Hot Ice by Nora Roberts (1987)

I just reread the first Nora Roberts book I ever read - from a freebie shelf at a library I worked one night a week. I remember being thrilled by the constant chase and the fact that the location was Madagascar, a place about which I know nothing. I haven't run into any other Roberts' books with such an exotic setting - most are in different parts of the U.S., some nice detailed settings in Ireland, and an occasional mini-novel in Greece. I don't know how accurate the author's description was of the countryside, the people, their cultures, but I felt I got a sense of them. I have missed seeing more exotic locales in her books. The thrill ride was still as exciting as I remembered it. Douglas Lord is a professional thief and is going after a mother-load of jewels, supposedly from the days of Marie Antoinette. He inadvertently involves wealthy and bored Whitney MacAllister. I did find Doug's constant reiteration that he wants to find the jewels so he can settle down in luxury to be tedious. The main characters were a bit too stereotypical, the plot twists too improbable, but hey, it was fun. I did enjoy watching the spoilt rich girl become more aware of the rest of the world.