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The Colour of Death, Elizabeth Lowell
Avon Books
Reviewed by Sheila Forbes (Courtesy of Taranaki Daily News)

A story that may prompt you to take a second look at your jewellery! It reveals many of the tricks used to make gemstones look better than they really are.

Kate Chandler is a jewel cutter who has been given a very special and delicate commission: To cut a large and rare sapphire into seven smaller gems to be known as the Seven Sins. She does so, but the courier and the gems disappear while being returned to their owner. As the courier is also Kate's half-brother, she is doubly concerned.

After a cursory investigation the FBI is convinced that the courier, Lee, has stolen the Seven Sins and disappeared voluntarily, and the file is closed. Only Special Agent Sam Groves, part of a task force trying to break a ring of jewel hijackers, is prepared to take the investigation further. When he catches Kate surreptitiously switching gems at a pre-exhibition display his suspicions are aroused, and seem to be confirmed when she gives a false name. However, when he catches up with her she manages to convince him of the true situation and from then on he intensifies the investigation while trying to protect Kate.

The attraction and sexual tension between the two threaten at times to derail the investigation. Sam's career is in jeopardy when he insists on following his own line of investigation and suspects a member of the FBI of being involved in both thefts and killings.

In the meantime the hired killer, who enjoys indulging in a particularly brutal form of murder, known as a "Colombian necktie", is instructed to target Kate.

There is plenty of murder and mayhem with several red herrings before the case is solved. The story is written in a slick American style that does not appeal to me personally but the tension is maintained until the end.