Death In D Minor - A Review

Death In D Minor

by

Alexia Gordon

A Review

Henery Press has another winner.

Gethsemane Brown is up to her ears in murder again - but this time it also involves art forgery (both textiles and oil paintings) and two gentle ghosts. She finds herself and her brother in law charged with murder and in the middle of a ring of forgers that has done its work on both sides of the Atlantic. And while processing crime clues, her landlord is about to sell her rented lighthouse for an obnoxious price to an obnoxious real estate baron. She will need help from her friendly ghost, Eamon, the original owner of the property where she now resides; except, the wrong ghost shows up.

I am not a believer in ghosts, but if I could enjoy Casper as a child, I can also enjoy Eamon and Daniel, the ghost of a 19th-century sea captain who knew the artist whose work was being forged. In fact, he blamed himself for her death. Throw in a couple of eccentric FBI agents, and members of the Irish Guards (i.e. police), and the author has an interesting tale that should capture the interest of a number of readers. Though this is the second book in a series, it can easily be read as a stand alone novel. I had reviewed the earlier book and did enjoy the further development of the characters in the author’s second book. Whether you have read the first book or not, Murder In D-Minor is fun reading.

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This review is based on a free electronic copy provided by the publisher for the purpose of creating this review. The opinions are mine alone.

Fatal Forgeries - A Review

Fatal Forgeries

by

Ritter Ames

A Review

Laura Beacham’s parents were art thieves. She was in the art recovery business. That at times put her at odds with much of the rest of her family - and those odds could be fatal. That theses sounded intriguing, but I was disappointed in its implementation.

The book is inviting as the characters travel throughout Europe, visiting or traveling near landmarks in London, Barcelona, and Paris. Similarly, the book introduced me to the world of art, particularly as created by Caravaggio, an Italian artist. These side trips did give value to the book and made the trip interesting as I used Google and Wikipedia to discover more of these unknown worlds.

The book, however, has one large problem - it does not offer a complete story. This reader felt as if he were set up, but that nothing was accomplished in its 300 pages. Paintings were not returned, parents were not found, thieves were not caught (though one murderer was).

I kept hoping for some conclusion of the story, but it never came. Like an afternoon soap opera (with far less romance), one can only hope the next book offers the satisfactory ending expects from an enjoyable book.

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This review is based on a free electronic copy provided by the publisher for the purpose of creating this review. The opinion are mine alone.

Still Life - A Review

Still Life

by

Dani Pettrey

A Review

The second book in a series started by the author last year, Still Life focuses on the lives of a team of private forensic scientists as they seek to solve the murder of a new and upcoming artist and his new model. Things are complicated by a variety of relationships within the team.

The book holds the reader's interest as it takes him or her from art galleries to abandoned mental hospitals. Baltimore and environs provide an interesting setting for this fast moving story. Relationships may be disruptive to some readers - though I did not find them to be too obnoxious.

I have enjoyed other series by this author, with many of the same characteristics. This series grows on the reader as he or she becomes familiar with the characters. This second book can be read as a stand alone novel; however, having read the previous book in the series just about a year ago, I felt a bit lost as I started this book. It might have helped to have a short synopsis of that first book as a prelude to this newest book.

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This review is based on a free electronic copy provided by the publisher for the purpose of creating this review.  The opinions expressed are my own.

The Missing Matisse - A Review

A Memoir

The Missing Matisse

by

Pierre H. Matisse

A Review

It appears that I am in the minority, but frankly I found this book to be disappointing. The description, the front cover, and the subject set me up for a boy and man who had survived the dangers of World War II France. Coming from a famous family, Pierre Matisse had gotten lost in the midst of history’s most famous war. This is the story of how he found himself again.

I was all set for an exciting true story; yet, I found the book to be boring. I could not get caught up in it. I would put it down for a week, hoping that my attitude would change when I again picked up the book. It did not. The sketches by the young Matisse at the beginning of each chapter did add some value to the book, but not enough for this reader.

Though I was not enticed by this author’s memoir, perhaps a WW II history buff may be as he or she connects the story of a real family with the events surrounding the allied invasion of France and the attempts of a nation to save itself. It did not work for me.   

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This review is based on a free copy provided by the publisher for the purpose of creating this review.  The opinions expressed are my own.