Actress-turned-law-student Rita Farmer has always been protective of her older sister, Gina. And in “On Location” (384 pages, Minotaur Books, $25.99), the third book in Elizabeth Sims’ series, Rita has good reason.
Brothers Kenner and Lance de Sauvenard are heirs to a timber fortune. Lance is dating Gina, and the connection has persuaded Rita and her friend Daniel to help with a movie Kenner is making.
When Gina and Lance head from Los Angeles to Washington state to scout locations, Rita makes Gina promise to call every day. When several days go by with no word, Rita, Daniel and Rita’s 6-year-old son, Petey, head north to look for them.
Meanwhile, de Sauvenard matriarch has hired Rita’s boyfriend, private investigator George Rowe, to look into possible financial skullduggery in the company. And when everything converges, more than one life is in peril.
Unlike its predecessors — “The Actress” and “The Extra” were mysteries with a dash of thriller — “On Location” is primarily thriller — with a twist — combined with adventure. It confirms Sims’ skill and demonstrates her versatility in heart-pounding, page-turning style.