PI
Helen Hawthorne and her husband Phil Sagemont run Coronado Investigations
together. Phil has recently taken on a case involving gold coins
being stolen by an elusive thief nicknamed The Gold Ghost. Meanwhile,
Helen stumbles into a case during a tour of Bonnet House, a
local museum.
After
an art class held at the museum, a woman collapses and dies
in a nearby parking lot. Helen and her friend Margery had
observed the class and happened to be parked in the same lot
and are witness to Annabel Griffin's fall and subsequent seizure.
Annabel dies later, at the hospital, and one of her friends,
also an artist from the class, Jenny hires Helen to prove
that Annabel's ex-husband murdered her.
Or did
he? There are a few other suspects with their own motives
and opportunities to have poisoned Annabel, and Helen knows
that with perseverance she can discover who the killer is
even though Jenny is adamant that it must be Hugo.
I've
read every book in this series and find them to be most enjoyable.
As with previous books, having Helen and Phil each working
on their own cases brings opportunities for more characters
to be involved and keeps things interesting. The Art of Murder
is a fast read and I didn't feel compelled to search for clues
and motives to figure out whodunit. I figured who the murderer
was quickly. I did not determine who the Gold Ghost was, however,
until Viets revealed it. I really enjoy having two mysteries
in one book!
If you've
read previous books in this series, you won't be disappointed
in this new one. If you are new to Viets, this is fine as
a stand-alone read. Fast-paced, witty and populated with colorful
characters, this is a book that will please readers everywhere.
Other
Reviews in this series
Just Murdered, No 4 [review]
Murder Unleashed, No. 5 [review]
Murder with Reservations, No. 6 [review]
Clubbed to Death, No 7 [review]
Pumped for Murder, No 10 [review
1] [review
2]
Final
Sail, No 11 [review]
Board Stiff,
No 12 [review]
The Art of Murder, No 14 [review]
Reviewer Note: The author also writes the Josie
Marcus, Mystery Shopper Series and the Francesca Vierling
Mystery Series
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