Review of "The London Forgery" by Heidi Eljarbo- New Release

 

1973. Art historian Fabiola Bennett sees herself as a prudently observant deer who becomes a daring and even mischievous lioness if the situation calls for it. And that’s exactly what’s required when greedy criminals steal, forge, and tamper with treasured artwork. When the crooks add murder to their list of crimes, the chaos is complete. 

A mysterious note is delivered anonymously at the door of the National Gallery in London, and the director immediately calls Fabiola’s office in Oslo and pleads with her to come without delay. The message is confusing, but it seems one of her favorite eighteenth-century portraits is in trouble. Fabiola hops on the first plane and meets up with her vibrant side-kick Pippa Yates and the ever-loyal Detective Inspector Cary Green from New Scotland Yard. But she is not naïve enough to think untangling the purpose and meaning of the mysterious note will be as simple as a walk in Hyde Park. These things never are. 

1750. Newly married Robert and Frances Andrews, members of the landed gentry of Suffolk, England, hire young and talented Thomas Gainsborough to paint their wedding portrait. Their desire is a lovely conversation piece showing their wealth and class, an artwork to remember them by for generations to come. Little do they know the gifted artist portrays their personalities exactly how he perceives them, and the artistic symbolism is not as flattering as they’d hoped for. Even the looming clouds in the distance promised a troublesome future. This is the first book in a new dual timeline series by Heidi Eljarbo—an intriguing spin-off from the much-loved Soli Hansen Mysteries. 

Fans of Lucinda Riley, Rhys Bowen, Kathleen McGurl, Kate Morton, and Katherine Neville will love this cozy historical art mystery, which takes the readers back to the nostalgia of the groovy seventies and the classical Georgian era of the eighteenth century.

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Heidi Eljarbo writes historical fiction. She grew up in a home filled with books and artwork and she never truly imagined she would do anything other than write and paint. She studied art, languages, and history, all of which have come in handy when working as a freelance writer, magazine journalist, and painter.

After living in Canada, six US states, Japan, Switzerland, and Austria, Heidi now calls Norway home. She and her husband have a total of nine children, and fifteen grandchildren—so far—in addition to a bouncy Wheaten Terrier.

Their favorite retreat is a mountain cabin, where they hike in the summertime and ski the vast, white terrain during winter.

Heidi’s favorites are family, God's beautiful nature, and the word whimsical.

If you would like to know more, please visit:

Official Author Website:
https://www.heidieljarbo.com/

https://www.facebook.com/authorheidie...

https://no.pinterest.com/heidieljarbo/

Twitter: @HeidiEljarbo

MY REVIEW

The first in a new series, "The London Forgery" is a fast-paced, non-stop action read filled with mystery, suspense, and intrigue. Fabiola Bennet, the daughter of Soli Hanson, is also a specialist in art. Faiola discovers that one of the paintings at the gallery is a forgery. In an attempt to discover where the original is, she finds danger, lies, and conspiracy.

The storyline is set in dual times but is easy to go back and forth, as the author makes it seamless keeping in period with both. The characters are amazing with lots of layers and the story is full of adventure, so much so that I couldn't put it down.

The historical aspects are well-researched and transported me to the world of art and the problems that can entail. This story is a fantastic read and one I hated to see end. I can't wait to read the next in the series.

I received a complimentary copy from the author and a positive review is not required. All opinions are my own.

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