A Fool and His Monet

April 1, 2016

Driven by a hope she may uncover clues that could identify her grandfather's killer and recover the painting that was stolen from him, Serena Jones joined the FBI's Art Crime team despite her parents' objections. When two paintings go missing from a local museum, Serena investigates. While Serena's mother frets over her daughter's career choice, her meddling, elderly Aunt Martha is thrilled to help, often with hilarious results. Yet Serena's vow to remain single may be jeopardized by the attentions of a coworker and her building superintendent. VERDICT In a change of pace from her "Port Aster" suspense novels, Orchard debuts a lighthearted mystery series. Her quirky characters are laugh-out-loud funny and reminiscent of the protagonists in Janet Evanovich's Stephanie Plum stories. The inspiration for the series came from the author's visit to Boston's Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum and the story of its 25-year-old unsolved art theft. Readers looking for a humorous mystery with a dash of romance may find it here.

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