"When "The Son of Heaven" Oriental Art exhibit comes to Columbus, Ohio - the heartland of America - with it comes trouble. At the opening gala, Phil Stevenson, an obnoxious yet knowledgeable Oriental art expert, belligerently accuses the show of containing a fake jade imperial necklace. Only days later his body is found in the snow. Though the cause of his death is reported as a heart attack, Charlotte Sams suspects foul play. As a freelance journalist, she covered the opening event and was one of many who heard Phil open his big mouth - for one of the last times. Now, she takes it upon herself to figure out who wanted to shut Phil up - permanently - and why." "Charlotte quickly collects enough evidence to prove that Phil's allegations were true - the jade necklace is indeed fake. But, to her surprise, exhibit directors are less than appreciative about her discovery and persuade her to keep it "off the record" until the show is over. She confides in her dearest friend and partner-in-nosiness, Lou Torenson, who encourages her to investigate further and enthusiastically agrees to help. Together, these two fearless amateurs gather clues like pros, and risk their lives as they approach a long list of suspects, determined to find out who had the most serious motive for theft - and murder. There's Adam Walker: the handsome plastic surgeon who needs money for an expensive divorce; Richard Ransom: the insurance agent who had a lot more than his job at stake; Sigrid Olson: the star athlete who shared too many secrets with Phil; Melanie Stevenson: Phil's wife and mistress of the man who put on the jewelry exhibit and Barry Abrams: the manager of the exhibit, who has easy access to the necklace and a desperate need to profit from the show." "One of these suspects doesn't like Charlotte's "nosing around," and she is bombarded by a series of threats to frighten her away. There are ugly phone calls from a metallic-sounding voice; an anonymous package containing a figurine of a disfigured woman; and a mysterious blue car that is constantly in her shadow. But these less than subtle hints only add fuel to her fire, and nothing - not even pleas from her beloved husband and son - can or will stop her from finding the missing necklace and tracking down a dangerous killer. Loyal to the end, Lou sticks by her, and together they learn more than they ever wanted to know about plastic surgery, art insurance, jewelry, even the office cleaning business, as they discard weak alibis, ignore deadly threats, and put themselves right in a killer's line of fire."--BOOK JACKET.Title Summary field provided by Blackwell North America, Inc. All Rights Reserved