From Publishers Weekly
The second appearance of Chicago attorney Rachel Gold (after Grave Desire ) is marred by flat characters and an overly complicated plot. Rachel travels to her hometown, St. Louis, when her former boss requests that she look into the suicide of lawyer Stoddard Anderson. If Anderson is judged sane at the time of his suicide, his widow will be denied extra benefits under his life insurance policy. Since Anderson anonymously moved into a hotel three days before he was found dead in the bathtub, his state of mind at the end is in question. By interviewing the people Anderson saw in the week before he secluded himself, Rachel discovers that he was in the middle of a shaky multimillion-dollar transaction. Apparently Anderson found and hid a jewel-encrusted artifact that U.S. Customs, a representative of the Mexican government and an American religious fanatic each would like to have. Having access to Anderson's records, Rachel decides to find the artifact herself. Despite her tough professional image, Rachel acts like a teenager around a handsome New Mexico lawyer; her waffling about whether the artifact should be returned to the Mexican government or sold to the highest bidder further diminishes her credibility.
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc.
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
From Kirkus Reviews
Chicago attorney Rachel Gold (The Canaan Legacy, 1988--not reviewed) is sent to St. Louis, her old hometown, to see whether she can prove that Stoddard Anderson, managing partner of the local office of pedigreed law firm Abbott & Windsor, was insane when he killed himself--thus providing a bigger payoff for his widow Dottie, who needs every penny. The background questions about Anderson--for instance, why did he quadruple his accident insurance only a few months before he died, and what was he doing for the three days between disappearing from home and slitting his wrists in an airport hotel?--fade when Rachel learns from gallery owner Remy Panzer that Anderson had promised to help smuggle a jewelled golden cast of Montezuma's penis into the country. Aided by the likes of funky law prof Benny Goldberg and promising romantic entry Rafe Salazar, Rachel gets on the trail of Montezuma's Executor--a trail that winds through US Customs, an over-the-top religious entrepreneur, and the St. Louis sewer system for a nifty finale. A fresh-voiced heroine, down-and-dirty legal detail, and more honest detection than you'd expect make this a winner. --
Copyright ©1992, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
