A String of Beads

A year after getting shot on a job that took a dangerous turn, Jane Whitefield has settled into the quiet life of a suburban housewife - or so she thinks. One morning, returning from a long run, she's met by an unusual sight: the female leaders of the eight Seneca clans waiting in her driveway. Jane's childhood friend from the reservation is wanted by the police for murder, and the clan mothers believe she is the only one who can find him.

So Jane sets out to retrace a journey she took with Jimmy when they were fourteen years old, and soon discovers that the police aren't the only ones after her childhood friend. As the chase intensifies, the number of people caught up in the deadly plot grows, and Jane is the only one who can protect those in danger...



Thomas Perry is the bestselling author of thirty novels, including the Edgar Award-winning

The Butcher's Boy, and

The Old Man, recently adapted for television. His first Jane Whitefield novel,

Vanishing Act, was named one of the 100 favourite mysteries of the twentieth century by the Independent Mystery Booksellers Association. He lives in Southern California.



Another excellently engineered thriller from Thomas Perry featuring Jane Whitefield. . . . Soul-searching and car chases too. What more could we ask from an escape artist like Perry?



Jane Whitefield is unique in the annals of detective fiction. She is a throwback to a tribal world, still loyal to the beliefs of the Seneca Indians and still adhering to the call of a lost era. Thomas Perry has once again resurrected a remarkable character who seems imbued with a strange immortality and an unusual morality, and he is to be congratulated.



Many scenes have an almost

Twilight Zone atmosphere of sudden recognition. The landscape is filled with references to tribal history, and Perry also delivers fascinating information on how to hide and change identity. . . . First-rate suspense.



Perry's thriller swings into action as soon as Jane is on the trail. A breathless pace sets the tone with numerous close calls as the expert, clever heroine tries to solve the crime before Jimmy gets caught. Enthusiastically recommended for series fans and for readers who appreciate strong female protagonists