I got this from FirstReads, and I really enjoyed it. It's a good mystery flick, a little more substantial than some. I haven't read the first book in the series (evidently this is #2), so I missed the beginning of the relationship between the two main characters, but there was enough in here that I wasn't left in the dark.I really appreciate a heroine who is good at her job in a calm, competent way. She isn't described repeatedly as drop-dead gorgeous (or the stereotypical mystery heroine -- petite and cute, but somehow with a very large chest -- I'm so tired of those), but she's good-looking and communicates well with people. She listens well and speaks well. She has good friends, whose characters are interesting but don't dominate the pages with zaniness. There's lots of info in here, so I feel like a fair amount of research was done, but to the extent that I knew it, it was accurate without being preachy.In short, I liked the characters a lot. I liked the writing style. It was a good read all around. I received this book for free through the Goodreads First Reads program.This is the third Alix London book and takes place about a year after the events of the second book. Alix is in Palm Springs to restore several paintings for a small museum. She finds out that she's the target of an online smear campaign. In addition, she has a "feeling" that a multi-million dollar Jackson Pollock painting is a fake. Things quickly go bad and Ted shows up as part of an FBI investigation. Together, Alix and Ted resolve the events at the museum, as well as their own relationship.I enjoyed this book more than the second one. It's a good, solid cozy mystery (nothing spectacular) and I'll admit that I was a bit surprised at who the killer turned out to be, which is unusual for me. I love that these books incorporate the "behind-the-scenes" world of museums and art restoration and this book is no different with the various personalities of the curators at the museum and that the issue of bringing in money/funding versus the traditional role of museums is an important plot point. Alix and her friends and family are engaging and would be fun to have a glass of wine (or two) with. This book doesn't break new ground, but it's a well-written and fun read.
What do You think about The Art Whisperer (2014)?
Excellent read! My first one in this series. Now I must find the first two and read them also.
—Lzzrd8
Light, fun mystery full of lots of interesting bits to learn about art history and art forgery.
—shamanina
