A Kat Lawson Mystery: Book 2
Publication Date: June 6, 2023
After losing her job as an investigative reporter for The Phoenix Gazette, Kat Lawson has a new gig. The FBI has asked her to work undercover as a reporter for Travel International to cover Munich, Germany’s festive holiday scene—an excuse to get close to Hans von Hausmann, a very charismatic and popular museum curator suspected of hiding a cache of stolen masterpieces believed to be part of the World’s Largest Art Heist. The job comes with lots of perks: airfare, travel expenses, the opportunity to see the world…and for a seasoned reporter like Kat, nothing she can’t handle. But, when a trusted source is found dead, Kat realizes the tables have been turned. Armed with evidence that will expose a cache of artwork stolen from museums and the homes of wealthy Jews during the 2nd World War, Kat must find a way to avoid being caught by the German Polizie, who have enough evidence to charge her with murder, and those who want her dead to keep their hidden treasures forever secret. The hunter has become the hunted; now, Kat has a target on her back.
Kat Lawson finds herself, somehow, right in the middle of not only international art intrigue but murder and theft as well. How does a simple travel writer with an assignment to write about Germany during the Christmas holiday season find herself in such a predicament? It’s simple—she’s a spy—of course.Â
Set in the charming beauty of Germany during the festive Christmas season, Passport to Spy by Nancy Cole Silverman is a thriller that finds Kat Lawson undercover as a traveling journalist. With so much swirling around her, is her cover strong enough to hold, or will she be discovered?Â
The storied Gerhardt’s Hoard is a vast collection of rare art said to have been confiscated by the Nazis during World War II. Rumors abound that Otto Gerhardt absconded with hundreds of priceless art pieces after the war, which are now, supposedly, in the hands of his nephew and niece, museum curators Hans Hausmann and his sister, Ericka Schonburg.Â
Kat Lawson’s assignment is to get close to Hans and Ericka and find out if there’s truth to that rumor and, if so, where these treasures might be hidden. Kat follows her orders well—up to a point and then fate and the Russians try to take over.Â
Breathless car chases along dangerous snowy cliffsides, death threats, disguises, a burly Russian henchman, and even a touch of romance run counter to the beauty of the German mountains in winter and the jovial traditions of German Christmas markets and foods. Will Kat’s wits be enough to keep her alive as she navigates the obstacles and clues thrown her way?
Nancy Cole Silverman does a masterful job weaving this well-timed and well-paced plot together, keeping the characters and components interacting with suspense and unexpected twists and turns right to the very end.Â
While the plot is excellent, the book could use a professional edit to correct several wording and grammatical errors, but overall, it’s a refreshing and absorbing read. Â
Passport to Spy overflows with heart-pounding excitement and intrigue as the reader traverses the unknown dangers with Kat, discovering along the way who you can—and cannot trust. 
Nancy Cole Silverman spent nearly twenty-five years in news and talk radio, beginning her career in college on the talent side as one of the first female voices on the air. Later on the business side in Los Angeles, she retired as one of two female general managers in the nation’s second-largest radio market. After a successful career in the radio industry, Silverman retired to write fiction. Her short stories and crime-focused novels—the Carol Childs and Misty Dawn Mysteries, (Henry Press) are both Los Angeles-based. Her newest series THE NAVIGATOR’S DAUGHTER, (Level Best Books) takes a more international approach. Silverman lives in Los Angeles with her husband and a thoroughly pampered standard poodle.
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