Murder at the Coffee Exchange by Sarah Levine Simon

Kidnapping, murder, human trafficking, and ... Ballet?

Dita Marx, dancer/choreographer, is the Artistic Director of The Harlem Center for the Arts. While at The Coffee Exchange in the basement, recently hired cartoonist Jeremy Windt recognizes Cassia Warshaw, his college English instructor and lover. They are both the children of Holocaust survivors but have very different views of the Holocaust. Cassia tells Jeremy that she is a full-time peace activist with the International Cooperation Committee (ICC). The ICC is funded by Helping Hands, a charity with terrorist ties under investigation by the Justice Department. After a confrontation, Cassia seeks and receives a restraining order against Jeremy.

When Cassia is found murdered in a restroom in the basement, Jeremy is arrested.

Dita contrives an audience with Peter Cravens, the ICC’s director. They have planned massive demonstrations throughout New York City on that day but Helping Hands has betrayed Cravens and plans a terrorist attack.

Dita’s students are performing for Summer Solstice in Central Park.

Dita, CJ, and Neil looking for two of them who have wandered into the park to share lunch and were confronted by a suicide bomber. They make a miraculous escape. Dita and friends however are taken hostage and made to put on vests which the terrorist will detonate by cell phone unless some way can be found to jam the signal.