A Most Dangerous Profession, Karen Hawkins’ third book in the Hurst Amulet series, is something of a disappointment. The characters are forgettable and little happens to further the overall plot of the series.

The hero and heroine of the novel are Robert Hurst and Moira MacAllister Hurst, former lovers and spies who also happen to be married, though they’ve not seen each other for years. Together they must find a mysterious onyx box that is tied into the mystery of the lost Hurst amulet. Each have their own motivations for wanting the box, however Moira’s brutal employer has kidnapped their daughter, who Robert knows nothing about. They must work together despite their past grievances to secure the box from a ruthless collector with unscrupulous morals.

This book was not up to the caliber of Hawkins’ other works. The circumstances of the protagonists were glaringly similar to the previous book in the series - former lovers separated by time who both still harbor strong feelings for one another. This would not be quite so tedious had the very last book in the series had the same premise. The characters show promise of being well-rounded, however through their internal monologues they come across as very one-dimensional. The interesting questions about their characters are never answered, either internally or to each other. The romance feels forced - other than a physical attraction there seems little to draw them together besides their child, which the hero didn’t even know existed until the beginning of the book. The exciting parts of their relationship (both being spies, political intrigue, etc) were either not touched upon or barely glossed over in recollections. We never learn what it is that Robert actually does for the Home Office, or why Moira was pretending to be a Russian princess.

The book is decidedly plot-driven, rather than character-driven; however the plot falls flat as well. The urgency to retrieve the box feels contrived, especially since months have passed since the Hursts’ brother Michael was imprisoned. Many questions were left unanswered - why does the hidden antagonist of both this and the previous book seek the box? Why did the Egyptian sulfi who held Michael? Hopefully these questions will be answered in the final installment.