Die in Plain Sight

New York Times bestselling author Elizabeth Lowell creates another masterpiece of excitement and chills, passion and surprise

Die in Plain Sight

When Lacey Quinn inherits the striking landscapes done by her late, much-loved grandfather, she believes they are as good as anything hanging in museums. But the paintings now in her possession are more than the works of a talented master. They are anguished voices from the grave . . . crying murder!

Lacey begins researching her grandfather's past -- and is rocked almost immediately by a strange series of violent events. Someone wants to steal her inheritance, to reduce the paintings to unrecognizable ashes in a suspicious blaze. Someone wants to prevent Lacey from examining her grandfather's work too closely . . . by any means necessary.

Ian Lapstrake, a security specialist, has taken an interest in Lacey's inheritance . . . and in her. Troubled by what he sees, he becomes Lacey's shadow, as her search for answers leads them both down an ever-darkening road paved with lies, blood, and devastating secrets.

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Heavy on romance and light on mystery, Lowell's latest romantic thriller (after Running Scared), set in the art world, promises fireworks, then fizzles out. Art buyer and struggling southern California artist Lacey Quinn shows a few of her grandfather's paintings to renowned artist Susa Donovan, in the area for a charity event. The paintings are mostly landscapes, but also include a few samples from his dark later work, including detailed depictions of murder and death by fire and drowning. Believing that the landscapes are really the work of famous California plein air painter Lewis Marten, Susa asks Lacey to have them professionally appraised. Lacey resists Susa's pleas, fearing that her grandfather may have been guilty of forgery, but she discovers something far more complicated and horrifying. The murders her grandfather depicted actually took place, and as Lacey digs into her grandfather's past, strangely similar murder attempts and arsons begin cropping up. Her research leads her to Ward Forrest, a financier and real estate mogul who is obsessed with the paintings. In spite of the high-concept plot, most readers will guess the outcome well before the end of the book, and the speed and ease with which Lacey unravels three decades of murder and mayhem defy credibility. The wide array of characters and the engaging lesson on California art are enjoyable, but they can't make up for the lack of suspense.
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Lacey Quinn makes her living selling odds and ends in her shop in Newport Beach, California, but to the consternation of her society parents, painting is her passion. Against her father's wishes, she unknowingly starts on a dangerous path when she has her grandfather's paintings appraised by the famous artist Susa Donovan at a charity event. Susa loves the paintings and the two become friends and painting partners along with Susa's bodyguard, Ian Lapstrake. Lacey and Ian, an investigator for Rarities Unlimited, set off sparks in a fiery love scene, but the heat of lust is dispelled by a series of mishaps involving Lacey and her grandfather's paintings, which generate unwanted publicity, attract a buyer who wants them at any cost, and put Lacey's life in danger. Ian extends his professional protection to include Lacey as they start investigating Lacey's grandfather. Was he a forger, or a murderer? And who so desperately wants the paintings now? Lowell tangentially touches on her well-loved Donovan family in this well-crafted, exciting romantic suspense novel. One of her best, this will enthrall Lowell fans and encourage others to join their ranks. Patty Engelmann
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