A Wealth of Deception
Scandal Mountain Antiques #2
by Trish Esden
Release date: April 18th, 2023
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I received a complimentary ARC copy of A Wealth of Deception (Scandal Mountain Antiques #2) by Trish Esden from NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books in order to read and give an honest review.
…Replete with a clever, intriguing, suspenseful plot, as well as a cast of quirky interesting and dynamic characters, this entry was an entertaining read…
Having read and reviewed Trish Esden’s first book, The Art of Decoy I am pleased to say the second in the Scandal Mountain Antiques series didn’t disappoint. Picking up where The Art of Decoy left us, Edie, Tuck and Kaya are struggling to keep Scandal Mountain Fine Arts and Antiques above water when they receive a desperate plea from a local, Annie, to give an appraisal and purchase a few items from an estate. Needing a boost, they jump at the chance, hoping for some hidden gems that could bring in some quick cash. When pursuing through the items Edie notices what looks like a collage from the artist Vespa, who is heating up the art scene with her “outsider art.” Annie is embarrassed by the dark piece and claims the collage was made by her brother Erik in a rehabilitation program for those with traumatic brain injury. When Edie begins to question the provenance of the collage the mystery begins to surface but when clues begin to emerge depicting something more nefarious Edie puts herself in the crosshairs of a murderer and scandal that puts her and everyone she loves in danger.
I love art and I love mysteries, combining this with technology and romance and this was right up my alley. Replete with a clever, intriguing, suspenseful plot, as well as a cast of quirky interesting and dynamic characters, this entry was an entertaining read. Although slow building it paid off with a nail-biting climax and heartwarming ending. I enjoyed the book and cannot wait to read more in this series, I highly recommend it.
Belinda Witzenhausen 