While concluding a European vacation with his girlfriend, Kathleen, Jake Travis is instructed to kill an international assassin who is known to dress as a cardinal and take contemplative strolls in Kensington Gardens. Jake completes, his task, returns to Florida, and learns that he has "Clipped the wrong bird." He has killed a popular and progressive cardinal.
Jake must hunt down a woman whom he believes holds the key, and do so before the assassin strikes again. Kathleen recoils from the horror of his deed, leaving Jake to wonder if he's lost her for good, while he stuggles with the central quesion: why did the cardinal want Jake to end his life?
"This brillantly calibrated thriller beats the leading sellers in it genre...Lane's writing is sharp, evocative, and engaging."
"A cinematic tale...the prose is confident and clear, and the pacing smooth an compelling...readers will care about its characters. Another entertaining mystery from Lane...possibly his best yet.