Brush With Death, An Art Lover’s Mystery
by Hailey Lind
Published by A Signet Book
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Reviewed by: Sherri Moore
(Hailey Lind is a pseudonym for two sisters, Julie Goodson-Lawes and Carolyn Lawes)
Annie Kincade, proprietor of True/Faux Studios, a quirky, wise-cracking artist, is struggling to stay on the legal side of the art world. After midnight she takes a break from refurbishing a fresco in a San Francisco cemetery. It’s dark, and she’s a little wary of her surroundings when she meets Cindy Tamaka, on a path leading to a crypt.
Cindy is a graduate student, studying public displays of mourning. As they’re standing talking, they’re both knocked down by a mask-wearing thief, fleeing from a deceased child’s crypt. Added to this shocking event is Cindy’s idea that the cemetery’s Raphael’s LaFornirina , believed to be a copy, is the original. Annie takes a personal interest in the painting because Georges Francois LeFleur, her forger/grandfather, had been arrested many years ago for forging the masterpiece.
The LaFornarina mystery is compounded by the sudden appearance of Annie’s former boyfriend, Michael X Johnson, a no-good thieving scoundrel–but a fine kisser.
The story takes a serious turn when a young woman’s life ends. Did she commit suicide, or was she murdered?
This book is easy to read, and has a continuous parade of fascinating characters. As the story unfolds through Annie’s eyes, she shares her knowledge of art history and the forgery business. Time flew as I followed Annie and her friends to a fascinating conclusion.
Armchair Interviews says: An interesting mystery that will draw the reader in.