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**An escape to an idyllic Irish seaside village is about to turn deadly in this riveting new novel by master of romantic suspense Carla Neggers.**** ** For marine biologist Julianne Maroney, two weeks in tiny Declan's Cross on the south Irish coast is a chance to heal her broken heart. She doesn't expect to attract the attention of FBI agents Emma Sharpe and Colin Donovan, who are in Ireland for their own personal retreat.  Ten years ago, art was stolen from a mansion in Declan's Cross, but it has never been recovered and the elusive thief never caught. Now, from the moment Julianne sets foot on Irish soil, everything goes wrong. The well-connected American diver who invited her to Ireland has disappeared. And now Emma and Colin are asking questions.  As a dark conspiracy unfolds amid the breathtaking scenery of Declan's Cross, the race is on to stop a ruthless killer…and the stakes have never been more personal for Emma and Colin.  Includes the bonus story Rock Point www.CarlaNeggers.com ** ### From Publishers Weekly Uneven pacing weakens an otherwise solid mystery in Negger's third Sharpe and Donovan novel (after 2012's Heron's Cove). FBI agents Emma Sharpe and Colin Donovan become concerned when their friend Julianne Maroney travels to the Irish village of Declan's Cross to recover from a difficult breakup. Emma, a nun-turned-art crimes specialist, believes Julianne's visit is connected to a famous, unsolved case of art theft that took place at Declan's Cross a decade earlier. After Julianne's new acquaintance in the village, Lindsey Hargreaves, is found dead, Emma and Colin fear that the thief has returned and turned violent. Amorous troubles accompany the investigation: Emma and Colin struggle with their new romantic relationship; Julianne obsesses over ex-boyfriend Andy Donovan; and Sean Murphy, an Irish policeman, fights to earn Kitty O'Byrne's forgiveness. Lovers of travel will particularly enjoy the detailed forays into Irish culture and geography. Neggers's engaging, straightforward prose mostly makes up for a plot that slows to a standstill for more than 100 pages, divesting both the romantic and investigative storylines of any urgency. (Sept.) ### From Booklist The third book in the Sharpe & Donovan series by prolific and popular Neggers takes the two FBI agents to Ireland, but they aren’t the focus of the story. Julianne Maroney, a marine biologist from the same small town in Maine in which the Donovans live, has had her heart broken by Andy Donovan. Fleeing her problems, she travels to Ireland at the invitation of Lindsey Hargreaves, an heiress who is planning to open a marine field station in the beautiful small coastal town of Declan’s Cross. But when Julianne arrives, Lindsey is nowhere to be found. The missing Lindsey and a cold-case art heist generate suspense, and Neggers’ characters have interesting back stories. Colin Donovan is a deep-cover FBI agent, and Emma Sharpe is a former nun and art-crimes expert. Young Father Bracken, an Irish priest with a tragedy in his past, is half-owner of a distillery that is instrumental in bringing the people in Rock Point, Maine, and those in Declan’s Cross together. Readers of Saint’s Gate (2011) and Heron’s Cove (2012), who already know many of these characters, will derive the most enjoyment, while those new to the series may be left at sea. --Diana Tixier Herald