Wade Bruckheimer has decided to sell a diamond that had been given to his beautiful Brazilian mother by her family before her marriage to an American. He knows everyone in the family will object and will hate him for it, whether from the American side or the Brazilian one. But he needs the money to maintain the lifestyle expected by his young bride, a Brazilian from the wrong side of the tracks. Upon hearing that piece of news, TV producer Sonya Iverson feels it's a story worth looking into, but her boss unexpectedly tells her to wait and see what transpires. However what started out as more or less a puff piece becomes a headline when Wade is found murdered. Everyone connected to Wade is a suspect, although not everyone wanted the rare diamond for its monetary value, which makes the investigation more puzzling.

I admit I was a bit sceptical when I saw a mystery novel written by fashion icon Elsa Klensch, but I was intrigued and well, what a wonderful surprise THE THIRD SIN turned out to be! It is a classic mystery but as stylish as the author herself, and Ms. Klensch's prose is just as classy, elegant, and crisp as her speech, which is saying a lot! I also found the dialogues exceptionally brilliant, and the voices suit the various personalities as well.

THE THIRD SIN flows beautifully, it's fast-paced, the plot is entirely realistic, and uncluttered; there are just enough details to give the impression of the various players' lifestyle and yet Ms. Klensch never dwells on fashion or the settings for the sake of displaying her knowledge. The characters are truly well-defined and I was quite pleased to find none of the cardboard characters or the stereotypes I somewhat expected. THE THIRD SIN is a fun, very entertaining mystery with a few unexpected plot twists. Elsa Klensch writes with flair and panache; brava!