A Trace of Deceit ~ Karen Odden

About A Trace of Deceit

• Paperback: 416 pages
• Publisher: William Morrow Paperbacks (December 17, 2019)

Odden is back at her brilliant mysteries (beginning in A Dangerous Duet), diving into the underworld of Victorian suspense.

The subject of this round is a young painter, Annabel Rowe, is hard at work studying her craft at the Slade School of Fine Art. (Which, by the way,,if you have never seen the place, look it up because it’s gorgeous and my inner artist heart fell madly in love with the aesthetic.)

But it’s not all gorgeous interiors and sweet brushstrokes for our featured artist. Annabel is in for a shock when Inspector Matthew Hallam (of the famed Scotland Yard) shows up at her doorstep, carrying the weighty news that her brother has been brutally murdered.

Her late brother, Edwin, was an art lover in his own way but his craft was more along the lines of the sinister and frowned upon forgery field. He’s always been wrapped up in some dark scandal which leaves Annabel less than surprised by his untimely end.

Working in breadcrumbs alone (Annabel suspects that one his missing paintings points to his murderer), Annabel and Matthew race through dimly lit haunts and politically charged art houses, desperate to come up with answers that elude them at every turn.

A Trace of Deceit is the perfect thriller for any art fan but it also holds up for non-artists who simply want a gorgeous, fast paced mystery. I have newly committed myself to getting my behind over to Slade and, perhaps, drawing a bit more again. Though I’ll stay away from the art black market, thank you very much!

About Karen Odden

KAREN ODDEN received her PhD in English literature from New York University and has taught at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and the University of Michigan-Ann Arbor. She currently serves as an assistant editor for the academic journal Victorian Literature and Culture. Her debut novel, A Lady in the Smoke, was a USA Today bestseller.

Find out more about Karen at her website, and connect with her on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.

Thank you to TLC Boo tours for adding me as a stop. And as always, don’t forget to check out the other blood posts on the tour!

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TBD: Thursday, December 19th: Iwriteinbooks’s blog