RED FLASH

In Wolfe’s thriller series-starter, set in the early 2000s, a family becomes embroiled in intercontinental intrigue and murder while trying to obtain some rare gems.

While trying to obtain a collection of rare paraiba tourmalines from Brazil, Sërg Stanovic unwittingly involves his 9-year-old son, Urie, and 26-year-old brother, Dominick, who become embroiled in a dangerous situation involving Goran Dubienko and his Russian henchmen from the “Red Mafia.” Urie is tricked by a courier into delivering a package to the wrong people; when he witnesses something that he wasn’t supposed to see, Goran sends his men to kill the boy. Afterward, Dominick tries to piece together various things that Urie recently told him. As he looks further into what happened to his nephew, he struggles with his all-consuming desire for his brother’s lover, Mala Cole. Later, Dominick learns some disturbing truths about the family business. Sërg later sends Dominick and Mala to Brazil to retrieve the aforementioned gemstones; there, Dominick is determined to set things right while also protecting Mala from the vile people in her life. Wolfe’s narrative is packed with dramatic events that occasionally make for a messy plot. Minutely detailed gemology descriptions slow the pace; the prose also would have benefited from tighter editing and a sharper focus on key revelations. Still, the high stakes will keep readers engaged: “Revenge, theft, and deception—all necessary means were to be used to meet this desired end, and yes, even murder, if required.” The criminal politics feel a bit oversimplified and reminiscent of TV show storylines, but they do clarify the characters’ motivations. Some of the players involved may seem naïve, but they’re surprisingly tolerant of their family members’ dangerous eccentricities.

A brisk but unevenly executed crime tale that blends gemology with violence and forbidden romance.