Lori C. (dollycas) reviewed on 3/25/2023 + 704 more book reviews

Dollycas's Thoughts

Edie Brown and her mother were not seeing eye to eye in running the family's fine art and antiques business, but when a huge error had Edie arrested and put on probation for selling stolen goods it was the final straw. She left not only the town but the state.

Now her mother is in prison for art forgery and her uncle has called her home to help him so they don't lose the family business. He sends her to an event appraising items in folk art, her specialty. She meets a woman there with an interesting duck decoy and says she has access to a whole collection. An appraisal this big could be just what Edie needs to get the business back on firm footing.

Edie, her uncle, and Kala work hard to document each piece but when Edie returns to present the appraisal her world turns upside down. The collection has been stolen and the woman accuses her of the theft. Fearing she could end up sharing a cell with her mom she sets off on a quest to find the missing decoys. What she learns is that this robbery may be linked to another in Canada and that she may not be able to trust a man from her past who seems to want to get back together.

Edie has no choice. She teams up with her Uncle Tuck and their tech-savvy employee Kala to catch a thief before things run more "afowl" and her goose gets cooked by the FBI Art Crimes Division for stealing the duck decoys.

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First, I have to say the cover of this book is amazing. It draws the reader in and then we read about the beautiful home/grounds where we find Scandal Mountain Fine Arts and Antiques. "Nestled in the foothills of Mount Mansfield . . . just south of the Canadian border", Scandal Mountain is now enjoying a resurgence with new families moving in and new businesses opening and the author brings the town and area to life with her wonderful descriptions.  She also made it so easy to visualize the decoys.

Ms. Esden also introduces us to some wonderful characters in Edie, Tuck, and Kala. They each have their own strengths and weaknesses and all developed nicely throughout the story while leaving plenty of room for growth in future books. I really enjoyed Kala and all her knowledge. All three are realistic and relatable.

There were also very interesting characters specific to this story, suspects and victims, and victims that may be suspects. They are mixed up in a complex mystery that grabbed me right away. I have always been interested in collecting antiques and this plot played right into that interest. It was so entertaining to follow along with Edie, Tuck, and Kala and the different ways they dug in and followed each clue. Their instincts were strong throughout the book. I was definitely made smarter by what I was reading. And the final page made me smile.

The Art of the Decoy is an intriguing and entertaining mystery. A sensational debut for this series.  I am really looking forward to reading A Wealth of Deception when it comes out next month.

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