At ten, painting a perfect Mona Lisa made Annie Kincaid a prodigy. A similar copy at seventeen made her a crook. Lesson learned: genuine art is priceless, and forgery gets you arrested. Now Annie puts her artistic talents to honest use as a faux finisher in San Francisco. But her past may not be painted over as well as she thought . . . Annie's got bad news for her ex-boyfriend, curator Ernst Pettigrew: the snooty Brock Museum's new fifteen-million-dollar Caravaggio painting is as fake as a three-dollar bill. And the same night Annie makes her shattering appraisal, the janitor on duty is killed--and Ernst disappears. To top it all off, a well-known art dealer has absconded with multiple Old Master drawings, leaving yet more forgeries in their places. Finding the originals--and pocketing the reward money--will get Annie's new landlord off her back. But it could also draw her into the underworld of fakes and forgers she swore she'd left behind, starting with a close encounter with a changeable but charming art thief . . .
Well, it should really have been 2.5 stars for the rating. I am sucker for art-related mysteries so I was keen for a new series. However, there were a number of, shall we say, annoyances with this book. It tried way too hard to be cute (Stephanie Plum style wise-assery); the female protagonist attracts so much trouble because she makes truly stupid decisions (ALL the time); she is wildly attracted to two polar opposite males (again with the S. Plum) who are always rescuing her from her own stupidity. I cannot tell you how much this offends me- rescue yourself; and the plot was WAY too complicated. Also, for a poor desperate artist she is always ignoring jobs for her paying clients in order to swan about dark ateliers looking for trouble.
In the first installment of the Art Lovers cozy series by Hailey Lind aka Juliet Maxwell, Feint of Art, we were introduced to Annie Kincaid and the art world. The Brock Museum's 15 million new Caravaggio painting was a fake. On the night she made her appraisal, the security guard was found dead during the line of duty. When a well-known art dealer had absconded with the real paintings and swapped them for the forgeries, it was enough to help pay Annie's rent and get her landlord off her back. But Annie had to deal with her past, when she left the underworld of the art world behind as it had caught up to her to figure who was the art thief out.
The first in this art history/theft/forgery mystery series. Somewhere along the line I seem to have developed a soft spot for art thieves... It was a welcome development to find this new series that's so well done.
Totally loved this one. Loved the art theme, the San Francisco/Oakland settings, the easy read. Very good mystery with likable characters. Placed the next one on the WL as soon as I finished. It looks like the series ended after four books so I plan to enjoy what's there. Written by Juliet Blackwell, whom I find to be a very good cozy author, with her sister.
I'm a big fan of Juliet Blackwell (Witchcraft Mystery and Haunted Home Renovation Mystery series), so when I found out she was half of the Hailey Lind writing team, I had to read FEINT OF ART. Hailey Lind's other half is Juliet's sister Carolyn J. Lawes, a professor of history.
FEINT OF ART kicks off the Art Lover's Mystery series, and introduces readers to main character Annie Kincaid. Annie spent her teenage years forging artistic masterpieces with her grandfather in Europe. But after a run in with the law, Annie decided to give up that life. Now, she runs a struggling yet respectable faux finishing company in San Francisco. However, her extensive knowledge of the forgery business is about to get her in trouble again.
Annie gets wrapped up in a murder mystery when her ex-boyfriend, the curator at the Brock Museum, asks her to determine if the new Caravaggio painting is a fake. Yep, it is, and Annie knows who painted the forgery. That same night, a museum janitor is murdered and her ex disappears. In addition to that, an art dealer approaches Annie about tracking down some priceless Old Master drawings that were stolen and forged, leading to more murder and mayhem.
I had mixed feelings about this book. It was quite interesting, yet kind of confusing at the same time. There were a lot of players in this book and a lot going on. It was hard to keep everyone straight. The cast of characters was intriguing, but there were just too many involved in some way. I liked Annie's character pretty well, though she was a little flighty at times and made some silly moves.
On the other hand, I loved taking a look at the underworld of art forgery. Fascinating! It's clear the authors did their research. Some of the tidbits presented - well, I had no idea!
