Red Flash

Kiva Wolfe

Average Rating 9/10 (1 Review)

In the conflicted worlds of gemstones and diamonds, no one is who they seem to be... When a dashing former triathlete learns the Russian Mafia killed his nephew, he stumbles upon a gem smuggling scheme involving his older brother, the Red Mafia, and a powerful Brazilian organization. From Denver's historic Capitol Hill to the far reaches of the Amazon, mayhem and double-crosses abound in this smart, sexy and suspenseful adventure about an immigrant-American family's lust for gems and the deadly appearance of a fabled diamond.

Murder, obsession, betrayal, and a missing shipment of rare tourmalines will rip a family's fragile bond and push two brothers to the edge. Everyone wants to steal these valuable gemstones - some who will kill doing it and some who will die trying.

Review by Paul Lappen (310506) Rating (9/10)

Review by Paul Lappen
Rating 9/10
Dominick Stanovic is a handsome former triathlete who is part of the family gem business in present-day Colorado. He learns that his young nephew was killed by the Russian Mafia, and stumbles upon a smuggling operation involving his family, the Russians and the Brazilian Mafia.

Older brother Serg Stanovic is head of the family gem business, built with help from the Russian Mafia. The insurance company is asking unpleasant questions, which makes the Russians nervous. If the growing tension between Serg, and their mother, Berta, and her pet ocelot, isn’t bad enough (the phrase "gasoline plus lit match" comes to mind), an extra complication to Dominick’s life is Mala Cole, Serg’s woman. She is a Brazilian beauty in her early 20s, and Dominick has fallen for her, very hard. Mala has a past of her own, unbeknownst to the Stanovic family, a past which involves never going back to Brazil, because she killed an Important Person.

A shipment of very rare Brazilian coloured diamonds has gone missing, so Dominick convinces Serg that he (Dominick) should go to the Brazilian Amazon to straighten things out. Maybe this will convince Serg that Dominick should be given more responsibility in the family business. Serg doesn’t suggest or ask that Mala go with him as translator, Serg tells Mala to go with him as translator. Mala thinks that if she got her hands on the diamonds, it would go a long way toward smoothing things over with the people in Brazil who want her dead.

This is an excellent thriller. It has all the required elements: international intrigue, murder, sex, the Mafia, obsession, betrayal and large amounts of money. It would also make a really good movie. This is well worth reading.
Paul Lappen (31st May 2006)