Mystery Woman:

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SYNOPSIS

          Samantha Kinsey and Philby of the Mystery Woman bookstore receive an invitation to attend an Espionage Writers Convention, where there will be a private book signing by spy novelist Alexsandr Tseitsev.  Samantha is eager to meet the acclaimed Russian author.  He’s one of her favorites authors, his books are so “real.”  His work is authentic, Philby notes, because Tseitsev is a former KGB agent.  The legendary spy, Sam is told, was known as “the Magician.”  Philby, who has a murky past in the espionage game as well, looks forward to meeting the man too.  Tseitsev was the Cold War adversary Philby most admired.

          At the convention, Samantha and Philby hit it off with Tseitsev, a charming man who also has the utmost respect for Philby.  In fact, at the book signing, the author gives Philby a special Russian edition of his book, printed in the original Cyrillic text.  Also at this special event, Tseitsev makes a surprise public announcement that his next book, a work of nonfiction, will focus on the Red Mafia, the Russian criminal underworld.  In it, Tseitsev vows, he will expose a notorious double agent who has ties to American Intelligence.

          Later that night, Tseitsev is attacked and lies dying outside his hotel at the moment Samantha happens to exit the building.  Samantha spots him and tries to render aide.  As Tseitsev warns her to run away, his assailant then attacks her and pushes her into oncoming traffic where she is hit by a car and badly injured.  Philby arrives moments later to help Samantha.  Tseitsev’s dying request to Philby is that he “finish the game,” obviously referring to his plan to expose the dangerous Red Mafia double agent, who likely is the person who harmed Tseitsev and Samantha.

          While Samantha recuperates in the hospital, Philby and Cassie (Assistant D.A. and Sam’s best friend) launch their own investigation.  Unfortunately, there’s no sign of Tseitsev’s manuscript but the Magician apparently left a trail of cryptic clues that lead Philby and Cassie on a scavenger hunt across town, from a pawn shop to a miniature golf course to an old church.  Meanwhile, back at the hospital, someone sneaks into Sam’s room and plants a listening device.  It soon becomes clear that the book convention is a veritable hive of agents, representing various espionage organizations.  Any one of these individuals, Philby knows, could turn out to be the Red Mafia double agent.

          It becomes evident that Philby is on the right track when an unseen gunman takes shots at Philby and Cassie at the church.  But Philby will not be deterred.  When he and Sam (now released from the hospital, but less than 100 percent) follow the trail of clues to an apartment building, they discover that they’re being tailed not just by other agents, but also by Jim Bosworth, a newspaper reporter and aspiring novelist who is in pursuit of a big story. 

Once Philby and Sam complete the scavenger hunt, they are no closer to finding the missing manuscript and the incriminating evidence.  (In fact, there is no manuscript only several pages of incriminating evidence, concealed inside the book that Tseitsev autographed for Philby).  They realize they were on a wild-goose chase, one intended not to lead to the evidence, but instead meant to draw the double agent out into the open – Jim Bosworth – who claimed to be a newspaper reporter.  When this nefarious double agent is taken into custody by federal agents, the case is closed.  And Samantha and Philby can take solace in knowing that their friend Alexsandr Tseitsev’s death was not in vain.

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