Double or Nothing

As she arranges her first house exchange vacation, Minnesota nurse Ellen Merchant thinks she's snared the free holiday of a lifetime- she manages to trade her modest home for a mansion overlooking San Francisco Bay.

Art dealer Art Carmody, whose wealthy wife Jane owns this Bayside residence, has both serious gambling debts and a troubled marriage. He figures murdering Jane while giving himself an unshakable alibi wll solve both problems.

Con artist Sid Balzarian thinks he's discovered the perfect get-rich-quick scheme- kidnapping Jane Carmody for ransom. As these three stories converge, a dream vacation quickly becomes a breathtaking nightmare.

Nancy Baker Jacobs is the award-winning author of 13 crime novels, including the Devon MacDonald and Quinn Collins mystery series and many suspense-filled thrillers. As Nancy C. Baker, she also is the author of six nonfiction books. Her varied career has included working as a private detective, a university professor and administrator, and a journalist.