First published 2010
Private investigator Spenser takes what seems like straightforward work. He must protect an art scholar during a ransom exchange for a stolen painting. The job should be routine. Guard the scholar, watch the handoff, collect his fee. But when the exchange goes wrong and someone dies, Spenser realizes nothing about this case is what it appeared. The art scholar has been hiding crucial information that changes everything. As Spenser digs deeper into what really happened, he discovers the scholar's secrets put both their lives at risk. The stolen painting is just the beginning of a larger web of deception. Spenser must navigate dangerous territory where academic expertise masks criminal intent and where protecting his client means exposing truths that powerful people want buried.
Genres: fiction, art, mystery, crime, detective, action
Vibes: fast-paced, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: amateur-sleuth, deception, secrets
291 pages · Hardcover · G. P. Putnam's Son's