanist.

September 15, 1998
First introduced in Frost the Fiddler (LJ 4/1/92), Lesley Frost, covert government agent and concert violinist, is summoned to perform at the White House for President Buddy Marvel and his hard-nosed wife, Paula (yes, another Bill and Hillary novel!). Vice President JoJo Bailey is dying of a jungle fever, and ambitious Senator Aurilla Perle is jockeying for his job and for Lesley to hear her monster of a daughter play the violin. Amidst all the politics, Lesley meets splendid millionaire Fausto Kiss, who loves to wreak havoc among the powerful and power-crazy residents of our capital city. Weber's crisp writing is a pleasure, although the novel's many characters will confuse some readers. Nonetheless, Ludlum and DeMille fans will welcome this new Lesley Frost caper as she wins, then loses love.--Alice DiNizo, Raritan P.L., NJ