A Tennyson Hardwick Novel
by Blair Underwood, Tananarive Due and Steven Barnes

This is the third book by this powerhouse trio in the Tennyson Hardwick mystery series.  Tennyson is an actor who doesn’t wait tables between jobs. The former male escort and police academy dropout instead fills his time with martial arts training and bodyguard jobs.  Of course that sort of resume will lead you on the path to solve a mystery or two.

After the explosive events of the last book, In the Night of the Heat, Tennyson takes some much needed downtime in South Africa and hopes to reconnect with someone close to him.  While there, he is offered a job as a bodyguard to an American actress who is in the country to adopt a child.  Later, when everyone returns to the States, she asks Tennyson to work a birthday party for the newly adopted little girl. When the child is kidnapped from the party, feeling guilty, Tennyson makes it his personal mission to get her back.

This is the best in the series by far!  Author Steven Barnes is a martial arts master and his expertise is on full display here.  It was refreshing to learn about fighting practices from all over the continent of Africa. The inclusion of the thriving African community of Los Angeles – it’s nightlife, markets, and restaurants – was also a breath of fresh air. A perfect, steamy, summer thriller!