Though somewhat chaotic, FEINT OF ART was an entertaining cozy mystery, and I will continue with the next book. I'm pleased that my local library carries the series. I think the paperbacks are out-of-print at this point.
I really enjoyed the beginning of this book. It was an exciting premise and one I could instantly connect to being an artist myself.
However the last 1/3 of the book was totally wasted space.
1. Too many characters to keep track of. I had to re-read several times especially toward the end to keep track of the list.
2. The dialogue was a bit annoying as was the never-ending plot line.
3. The grandfather, why can't he just have a conversation with her? He's constantly avoiding her calls and speaking in cryptic riddles. Just tell her (us) what she needs to know. I hate the cat and mouse game he's playing.
Other than that, I did enjoy the writing style and have already read book number 2. I'll most likely be reading the series to the end and looking into other books by this author.
Now that was a fun romp. Don't get me wrong, there were still genre cliches that pissed me off and the main character could make some truly, deeply stupid decisions, and the love interests were sketched in at best, but it was fun and it was all about art and it was what I was looking for tonight.
Annie is an artist whose grandfather is an art forger. She grew up doing what he did only to learn that she shouldn't do it and that she needed to stop. When she loses a job at the prestigious art museum, she goes on to start her own business drawing portraits and doing faux finishes, etc. When her former boyfriend and the guard at the museum are found dead and missing (the ex-boyfriend) after her visit to the museum to confirm her ex's thoughts that the painting is a forgery, things just go crazy. She is kidnapped, attacked and followed by another art thief.
I enjoyed this story and can't wait to start the 2nd in the series. There were lots of things I didn't know about art that were interesting to learn at the same time.
Really enjoyed this, the plot was convoluted and confusing but the characters, especially Annie the mc were just terrific. Annie was funny, brave, quirky, talented and rash just what I like in a good heroine with a somewhat murky past.
Interesting story idea! The "it's cute that I'm so dumb" main character was immediately grating, as was the very drawn out conclusion. But Blackwell goes on to write stories with with much better characters, so you have those to enjoy.
This is the first I have read of this series and I liked it. The main character has an interesting personal and family history in the shady world of art forgery. I like the characters and see a lot of potential in future entries in the series. This particular story centers around an old masterpiece, theft, forgeries, and murder. It starts out slowly then builds to a rousing conclusion. I am looking forward to finding out what happens next.
I've enjoyed the Witchcraft mysteries by Juliet Blackwell (Hailey Lind is a pseudonym), most of which I've listened to on Audible. I listened to this one on Audible as well and it's the same narrator so I thought I'd try it out, being interested in art and art history. I enjoyed parts and I enjoyed the premise of the main character. Could be a fun "universe" to hang out in for several books.
Unfortunately there are two potential love interests for the protagonist and they both are pretty atrocious as men and as people. One of them in particular repeatedly does terrible things to the protagonist and about half way through the book I started saying out loud, if she ends up with the a%$hat, that's the end of the series for me. **SPOILER ALERT** When I got to the end of the book, I deleted it from Audible and removed the other books from my wish list.
Too bad. Lots of other things about the setting and main character seemed promising. She's pretty fiesty and goes her own way otherwise, and I frequently enjoyed her. But I'm just not going to waste time reading about a woman who allows herself to be treated so crappily and goes back for more. Don't mis-hear me. I understand that in real life this happens and I have a lot of empathy for victims of abuse -- there are particular and serious reasons that victims of abuse return to their abusers and they need our empathy and support to get out of the situation. But this is not reality, it's my escapist, mystery fiction. Not interested in spending anymore time with that a&%hat or a heroine that would chase after him.
This/these authors wrote a delightful cozy mystery with some overlap in characters from Juliet Blackwell’s Witchcraft Mystery series.
This story centers around Annie Kincaid, a young woman who has a sealed juvenile record as an art forger in France. Back home, a bit older and wiser, Annie has established herself as a faux-finish painting contractor who occasionally paints original portraits. Doing her best to lead a crime-free life, there isn’t a lot of money in her bank account when she learns her new landlord plans to double her rent!
