He’s an acclaimed New York architect, a husband and father. Nothing so far sets Archer Landis up as any kind of hero, does it? But wait – it gets worse, because Arch is having a steamy and secretive affair with one of his associates, so he’s not exactly squeaky clean either. But when his amour Julia is murdered, Arch – albeit reluctantly – steps up to the plate. Who killed Julia? And why? A chink of light is opened up when the police come to question him, as her employer and friend – because Julia Fernandez was not what she seemed. Just like the supposedly authentic Velazquez painting that hung in pride of place her apartment, she was an out-and-out fake. In reality, Julia was Alia Said, from Michigan, who wormed her way into his affections and then died a terrible death. Could the murder have terrorist connections? Plenty to be going on with here, but Weisfeld skilfully adds layers to what could have been a simple ‘who killed my girlfriend’ yarn. This is a book that starts slowly, but as the tension ratchets up notch after notch the pace gradually quickens, bringing along with it a heightened feeling of tension. And Arch? Well it is time for him to show his mettle as more deaths occur much closer to home – and when he becomes the literal target of someone’s rage, something in him changes. You’ll be kept guessing in a cleverly plotted story that has the power to wrong-foot and surprise. The action takes place in New York , Brussels, and Tarifa, keenly rendered and full of life. The contrasting locations work well, with the frenetic streets of the Big Apple and the more genteel environs of the Belgian capital serving as backdrop to some pretty dastardly goings on. I also enjoyed the peeks behind the scenes in the high-pressure world of the high-flying architect – which on this showing is a lot more cut-throat than you might think. I started off actively disliking Archer Landis, who appears both self-centred and untrustworthy upon first acquaintance – but thanks to the sterling work of Weisfeld, making her long form crime writing debut here, I began to warm to him somewhat. As the title suggests, this is a book about courage in its many forms and throughout that journey of discovery – for both reader and character – she certainly puts us through the wringer!