Well, if you are the heroine in Nowhere to Hide you return home, have several glasses of wine, wake up with a hang-over, and.......go shopping! Niki Bass usually saves and invests every penny, but this was different, she reasoned, "this was new found money...and after last night's near-death experience, what could be more life affirming than a shopping spree."

Niki's ridiculous attitude did not support the book jacket's description of her as "a brilliant, Ivy League educated, former model turned call-girl." Certainly she would be one amazing character had this plethora of adjectives been accurate. But the specific Ivy League school she attended was strangely unmentioned and I was never thoroughly convinced of her "brilliance."

After witnessing this horrible murder, Niki is forced to hide in her apartment with Detective Jack Kirby as her bodyguard until the Grand Jury can indict the mobster. Initially, Niki and Jack do not get along and Niki's intelligence shines through during heated verbal exchanges. She is sharp-witted and full of quick comebacks. But pages later Niki selfishly and unfairly risks the lives of others because she suffers a little cabin fever and wants to go dancing.

Niki is quite an opportunist throughout her ordeal, cleverly hiding information from the police, while hanging onto millions of dollars belonging to the mob. Perhaps some readers may be intrigued by the mystery of how she intends to spend her fortune. I, however, was irritated that the author chose not to reveal her master plan.

Despite these annoying character inconsistencies, the novel flows easily and is packed with tension. If you are looking for an exciting and fast paced mystery Nowhere to Hide may be a good selection. However, if you are tired of stereotypical Italian mobsters or bothered by a confusing and even occasionally foolish heroine then you may want to hide from this book.

--Whitney Rose Anderson