An old flame calls her and asks her to verify the provenance of an historic painting. But the work is a fake. Worse yet, she knows the forger!
Juliet Blackwell, writing as Hailey Lind, has crafted a delightful read that is full of humor. The plot is part thriller and part cozy mystery. Narrator, Xe Sands, brings this story to life with her delightful narration
A fun cozy mystery with lots of art shenanigans! Basic plot ~ Annie is an artist with a little bit of a shady past involving some forging of art. As she tries to become a legitimate business owner and artist, she stumbles across a murder and some sketchy art dealings with forgeries that drags her back into her old world. There's a handsome rogue of a thief along with another handsome landlord with a soft spot for the chaos-inducing Annie. Why I loved it ~ As someone who studied art history in college, I loved all the arty details and history. Annie is a magnet for disaster, and she gets into no shortage of wild situations, some even dangerous. How she gets out of these little situations is part of the intrigue and draw of the story. Can't wait to see if things get further in the romantic department with Mr. X...or even Mr. Landlord.
Since I don't normally write reviews unless I have something specific to say, here's the break down of how I rate my books...
1 star... This book was bad, so bad I may have given up and skipped to the end. I will avoid this author like the plague in the future.
2 stars... This book was not very good, and I won't be reading any more from the author.
3 stars... This book was ok, but I won't go out of my way to read more, But if I find another book by the author for under a dollar I'd pick it up.
4 stars... I really enjoyed this book and will definitely be on the look out to pick up more from the series/author.
5 stars... I loved this book! It had earned a permanent home in my collection and I'll be picking up the rest of the series and other books from the author ASAP.
Really enjoyed the main character, thought she was funny/witty and enjoyed following her around. But other characters were very one dimensional. Couldn’t really tell the difference between who’s/who. Story also had a few people pop in then never heard from them again. I love art heist books so I was tempted to give this a 4/5 for a fun read, but story just lost me too many points. This would be a great on the beach-cocktail in hand-read.
My favorite "cozy mystery" series to date. A "reformed" art forger gone legit finds herself embroiled in a world she tried to leave behind. Her art studio in San Francisco would be enough alone to make this book worth reading for me - but it's actually a good story, too! I really enjoy all the characters in this series - and there's a good bit of humor in it, too.
This was a fun romp into the art world. It kept you guessing and had many twists and turns that you know will continue into the next book. If you want to read an interesting cozy, I highly recommend it.
In A Nutshell: Ernest Pettigrew, ex-beau of Annie Kincaid former art forger extraordinaire askes her whether Caravaggio's painting The Magi at the Brock Gallery is a forgery. Not only is it a forgery, but Annie knows who painted it! And that same night Ernest disappears and a janitor's dead body discovered.
The Plot: Who killed the janitor at the Brock Museum and where is Ernest?
The Protagonists: Annie spent her teenage years forging Old Masters with her grandfather in Europe. After a spell in a European jail, Annie has returned to America setting herself up as a respectable faux finisher in San Francisco. Inbetween fired by the Brock. There is something naive and yet appealing about Annie. She embodies joie de vivre although she is too trusting, a tad frustrating but feisty and comedic.
I find myself enjoying cosy art mysteries. Annie is the second series of this type that I am reading. In both series the protagonists, first names begin with A. And there the similarities end. Annie is funny and warm and relatable. Is drawn to two different men (J. Frank DeBenton and Michael Xerxes Johnson) who are from opposite ends of the spectrum. The dual man attraction-attention is somewhat hackneyed, but I enjoy it in this story. What is more difficult to swallow is Annie needing to be rescued by one or other love interest. And I wonder if along the line the authors will be brave enough to have a genuinely independent and feisty Annie?
The large supporting cast makes the fascinating but complex plot unnecessarily more complicated. So keep a notebook handy just in case. The author eases the reader's path by giving the cast of a million characters nicknames like 'fender bender' to DeBenton. An explanation of why would be a spoiler.
