Hot Ice by NORA ROBERTS Hardcover with Dustjacket 2002

Rich, gorgeous Whitney MacAllister likes fast cars, vintage movies, and dangerous men. But even this jaded, high-living Manhattan socialite is taken by surprise when a stranger in black leather hijacks her Mercedes - just before the bullets start flying. International jewel thief Douglas Lord is used to living life on the run - part of the lure of his chosen profession is the thrill of the chase. But he has one iron-clad rule: he always works alone. Until now.

Wounded and in desperate need of cash for what could be the glittering crown of his dazzling career, Doug reluctantly accepts the wealthy, well-connected Whitney as his new partner in crime. With the papers screaming headlines about the missing New York heiress, and a gang of cunning criminals in hot pursuit, Doug and Whitney take off for the sultry wilds of Madagascar in search of a fabulous treasure dating back to the French Revolution.

For Whitney, what began as a high-speed adventure becomes a race between life and death as she tries to outmaneuver a pack of merciless killers who coolly eliminate anyone in their way. For Doug, who has been betrayed one time too many, it’s a chance to capture the elusive pot of gold and perhaps one final shot at redemption. For both of them, it’s an exotic quest for meaning - and a surrender to an irresistible passion worth any risk - as a deadly high-stakes game is played out to its terrifying conclusion, one that may have no winners or losers. Or survivors.