Martin Talbot is stunned to learn that his 72-year-old mother, Judy, was some type of costumed vigilante back in the 1960s. After placing Alzheimer-suffering Judy in a nursing home, Martin is contacted by her lawyer and long- time friend about some things she wanted her son to have. Martin is shocked when he reads the confession letter she left him, along with a strongbox containing a basement floor plan of their house, several keys and some odd trinkets. These items lead him to a discovery that boggles his mind -- his mother's diaries of how she became The Black Stiletto, a woman who took on the Mafia, Communist spies and the occasional nasty criminal.

While Martin is engrossed in reading about his mother's exploits, an incarcerated criminal from her past is being released from prison after 52 years. To say he is resolute to locate the woman who put him behind bars and killed his brother would be an understatement. He is out for vengeance at any cost. And his determination to find and kill The Black Stiletto means he'll do away with anyone who stands in his way -- and he does.

Told in chapters rotating from Judy's fascinating diary to the present-day activities of Martin to the criminal's thoughts and actions, this is a completely captivating and exciting suspense novel. Though it's brought to a satisfying conclusion, there are still enough unanswered questions for subsequent books, which is good since THE BLACK STILETTO is the start of a thrilling new series.