Where better to view the Monaco Grand Prix than from the deck of a megayacht? Imagine the Formula 1 cars shooting past the stern of the boat 78 times. Race dates for 2016 are May 26 – 29. Don León, the charismatic anti-hero of The Politician’s Daughter, Marion Leigh’s first adventure thriller, would surely be there on Titania, his 70-metre blue-hulled beauty if he could. For the occasion, he would no doubt move his incandescent orange Lamborghini Murciélago from its usual position on the aft deck. Maybe he would even get to try out the circuit through his connections to the rich and famous.

In Marion Leigh’s novel, RCMP Marine Unit Sergeant Petra Minx battles to find Emily Mortlake, the politician’s daughter who has disappeared after taking a hostess job on board Titania. Petra joins Don León’s yacht in Monaco to begin her quest. She loves boats but has had a phobia about fast cars ever since her teenage boyfriend was killed in a motorbike accident.

Lifting a car on and off a boat requires special equipment and precision timing. In The Politician’s Daughter, Don León supervises the reloading of the “Bat” onto his yacht in Monte Carlo:

‘Dockside, a crowd of onlookers … watched in amazement as the starboard side of the main aft deck slid silently towards the bow of the yacht … Slowly, two booms extended out over the dock then locked into place. Hanging from these titanium arms was a reinforced aluminium platform. The four corners of the platform were attached to the booms by synchronized telescopic cylinders designed to minimize sway … Petra could hear Don León shouting instructions …’

When they reach Puerto Banús, in Spain, Petra watches the car being unloaded. She is shocked when Don León comes up behind her and orders her to go with him. Can she refuse? What is it he wants to show her? Despite a touch of pride at the invitation, she knows he’s a dangerous man. Yet there is undeniable chemistry between them. How does she solve her dilemma?

There might not be time to read The Politician’s Daughter during the Grand Prix, but it’s perfect to take to the beach!