Melina's Book Blog: Art of the Decoy

Monday, April 11, 2022

Art of the Decoy

The Art of the Decoy (A Scandal Mountain Antiques Mystery) by Trish Esden

About The Art of the Decoy

The Art of the Decoy (A Scandal Mountain Antiques Mystery)

Traditional Mystery 1st in Series Setting - Vermont Crooked Lane Books (April 5, 2022) Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 336 pages ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1643859641 ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1643859644 Digital ASIN ‏ : ‎ B098PXZNDF

Perfect for fans of Jane K. Cleland and Connie Berry, Tricia Esden's series debut is sure to please.

After her mother is sent to prison for art forgery, Edie Brown returns to Northern Vermont to rebuild her family’s fine art and antiques business. She’s certain she can do it now that her mother is gone. After all, butting heads with her mom over bad business practices was what drove Edie away three years ago, including a screwup that landed Edie on probation for selling stolen property.

When Edie scores a job appraising a waterfowl decoy collection at a hoarder’s farmhouse, she’s determined to take advantage of the situation to rebuild the business’s tarnished reputation and dwindling coffers. In lieu of payment, Edie intends to cherry-pick an exceptional decoy carved by the client’s renowned Quebecoise folk artist ancestors. Only the tables turn when the collection vanishes.

Accused of the theft, Edie’s terrified that the fallout will destroy the business and land her in prison next to her mom. Desperate, she digs into the underbelly of the local antiques and art world. When Edie uncovers a possible link between the decoy theft and a deadly robbery at a Quebec museum, she longs to ask her ex-probation officer, and ex-lover, for help. But she suspects his recent interest in rekindling their romance may hide a darker motive.

With the help of her eccentric uncle Tuck and Kala, their enigmatic new employee, Edie must risk all she holds dear to expose the thieves and recover the decoys before the FBI’s Art Crime Team or the ruthless thieves themselves catch up with her.

What I Thought:

This is the first in a new series, Scandal Mountain Antiques, and is more traditional mystery than cozy. In this one, Edie is called back to Scandal Mountain Antiques by her uncle to help with an appraisal show. Edie's mother has been sent to prison for forging a painting. When a woman brings a decoy to be appraised by Edie, Edie thinks this is what Scandal Mountain needs to get back on track. Scandal Mountain is given the job of appraising this collection, but the collection goes missing. Edie finds a link between this missing collection and theft at a Quebec Museum and she enlists the help of her Uncle Tuck, their new employee, Kala and her ex-probation officer/lover to help her solve the crime. This one was different than most mysteries I read, but that was not a bad thing. While it was different, it was still an enjoyable read. The author is very knowledgeable about antiques and folk art and I learned a lot about those two things from reading this book. I enjoyed the setting of this book, as New England is a setting I enjoy in any type of book. The plot was well thought out and the story flowed well. The characger of Edie was a little hard to warm up to, but she was well rounded. I did not have the "mystery" figured out and was left guessing to the end.

I received a complimentary of this book.

About Trish Esden

Trish Esden loves museums, gardens, wilderness, dogs, and birds, in various orders depending on the day. She lives in northern Vermont where she deals antiques with her husband, a profession she’s been involved with since her teens. Don’t ask what her favorite type of antique is. She loves hunting down old bottles and rusty barn junk as much as she enjoys fine art and furnishings.