Dirty Diamonds
The Hawkman Series, No. 4
By Betty Sullivan LaPierre 

     Diamonds! Picture it . . . bright, sparkling, beautiful diamonds. In Betty Sullivan LaPierre's new book, Dirty Diamonds, the gems are stolen, hot, and just possibly lethal. Jamey Gray is a beautiful young woman. She's also calculating, cold and determined. After her part in a diamond robbery in Oklahoma, Jamey drives to the safety of a cottage in Oregon. Along the way, she sheds her boyfriend (now the sole robbery suspect), changes her name, and begins a new life, complete with a fortune in stolen diamonds.

     Fearful for her (and the diamonds') safety, she decides to hire a bodyguard: Tom Casey, a.k.a. Hawkman. As she vaguely describes her fears, Hawkman is sure that she's hiding more than she's telling. He's so sure that he refuses to take the case. After an incensed Jamey flounces off, he finds that he can't get her or her worries out of his mind. Not sure exactly why, he decides to quietly find out why Jamey's really afraid. Hawkman slowly puts the pieces together and realizes Jamey was involved in the robbery, she is in danger and she's still hiding something!

     As always, Betty Sullivan LaPierre quickly draws you into the story. We are well acquainted with Jamey and her trickery long before she plaintively tells Hawkman her story. We silently encourage him to keep digging and keep following so that he can catch up to us. And of course he does. The straight-as-an-arrow, kind-hearted Hawkman is a great contrast to the devious, manipulative Jamey. Their verbal fencing adds another dimension to an already strong and engrossing story. This is a great series. It has an interesting, realistic cast of characters (who are by now old friends), and the plots never disappoint. They have become even more complex and satisfying as the series goes on.