'The Fleuron Connection is the story of a Sydney-based business woman, Delphine de Fleuron, who, in the course of her trade accidentally discovers that the high end goods she imports are used as concealment for an illegal diamond trade. She soon discovers that an international Islamic fundamentalist cell plots the mass murder of innocents during one of Sydney's most historic marathons with the landmark Sydney Harbour Bridge firmly in their sights.
'As the unwitting courier Delphine becomes trapped in a dangerous web, forced to choose between self-preservation, altruism, and her allegiance to the family that raised her against her pledge to the country that adopted her.
On the cusp of forty, Delphine de Fleuron is at the top of her game. Her luxury goods boutique, located in Sydney's affluent Eastern Suburbs, stands as the jewel in the company's crown. In spite of the doom and gloom of the 2008 global financial crisis, her turnover inexplicably continues to defy all expectations.
'Related by family ties to the beautiful Delphine, Kaspar Omar Al Fayed is the master puppeteer behind the Federation of Friends. Aiming to destabilize the financial and political infrastructure of the Western world and replace it with his own twisted vision of a Nation of Islam, he now holds the landmark Sydney Harbour Bridge firmly in his sights.
Baez Straight, Fleuron's store manager, is a career salesperson beyond par, but, in truth, he cares more about protecting his employer's reputation than promoting the impressive brands he represents.
Accidentally, one day Delphine drops one of the limited edition candelabra, commissioned especially for a society client, and spills 'dozens of concealed diamonds all over her warehouse floor. She quickly realizes that the prestigious products she imports are being specifically selected for nefarious ends.
'Through their investigations, Delphine and her long-term friend, Oscar Olsen, together with Baez, soon identify the recipients of the illegal diamonds as the high-profile members of a secret Lakemba-based fundamentalist Islamic cell.
As the courier, Delphine becomes trapped in the dangerous web between self-preservation and altruism, weighing her allegiance to the family that raised her against her pledge to the country that adopted her.' (Publication summary)
