What a fast-paced story set in the art world! I feel like I’m reading a lot of books lately on stolen art, and I’m really enjoying it! This one has the main character working with the FBI in an undercover role to help find the stolen art.
I really liked that Portia, the MC, becomes an integral part of the story by going undercover. She has to travel to Colombia and dive deep into the world of drug lords and art thieves. The danger felt so real and intense. It made the story quite suspenseful!
I would absolutely recommend this for readers that are interested in art because there is a lot of discussion around artwork, and it’s quite interesting! This is great for mystery readers that enjoy a fast-paced story!
Where to Find This Book:
Art dealer Portia Malatesta is devastated when she learns that thirteen works of art were robbed from Boston’s Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum. To help uncover the whereabouts of the artwork, she sets out to construct a psychological profile of the thief. By analyzing the common theme linking the stolen pieces, she suspects the mastermind behind the heist is obsessed with the interplay of dark and light – not only in art, but also in life.
The FBI enlists Portia’s help in a high-stakes sting operation to recover the stolen works of art – a dangerous proposition that will take her to Colombia, where she’ll have to earn the trust of a notorious drug lord’s married daughter. Risking everything, Portia must navigate the underworld of Medellin – a complicated web of politics, pride and ugly crimes – where a single misstep could have deadly consequences.
Inspired by history’s largest art heist, A DISCERNING EYE is a fast-paced, skillfully plotted journey in which the fate of some of the world’s most prized masterpieces depends on one woman’s perceptive cunning.
Just the Facts:
A Discerning Eye by Carol Orange
Genre: Mystery
Publisher: Cavan Bridge Press
Pub Date: October 13, 2020
Carol Orange’s debut novel A Discerning Eye won the gold medal from Global Book Award for mystery/suspense. She has worked in the art world for more than twenty years. She began as a research editor on art books in London and later became an art dealer in Boston. She also worked as an advertising manager for South and Central America at Polaroid Corporation. She lived in Paris for two years where she researched George Sand’s life and writing. Her short story “Delicious Dates” was included in Warren Adler’s 2010 short story anthology. Another story, “Close Call” appeared in the Atherton Review, Vol. 102. A recent article, “7 Great Heist Novels recommended by an Art Dealer” was published in Crime Reads. Kate Tuttle of the Boston Globe interviewed Carol about her novel take on the still unsolved theft at the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum. She was also interviewed by Diane Dewey, a former curator at the Guggenheim Museum on her podcast Dropping In. She currently lives in Chicago near her daughter and her family.
If you are loving this Suzy Approved Book Tour and want to see more, check out these other bloggers!
I was provided a gifted copy of this book for free. I am leaving my honest review voluntarily.
She Just Loves Books 