THE PERFECT FAKE

A website designer with a checkered past takes on a forgery job for the Miami millionaire whose lawyer daughter he dated before things turned sour.

Map geeks with big bucks set the machinery rolling in the latest from former Dade County prosecutor Parker (Suspicion of Rage, 2005, etc.), who can be presumed to know the seamy underbelly (is there any other kind?) of her home territory. A few nights before an important international map exhibition, kindly map fancier and retired judge Royce Herron is found dead. The unfortunate judge’s blood oozed onto an exceptionally rare map from a 500-year-old atlas, and the fatal bullets damaged it further. The map was on loan to the judge from real-estate developer Stuart Barlowe, who appears to be far more concerned about the damage to the antique than he is about the damage to Judge Herron. Following the exhibition, it was to have been a gift to a Russian Mafioso whose investment is key to Barlowe’s latest and most monstrous condo project. Barlowe offers suspiciously big bucks to scruffy artist Tom Fairchild to fake the damaged map, and Fairchild, despite his straight-arrow, map-dealing sister Rose’s pleas not to, takes the job. Following professional advice from Rose’s ex-boyfriend, a forger who skipped bail to take up residence in Italy, Tom sets about the task, but the already tricky job is complicated by Barlowe’s wife, stepson and daughter, all of whom have strong opinions on how to handle Dad’s dilemma. Allison, the lawyer daughter, is the only straight one in a very bent lot, but even she flexes a bit to make sure that Tom, whom she once loved but no longer trusts, delivers the goods as the action shifts from Miami to London to Florence.

Lite action, travel and romance.