Part of Body Farm, book 6.5
First published 2012
Inspector René Descartes jolts awake to reports of a break-in at the Petit Palais, Avignon's treasure house of medieval art. What starts as a simple burglary investigation spirals into something far more complex when Descartes uncovers an intricate network of art forgery. His search through the ancient walled city leads him to a master forger's hidden workshop and a burned body that changes everything. Just when Descartes thinks he has solved the case, another death scene calls him back into action. This new crime scene will bring him face to face with renowned bone detective Bill Brockton and his assistant Miranda, setting the stage for a collision of investigations in this papal city. Set in Avignon, France, the fourteenth century seat of papal power, this prequel to The Inquisitor's Key weaves together art crime and murder in a place where history runs deep in every stone.
Genres: art, historical-fiction, mystery, crime, thriller
Vibes: atmospheric, fast-paced, suspenseful
Tropes: collision-of-investigations, intricate-mystery, murder-investigation
Setting: Avignon, Petit Palais, France
Period: 14th Century, Medieval
117 pages · ebook · Harper Collins