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| by William D. Gagliani
Email: tarkusp@execpc.com Sweetie's Diamonds  by Raymond Benson Five Star Press $25.95 From the man who brought the literary James Bond into the 21st Century (Never Dream of Dying, The Man with the Red Tattoo) comes a thriller that's a lot closer to home. Home as Lincoln Grove, Illinois, where a secret life slowly comes unraveled because of a coincidental discovery. When young David Boston and his best friend clandestinely watch an old Seventies porn tape, they're shocked to recognize one of the stars is David's mother. Diane Boston is now a highly respected teacher—a Teacher of the Year, no less!—but she has enemies on the faculty, and the unthinkable happens when her sordid past is revealed by a jealous would-be suitor. David is a fairly normal teenager except for his Marfan Syndrome, a cardiac condition that makes him fragile for his size. He's also very intelligent and perceptive. Though his mother denies her involvement in the porn business, it's clear to David that she has secrets. In fact, her secrets may have led to the divorce, and the new revelations fuel a new custody drive by Diane's ex-husband, the not-quite-sleazy but not-quite-wholesome auto dealer Greg Boston. Benson keeps readers guessing as to just what Diane's secrets are, but we know they include a sister secretly on life-support and a cache of ill-gained perfect diamonds, some of which she has sold monthly on the black market for years. Unfortunately, the "Porn Star Teacher" tabloid stories, besides endangering her job, also bring her face to the desk of one Aaron Valentine, ruthless big-time playboy pornographer (think a hybrid of Hugh Hefner and Bob Guccione). He's got a grudge against "Lucy Luv," and he's still missing some diamonds. Before long, Valentine's right-hand man and assassin, the eyepatch-wearing Emo Tuff, is dispatched to learn all about Diane. Tuff's already been following the NY-Chicago trail of the fenced gems, so it's not difficult to connect the two. From here, the novel turns into a brutal cross-country chase, with the menacing Emo using David as leverage to bring Diane to Valentine—and a date with the famous Valentine incinerator. The bad guys don't realize that Diane would do anything to save her son, and protect as many of her secrets as possible. When she meets the engaging Belgrad, whose mysterious interest in her case brings them together, all the pieces come together with explosive potential.
With a climax set at a posh Aaron Valentine Hollywood party more reminiscent of a Roman bacchanal, and mortal danger facing each and every character, Raymond Benson's new thriller delivers with speed and agility. The breezy screenplay pace hits all the right high notes, telling the kind of story that seems destined for celluloid. The author of the most recent Bond adventures flexes his non-Bond muscles with a winner, and may just have a new series character on his hands.
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