in Reading Corrupt, Dangerous World (NAPSA)—A gripping thriller about a truly heinousevil. That’s what readers are calling The Trade (MIRA Books, $23.95), the new novelby critically acclaimed author Shirley Palmer. Matt Lowell never set out to be a hero, but he wasn’t given a choice. _ As a vicious wildfire ) rages in the canyons around Malibu, Matt races along the edge P_ of the surf in a des_perate attempt to = reach his house and =“TPsave his beloved dog, ~ Barney. But as he runs, he stumbles upon a horror that stops him in his tracks: a newborn baby abandoned in the sand. And before he can get her to safety, the baby dies in his arms. The already horrific event is made even more appalling when the police find the baby’s teenage mother dead on the side of the canyon road, her body covered with wildflowers. Matt can’t ignore the unexpected sense of duty he feels toward these innocent victims. After meeting a group of the teenagegirl’s friends, he decides to get involved—setting in motion irreversible consequences...and leading him into the midst of an unspeakable crime ring of slavery and murder. Shirley Palmer, a Los Angeles Times bestseller, won over readers andcritics alike with her hardcoverdebut thriller Danger Zone, which Kirkus Reviews declared, “First rate...Admirably paced and plotted, with the kind of guns-a-popping denouement that begs for transfer to the big screen.” The Trade is available at bookstores and at www.mirabooks.com.
