SHREDS AND PATCHES

This fourth installment of a New Orleans Mystery series sends an actor and amateur sleuth to Europe to rescue his fiancee.

The hidden forces orchestrating the chaos of the last three volumes in this series starring Jeff Chaussier have now threatened close relatives of his fiancee, Bryna: her brother, Brian, recently released from prison; his wife, Sarah; and their baby. It was decided that “the family had to disappear for a while” and that “Bryna should go with them as a stabilizing force for the baby.” But the months are slipping by and Bryna has not returned. Jeff begins to receive occasional disturbing letters from her suggesting that she is not free to leave. Among her “protectors” is the handsome and aggressive Gianni di Piantagione, who seems intent on either seducing or raping her. Sanchez (A Place Unchanged, 2015, etc.) has changed the format and tenor that fans have come to expect in this continuing saga. Jeff now shares first-person narrating responsibilities with Bryna, whose story is delivered through increasingly long, somber letters, some of which are never mailed. And the narrative takes on a more self-reflective tone. It becomes clear there is only one thing for Jeff to do. The world’s most phobic flyer will have to go to Italy, his trip funded by the man he thinks of as “Mi Padrino,” the enigmatic, gray-haired figure who may have sent Bryna and her family into hiding. In Sorrento, Jeff meets up with his brother, Jaime, who provides critical support fighting the bad guys. Jeff’s search for Bryna frequently sounds like a travelogue of Florence, Bologna, and Venice, sometimes overshadowing and slowing down the pace of the drama, although the author still delivers exciting action scenes. Meanwhile, chapters written in Bryna’s voice deftly reveal the gradual deterioration of her mental stability, turning the tale into a psychological thriller. Sanchez sprinkles in clues to the original mystery running through the saga, but as with any engaging soap opera, the puzzle isn’t quite complete. Because the appealing couple are not out of danger yet, another series installment appears likely.

An addictive romance/adventure with well-developed protagonists.