The Case of the Forgotten Fragonard

 THE CASE OF THE FORGOTTEN FRAGONARD

by Marilyn Baron

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GENRE:  Cozy Mystery

 

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BLURB:

 

Hadley Evans Ferrari, art detective in Florence, Italy, is on the scent of a forgotten Fragonard painting at a villa in Rome when she stumbles across a treasure trove of stolen Nazi artwork—from Hermann Göring’s personal World War II stash. When she and the palazzo’s interior decorator are held hostage by the head of a secret Nazi organization and required, in a race against time, to appraise all the artwork in the house for private sale, she fears they will never escape with their lives. Can her sexy carabinieri husband Luca Ferrari and the police department’s Art Squad get there in time to come storming in and “save the day” before the villa’s evil Count “ties up loose ends”?

 

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EXCERPT

 

Alessandra opened the door. The women froze, speechless, when they came face-to-face with two men who were dressed like…Nazis, complete with party uniforms and gear, including cap, blouse, breeches, badges, patches, insignia, leather belts, boots, and armbands. If this was a joke, it was a bad one, thought Hadley.

 

“Fräulein Montenegro?” one of the men asked.

 

“Y-yes.” Alessandra stepped forward.

 

“And who might this be?” he asked, indicating Hadley.

 

“N-no one. A friend. We’ve come by—I’ve come by—to look over the interior. I’ve been hired by Herr Muller to redecorate the palazzo.”

 

“It is Herr Muller who sent us to check up on you.”

 

“Check up?”

 

“He recalled that when he met you here last week, you took some pictures of some of the interior rooms and the artwork hanging on the walls. That was unfortunate.”

 

“The artwork is no longer here, as you can see.”

 

“We are aware of that. We need to see your cell phone.”

 

“Do you have some form of identification?”

 

“I assure you we are legitimate.” He extended his hand. “Your cell phone…?” he demanded.

 

“This is private property. I am not in the habit of…”

 

Suddenly, a loud slap resounded as the officer backhanded Alessandra across her face. She cried out and held her hand over her stinging, swollen cheek. The man grabbed Alessandra’s purse, shook out the contents on a side table, and confiscated the phone. So, no joke. These men were deadly serious.

My Review:

Let me begin by saying that I don't know much of anything about art either stolen by the Nazis or in a museum. I've heard the names of some of the artists she spoke of, but whether or not the provenance of the discovered art is real or not I don't know. Ms. Baron seems to know a lot about art so I'm guessing she used real works of art in her book. It doesn't really matter, though. Is there anyone among us who wouldn't be intrigued at the chance to discover a missing masterpiece? l think the Nazi connection makes it even more interesting. 

I first met our heroine Hadley in book 1 of this series. She hasn't changed a lot. She's still independent, strong, and knows her own mind. Yes, it gets her into trouble, but so far she's doing okay. She might, however, be a little more domesticated in this book. You'll see what I mean when you read the end. 

Luca, her amorous Italian husband still can't live without her and moves heaven and earth to find her when she disappears. 

I always enjoy the setting in a Baron book. It fits the plot so well. 

If you're at all interested in stolen masterpieces, Nazis on the prowl, and a puzzle to solve I think you'd be happy with this book.

Ms. Baron, write us a story about the Amber Room. I'd love to see Hadley find it.

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AUTHOR Bio and Links:

 

Marilyn Baron writes in a variety of genres from women’s fiction to historical romantic thrillers and romantic suspense to paranormal/fantasy and cozy mysteries. She’s received writing awards in Single Title, Suspense Romance, Novel with Strong Romantic Elements and Paranormal/Fantasy Romance. She was also The Finalist in the 2017 Georgia Author of the Year Awards (GAYA) in the Romance Category for her novel, Stumble Stones, and The Finalist for the 2018 GAYA Awards in the Romance category for her novel, The Alibi. Her latest novel, which was released March 22, 2023, her 29th work of fiction, is The Case of the Forgotten Fragonard. A public relations consultant in Atlanta, Marilyn is past chair and current member of Roswell Reads and serves on the Atlanta Authors Series Committee. To find out more about what Marilyn writes, visit her website at: www.marilynbaron.com/

 

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https://www.amazon.com/Forgotten-Fragonard-Massimo-Domingo-Mystery-ebook/dp/B0BS5N3C7M/

 

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