This is a follow-up to Saint's Gate and I did not enjoy it as much. I thought the character of Emma Sharpe is too complicated. She is an FBI agent who is in love with another agent. She was a former nun and a granddaughter of the owner of Sharpe Fine Art Recovery and assisted with their work. Sometimes, these former lives come into conflict. The book was confusing at times. Why did the FBI think that the Russian billionaire was mixed up in illegal arms smuggling? The idea of the stepdaughter trying to keep the Russian artifacts to sell them to finance the buying of illegal weapons was a little extreme. The sputtering romantic mystery novel, the latest is Carla Neggers Sharpe and Donovan series, features an odd romance between two FBI agents and a barely there mystery involving a failed FBI sting against a gun runner and the theft of Russian art.Colin Donovan is an FBI undercover agent who is investigating Pete Horner, a pilot, who is now involved in the arms trade. As the novel opens, Donovan is a prisoner, but escapes from Horner's clutches, with the help of a tip from Emma Sharpe's source. Emma Sharpe is also an FBI agent, but was formerly almost a Nun, who is romantically involved with Donovan. She lives in Heron's Cove, Maine where her family has extensive ties to the art world as the family business is an art investigative service. Donovan's brothers live in a nearby town, and seem to be a surly lot, treating Emma as an interloper in their male dominated world, but when their brother is missing, trying to obtain information about his job. Mike Donovan is particularly nasty to her. When Colin finally arrives at Heron's Cove, he immediately renews his relationship with Emma, but seems very uncomfortable with her family business ties to the art world and Russians because the arms dealer he is investigating is Russian, which makes no sense because he has no proof that Sharpe's Russian friends are involved in arms smuggling. He is untrusting of her former life as a member of her family business or her aptitude as an agent and is constantly questioning her ties to her former life, her family business life and her sources. The real mystery is why Sharpe even stays with him. He basically states she has to choose between her family and life and him.Meanwhile the ostensible mystery of the novel involves the Russian art collection of a former client of the Sharpes. Dmitri Rusakov found a Russan art collection in a wall of his villa in Russia. The art collection subsequently disappeared, and Emma, who investigated the theft for her Grandfather, the head of her family business, believed it was the work of Rusakov's then wife, who was divorcing him. The ex-wife has now died, and Natalie Warren, her daughter has inherited the priceless collection from her mother. When she shows up in Heron's Cove and Rusakov shows up also, they begin negotiating the return of the collection. But Tatiana Pavlov, a young Russian art designer from England, who is also visiting Heron's Cove, cryptically warns Emma that someone is going to steal the collection. Emma dispatches her brother Lucas to find out Tatiana's background, and he locates a picture in her studio that leads Emma to an important clue as to Tatiana's family.The mystery is who is going to steal the collection and why. Is it Tatiana?. What are her ties to Rusakov?. Who is Ivan, Rusakov's right hand man and what are his ties to Emma? Who is the bad egg in Heron's Cove that is following other characters.When someone tries to slip poisoned apple cider to various members of the Donovan family, Rusakov and Emma, the mystery is solved neatly in a bow.Too neatly.The novel is a fast read and Emma Sharpe seems to be a good character, but her relationship with Colin Donovan, his odd family and his jealousy and behavior unduly complicates the story line.Next time, we should have more mystery and less romantic clutter.
What do You think about Heron's Cove (2012)?
Enjoyed, finished the book to fast though. Looking forward to more of her books.
—patricia123
I really enjoyed this book. These carachters always keep me wanting more.
—Sarah1979
Enjoyed the characters, but felt the book was a bit slow.
—tintin
