Niki Danforth, daughter of a Cold War covert intelligence officer, has the “thriller/adventure” gene in her DNA. After a New York TV career, including as a director on Lifestyles of the Rich & Famous, this empty-nester has recreated herself as an author of suspenseful mysteries. And like her character Ronnie Lake, Niki Danforth studied Japanese Aikido, earning a black belt in time for a decade birthday.