4.0 out of 5 stars full of action, yet satisfyingly nuanced, April 12, 2009

"The Acronym", Rebecca Lerwill's sequel to "Relocating Mia", is an action-packed thriller with just the right amount of spice.

Mia Trentino must return to St. Petersburg to testify againt the Russian Mafia. They want her dead, and Douglas Farland, her finace, and his Acronym agents work hard to keep her alive. But Doug gets framed for treason, and as Mia's protection is diluted, the Mafia closes in.

Lerwill weaves a multi-layered tale: one minute we're sneaking up on castles with Douglas in Poland, and the next we're flirting with Mafia bosses with Ludvika in St. Petersburg. There are plots and sub-plots, all choreographed to lead up to a final confrontation on the Neva River.

I like how Lerwill made her characters full-bodied. The good guys were decently conflicted, and the bad guys had enough redeeming qualities to make me sympathize with them. Mia and Douglas both grow in this book, and it's fun to watch Ludvika interact with Uwe Hirsch, the new Acronym agent (Do they get it on? You'll have to read it to find out).

Great job by Lerwill - and I'm looking forward to more of her books.