A Perfect Cover
Silhouette Bombshell, No. 9 
By Maureen Tan

    Author of "AKA Jane," Maureen Tan debuts A Perfect Cover, a novel of adventure and intrigue with a touch of contemporary romance in the brand new Silhouette Bombshell series. A Perfect Cover stars Lacie Reed, a sexy, confident young woman who is of biracial descent. Lacie is half African American and half-Vietnamese. Born in Vietnam, Lacie was adopted at a young age and taken to the United States to grow up and live as an American. Lacie is smart, sassy, and is able to speak several foreign languages, including Vietnamese.

    Due to her own background and experiences, Lacie has always held a soft spot in her heart for the Vietnamese and the numerous disadvantaged illegal immigrants who desperately try to make their way into the United States every day. Lacie works as a special agent and her new assignment takes her to the pulsing, vibrant city of New Orleans. She quickly meets up with a handsome, aristocratic detective named Anthony Beauprix. Anthony comes from a New Orleans family with "old family money," but his passion lies in his detective work and solving cases. Anthony and Lacie begin working together to solve the mysterious and violent murders of three Vietnamese residents of New Orleans.

     Lacie's appearance provides her the perfect cover to get a bird's eye view of the Little Vietnam community in New Orleans while she searches for the Vietnamese serial killer. As Lacie infiltrates the community, she begins to befriend the people she must protect, and she becomes emotionally invested in solving the murders. Her daily communication with Anthony stirs up a novel set of emotions for Lacie. Lacie is used to "just business," but something about Anthony unearths feelings in her that she did not expect. She looks forward to his daily calls to discuss their case and its progress. Nevertheless, Lacie is reluctant to admit to herself that perhaps, she wants more than a professional relationship with Anthony.

     Fans of mystery, intrigue and suspense will enjoy A Perfect Cover, and romance fans will enjoy the interplay and attraction between Lacie and Anthony. Lacie is reminiscent of a spunky "female 007," as she is agile, sexy and will scale a building or perform other physical feats to pursue a suspect or unlock a clue she needs for her case. Silhouette Bombshell is an exciting, entertaining new series, and A Perfect Cover is a great debut novel.