Executive Thief — Scott Simon

Unbeknownst to the aged Queen, her priceless Diamond Jubilee Crown has been secretly shipped to New York City, where it is stolen. The theft occurs in view of security cameras and a trusted guard, who is now missing and presumed dead. If the crown isn't found and returned to London, where it is scheduled for public display, the crime will become fodder for a scandal-hungry media, and Her Majesty will be humiliated.The prime suspect is rich, beautiful Piper Sutton, a young jewelry executive in charge of special clients. Despite her vast wealth, she is haunted by a compulsion to steal. Enter Jedidiah Alcatraz: an autistic private eye with an uncanny ability to see what most people ignore and a compulsion of his own. His investigation involves a childhood friend whose skills may be just this side of legal, a Russian cabby with a taste for adventure, and a self-proclaimed Egyptian prince with unsavory motives. The trail leads from Chinatown to the elite environs of Newport, Rhode Island; from Fifth Avenue penthouses to a down-at-the-heels Coney Island strip club. And as evidence against Piper mounts, Jedidiah wonders whether she's the key to his obsession.