by Laura Max Fitzgerald
NUTMEG BOOK CONTENDER! 2018
If you enjoy detective work and mysteries, this book is for you. This story starts with the lead character Theodora "Theo" Tenpenny trying to keep her Greenwich Village townhouse and her mom above water after her artist grandfather Jack dies. His last words to Theo are "It's under the egg," leaving Theo at a loss. After Theo spills rubbing alcohol on her grandfather's painting of an egg however, the mystery becomes deeper. The chemical reaction reveals another painting beneath.
Could this newly discovered art be a priceless Raphael? Could it be from the Renaissance? And even more troubling, did her grandfather steal the painting from the Metropolitan Museum of Art where he worked?
The mystery forces Theo out of her comfort zone, and she meets Bodhi, a child of Hollywood actors, and a librarian (of course!) who help her get to the bottom of the puzzle. The story involves incredible information about art, artists and restoration, and the purging of art by Nazis during World War II, so the plot can turn in a lot of directions. I also admit that I wished Theo's character had a bit more personality and life. If you liked Masterpiece or Chasing Vermeer, this could be for you!
If you enjoy detective work and mysteries, this book is for you. This story starts with the lead character Theodora "Theo" Tenpenny trying to keep her Greenwich Village townhouse and her mom above water after her artist grandfather Jack dies. His last words to Theo are "It's under the egg," leaving Theo at a loss. After Theo spills rubbing alcohol on her grandfather's painting of an egg however, the mystery becomes deeper. The chemical reaction reveals another painting beneath.
Could this newly discovered art be a priceless Raphael? Could it be from the Renaissance? And even more troubling, did her grandfather steal the painting from the Metropolitan Museum of Art where he worked?
The mystery forces Theo out of her comfort zone, and she meets Bodhi, a child of Hollywood actors, and a librarian (of course!) who help her get to the bottom of the puzzle. The story involves incredible information about art, artists and restoration, and the purging of art by Nazis during World War II, so the plot can turn in a lot of directions. I also admit that I wished Theo's character had a bit more personality and life. If you liked Masterpiece or Chasing Vermeer, this could be for you!