A Trace of Deceit by Karen Odden

From the publisher: A daring female painter and a Scotland Yard detective investigate her brother Edwin’s suspicious death. As a painter at the prestigious Slade School of Art and as Edwin’s closest relative, Annabel makes the case that she is crucial to Inspector Matthew Hallam’s investigation. But in their search for a missing painting, Matthew and Annabel trace a path of deceit and viciousness that reaches far beyond the elegant rooms of the auction house, into an underworld of politics and secrets someone will kill to keep.  

I loved Karen Odden’s debut novel, Lady in the Smoke, and was eager to read A Trace of Deceit. Although I have not read the first book in the series, I don’t feel this affected my enjoyment.

A Trace of Deceit for me was the perfect blend of history and mystery with a touch of romance. The historical details rang true, and the behavior of the two main characters was not outrageously modern. Their relationship built slowly as painter Annabel learned secrets about her troubled brother Edwin and detective Matthew allowed Annabel to help him with the case.

There was a scene near the end of the kind that so often turns into a moment from a superhero or Hollywood action movie, and I was so pleased that in this case it did not. It played out the way it probably would in real life. There were no “too stupid to live” moments from Annabel, and she is refreshingly ignorant of some historical details that come into play.

There’s quite a bit about art here, so I especially recommend this book to lovers of art and historical mysteries. Odden’s books remind me of the early books by Anne Perry.

I was given a copy of the book by the author in exchange for an honest review. The Galesburg Public Library owns A Trace of Deceit and the first book, A Dangerous Duet, as ebooks, and print copies are on the way.

Devolution: A Firsthand Account of the Rainier Sasquatch Massacre by Max Brooks

From the publisher: The #1 bestselling author of World War Z returns with a horror tale that blurs the lines between human and beast, and asks, What are we capable of when we’re cut off from society?

Set in the wilds of Washington State, Greenloop was once a model eco-community—until nature’s wrath made it a tragic object lesson in civilization’s fragility. Offering a glorious back-to-nature experience with all the comforts of high-speed Internet, solar smart houses, and the assurance of being mere hours from Seattle by highway, Greenloop was indeed a paradise—until Mount Rainier erupted, leaving its residents truly cut off from the world, and utterly unprepared for the consequences. With no weapons and their food supplies dwindling, Greenloop’s residents slowly realized that they were in a fight for survival. And as the ash swirled and finally settled, they found themselves facing a specter none of them could have predicted—or even thought possible. . . . 

Max Brooks burst onto the scene in 2003 with the New York Times bestseller The Zombie Survival Guide. This was the same year that The Walking Dead comic began printing, and heralded the start of zombies replacing vampires as the supernatural darlings of popular culture (and they're still here). Here Max turns his attention to another monster, in the form of Sasquatch, a.k.a. Bigfoot. As with his previous books, the subject is looked at from a rational point of view, as opposed to the fantastic. So, reanimated bodies and/or giant primates are attacking. How do you handle it? As described by publisher, this book relies on the 'found footage' of Kate Holland, who had just moved into Greenloop with her husband Dan, along with interviews with experts and actual quotes on scientific topics ranging from primatology to volcanology.

For some reason I've found it difficult to concentrate on books lately. No idea why. I've picked up and put down more in these past three weeks than probably ever before. And Devolution kept my attention and allowed me to escape for a bit. It does a fantastic job of establishing Greenloop and its residents and then jumps straight into the action. While cryptozoology (the study of 'hidden' animals) has been an interest of mine for decades, I don't believe there are large undiscovered primates in the Pacific Northwest. However, this book does a great job of laying out the groundwork of where they could have come from, and why they're so focused on Greenloop. I highly recommend checking out this book when it becomes available in a couple months.

I read an advance reader copy of Devolution.It is scheduled to be published on June 16, 2020, and the Galesburg Public Library will have it in print and as an e-book and e-audiobook. Thank you to Random House Publishing Group-Ballantine for the ARC through NetGalley