The book has a diverse cast of characters that lends texture to the story. I like the intergenerational aspect of the work, and the world building is convincing. I had fun with this book and am off to read book two.
Book Rating Sexual Content: U Language: U Violent: U Would I read the next one or reread?: Absolutely
My rating system (* = star) 0* Could not finish this book (waste of time) 1* Finished the book but didn't like it. 2* Finished the book it was okay. 3* A good read worth your time. 4* An excellent read often with a novel concept or unusual plot. 5* A great read. A prominent example of the genre.
I chose this book because there is another series by Juliet Blackwell that I love, so I thought this would be a good bet. Unfortunately, I have read all those books as audiobooks, and they used the same voice actress for this book, so it took me a bit to shake off the fact that it was the familiar voice of the main character of the other series now reading this very different character. Once I got pasts that, though, I did enjoy it. So it's not clear to me whether the book was just slow getting started, or if I was just too distracted in the early chapters to get into it right away.
This is an older book that Blackwell originally released under a pseudonym. That doesn't much matter, but the fact that it was set in the current time in 2006 sometimes does. For example, cell phones do exist but apparently car chargers don't. And payphones are still plentiful. Little things like that occasionally brought me up short.
Other than those few caveats, though, it was a fun read with a spunky, kind of smart-ass main character who made it a good ride.
We climbed into the cab, where all was silent but for the sound of heavy breathing. I was drenched in sweat, my nose was running, my hands were shaking, and I had one hell of a stitch in my side. I was trying to decide whether or not to throw up. Several long minutes passed. “I’m thinking faux finishing might be more your speed, Annie,” Mary said dryly. I glared at her, unwilling to spare the oxygen for a snide reply. Besides, she had a point. Maybe it was time to return to Plan A: don’t quit the day job. Teaching faux-finishing courses for do-it-yourselfers was looking better all the time. I fired up the engine, paid a small ransom to the parking attendant, and swung by Mason’s gallery to pick up Mary’s bike, which she had left chained to a lamppost in flagrant violation of the posted signs.
Numerous annoying inconsistencies like above. In a cab, then suddenly starting an engine
This is the first book in the series and I REALLY love the main character, Annie! I always like strong female characters, but she's also more realistic. She's trying to reestablish herself as an HONEST artist because as a child/teenager her grandfather got her into the world of art forgery. Many times the protagonist is short of money and barely existing, and she follows this path as well. But she just deals with it factually, & finds herself getting into the world of solving art crimes. She does seem to have a little more bad luck then most, but it just makes the story that much more interesting! But one thing I've noticed lately with almost all the books I read, why do all the female protagonists have red, unruly hair and green eyes?!? Is this especially attractive to men? Really confused about that. I know very few females with red hair, let alone having it be unruly & curly. Just saying.... Anyway, can't wait to read the next in the series!
I really wanted to like this one as I like this author’s other series. For this one, she teams up with her sister. We are introduced to Annie – once a protégé of her art forging grandfather and now the owner of an interior design business specializing in faux finishes. When an ex calls and asks her opinion on a recent purchase of the museum where she used to work (and he still does), she gets sucked into murder and danger and art forging a’pleanty. I really tried to go with the plot twists and just enjoy the story but I found myself frequently annoyed with Annie for doing completely stupid things (like continuing to trust someone who is repeatedly dishonest, destroys her property, and endangers her life…more than once). I just couldn’t get into this one and ended it not really liking anyone involved.
This book was almost non-stop full of action. I loved the art and art history aspect to it. I found that there were too many players in the story to keep a good track on what was happening but it was a fun read. Annie makes a lot of bad decisions in the book like focus on your studio and job girl! You need to make art and make money so you can thrive. Its not your responsibility to find the Caravaggio painting. Other than her poor judgment I found her a breath of fresh air and an awesome character. I also liked Mary, Pete, Frank and Annette. I couldn't stand Michael X. Johnson or David or whatever his real name was.
I wonder in the next book we find out what happened in Chicago and if we'll get to meet Georges and Anton.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.