The Missing Driscoll

by Judith Fabris

The Driscoll Museum, in Washington, D.C., is home to the famous Maud Driscoll collection. The world-renowned artist is the grandmother of Penny Wells, the curator and museum director. A rising star in the industry, Penny Wells accepts the invitation to co-curate a retrospective of Maud Driscoll's paintings at the prestigious Jeu de Paume, in Paris. Calamity strikes when Penny discovers one of the paintings hung in the exhibit is a forgery. How could this be when she supervised the crating of all the paintings? She watched them get loaded into the cargo area of the plane, witnessed the unloading at the airport, and accompanied the cargo transport to the Jeu de Paume. The insurance adjuster, Bill Tennant, sent by the Driscoll Museum to investigate, accused Penny of the theft, destroying her highly regarded reputation. His ulterior motives become Penny’s worst nightmare, leading her on a mission to recover the missing Driscoll. Murder, mystery, and mayhem ensue as the story takes Penny and her cohorts across the globe to locate the painting. The search leads to the reparation of artwork stolen from Jewish families by the Nazis during the Second World War. Ms. Wells, unable to secure gainful employment, due to the black mark on her reputation, becomes her own boss. She opens an art gallery where she intends to display a Driscoll painting from her private collection. Trouble follows her new venture, leaving a path of death and destruction in its wake. The plot is full of twists and turns as the hunt for the stolen artwork becomes a deadly obsession.

327 pages, Kindle Edition

Published March 8, 2020

Reviews

[Virginia Clark · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Missing Driscoll, sequel to Sargent's Lady, features several of my favorite components: a bit of mystery and suspense, a bit of drama and romance, and a bit of heartbreak. I was especially drawn to the strong female characters and their intertwining lives. The correspondences are reminiscent of the first book, Sargent's Lady, which I absolutely enjoyed reading. The international travel was engaging, as was the factual, historical elements woven throughout the story. By the time I was finished reading The Missing Driscoll, I felt as though I was a friend and a part of the lives this story revolves around. The author has a warm and engaging writing style, leaving me looking forward to the next book.

[Jane · Rating 3 out of 5]

P.E.O. author; Art, Artists, Art Galleries set in California, Paris and Wasgington, DC. Good mystery.