The Art of Deception
A Daughter of Sherlock Holmes Mystery
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4.4 • 35 Ratings
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- $11.99
Publisher Description
"Suspenseful and entertaining, with many twists and turns....This is one of the best Sherlock Holmes series since Laurie R. King’s Mary Russell books."—Historical Novel Society
USA Today bestselling author Leonard Goldberg returns with another puzzling case for the daughter of Sherlock Holmes to unravel in this exciting mystery, The Art of Deception, sure to be enjoyed by fans of Sherlock Holmes as well as Laurie R. King and Charles Finch.
In the west end of London, an apparently crazed individual is on the loose, breaking into art galleries and private homes to slash valuable paintings of women. Despite Scotland Yard’s best efforts, the criminal remains at large and continues on his destructive path.
When Joanna and the Watsons are called in to solve the mystery, they soon discover that although the canvases have been slashed, their backings remain pristine, with no cuts or scratches. The criminal, it seems, is no mere vandal—he's searching for something hidden behind the portraits.
Suspicion soon falls on two skilled art restorers who previously worked at the gallery where all the vandalized art was purchased. When Joanna finds the body of one in a bricked off fireplace at the gallery, the other is left as the prime suspect. But then he's discovered dead as well. Luckily, Joanna has a plan for ensnaring the criminal once and for all. But it must not fail, or more paintings—and lives—will be lost.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
At the start of Goldberg's pleasing if flawed fourth Daughter of Sherlock Holmes mystery (after 2019's The Disappearance of Alistair Ainsworth), Inspector Lestrade calls on Dr. John Watson, Joanna Blalock, and Joanna's husband, Dr. John Watson Jr., at 221b Baker Street shortly before Christmas 1916. Lestrade needs their help catching the vandal slashing costly paintings in London's West End. Joanna deduces that the culprit is seeking something perhaps another artwork hidden behind one of them. All the canvases have been repaired at the elite but financially troubled Hawke and Evans art gallery by Harry Edmunds and James Blackstone, making them prime suspects. But since Edmunds has apparently died in an explosion, while Blackstone has fled to Australia, neither man can be questioned. When Joanna's son, Johnny, comes home from Eton, he adds his own astute analysis to the case. The overly talky investigation and lack of dramatic action may disappoint some readers. Holmes lovers will enjoy the intricate Sherlockian reasoning Joanna and Johnny bring to the puzzle.
