Peter Brock seemingly had it all. He was founding senior partner of a prestigious New York law firm specializing in international law and finance, a member of the International Community of Currency Traders, Rhodes Scholar, and graduate of Dartmouth. He was young, incredibly handsome, intelligent, and believed he had found the perfect plan that would fulfill his life goal.

Brock met Jim Campbell in Belgium and his plan was born. Campbell was a wealthy New York diamond merchant who wanted to protect his fortune from the Internal Revenue Service. Brock’s plan was to divert the bulk of Jim Campbell’s money to his own accounts. Peter’s rationale was that if Campbell did discover his plan, he couldn’t do anything about it because of his own role in the crime. Both men would face Federal prison time if caught.

In order for his plan to take effect, Peter enlisted help from Delilah, a strip club dancer he recruited to develop a relationship with Campbell hoping she could find out the details of his diamond trade and the extent of his fortune through pillow-talk.

He also had Jenny, a trans-Atlantic flight attendant with a major airline, smuggle loose diamonds into Europe. Then Jack Morrison, Peter’s partner, found out about the plan and decided he wanted to get in on the action.

Unfortunately for Peter, his plan began to unravel when the gals became greedy and started weaving their own agendas. He found he was no longer in control of his own plan.

When two dead bodies show up, Jack Morrison calls it quits and leaves Peter tangled in his own web of deceit.

Darlene Cox is the author of Web of Deceit, a mystery of international proportion, filled with characters who position themselves against one another, each with their own agenda and carrying their own baggage.

The author utilized a tool I appreciate in a story like Web of Deceit. Passages of background information and past conversations were written in italics before returning to the current storyline. For some reason, separating the past and present by using italics keeps the plot moving rather than slowing it down. The break adds to the suspense because the reader is privy to information unsuspecting characters do not possess.

Well written plots and believable characters add to the enjoyment of a good mystery. The author has given readers a strong suspense that endures to the very end. This book is difficult to put down, from the prologue through the twists and turns that lead to a surprising double twist at the end. A fascinating read that will cause readers to want more from this superb author.

A special thank you goes to Darlene Cox and Outskirts Press for providing a complimentary copy for review. If you are interested in purchasing this intriguing mystery, it is available at Amazon.com.