PI Helen Hawthorne is hired by
Elizabeth Cateman Kingsley to locate a small John Sargent
watercolor her father hid in a book long ago, and among others
recently given to the Flora Park Library. Elisabeth makes
arrangements with the library director, Alexa Stuart Andrews,
for Helen to pose as a volunteer, allowing her to secretly
search through the boxes of donated books temporarily tucked
away in a locked room. The task is complicated by the antagonism
from Blair, the head of the Friends of the Library. Alexa
believes the lost painting, if found, rightly belongs to Elizabeth;
Blair believes the sale of the watercolor should benefit the
library.
An added complication to the plot, that I liked, involves
the possibility that the library is haunted, but Helen rightly
suspects that the evidence Alexa shows her in the bathroom
and the food stolen from the refrigerator wasn’t done
by a ghost. After all, ghosts don’t eat. Paris, the
adorable library cat, leads Helen to discover a young homeless
girl concealed in a storeroom, one who claims to have found
the watercolor and hidden it in the library. When the girl
is later killed by a hit and run driver, Helen’s task
of finding the missing painting becomes daunting. Thankfully,
Phil, Helen’s husband and PI partner, finishes his case
and helps Helen solve hers.
Ms. Viets’ superb writing style brought her characters
to life for me. Yes, this is the 14th release in the series,
but this reads like a single title. Helen and Phil were lifelike,
thoroughly engaging and unforgettable. The outstanding plot
hooked me from the very first page and the secondary characters,
in my opinion, added to an excellent, enthralling mystery.
And best of all worlds, the ending was a satisfying surprise.
One of my all-time favorites.
Reviews of other titles 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]
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