Annabel Rowe had finished her day at the Slade School for painters and went round to her brother, Edwin's flat as she hadn't heard from him and they had made a habit of having dinner at a pub or chophouse near the Slade. Their relationship had hit a rough patch when Edwin was sent Tennersley to develop his artistic talent, but he ran away. He would run away again but wouldn't attempt to come home and Annabel would be left with an angry, self-righteous father who wouldn't acknowledge her talent unless he could use it against Edwin. When their parents' died Annabel held it against Edwin and after he did time for forgery she was distrustful of whether he'd actually gone straight. At her brother's flat she finds two inspectors from Scotland Yard investigating her brother's murder and as it's later brought to her attention, the theft of a rare painting that had thought to have been destroyed in the massive 1874 fire at Pantechnicon one of the greatest disasters of the Victorian art world. What happened to the painting? Who murdered Edwin? Will they come after Annabel? Read and find out. It's a page turner that kept me up past my bedtime. ( )

"A Trace of Deceit" is the second book I have read by Ms Odden and I thought it was far better than the first one, "A Dangerous Duet". Even though "A Trace of Deceit" is the second novel in the Victorian Mystery series, it could easily be read as a stand-alone. The only character who appears in both books is Matthew Hallam, who is the Scotland Yards detective in both and the love interest in this one.

The novel started well and continued to hold my attention until the end. I enjoyed the Victorian England setting and loved that the novel centred around the art world and its auction houses. Annabel was a great protagonist. She was intelligent, modern, compassionate and persistent, but also vulnerable and full of guilt. I liked her from the beginning, Matthew remained the sweetie he was in A Dangerous Duet and I was thrilled that he had a much bigger (better) role in this novel than he did in the first. I thought he and Annabel made a perfect couple.

The mystery in" A Trace of Deceit" was also handled more effectively than in "A Dangerous Duet" and for a while I had a number of suspects lined up regarding who killed Edwin, none of who were guilty. Edwin's murder, his painful past, the troubled relationship he and Annabel had, the missing Boucher painting and the dubious workings of the auction houses made for a compelling read.

At university I studied art history where I also dabbled in oils, so I found all the art references throughout the novel fascinating. Ms Odden had definitely done her research and I enjoyed learning new things about art and how the auction houses worked. Although the plot did dip a little in the middle, overall, I found "A Trace of Deceit" very enjoyable and satisfying. I hope there is another instalment in the making. ( )

Oh what people do for a work of art. They steal, they connive, and they even commit murder.

While in the hands of Edwin who was restoring a famous painting, Madame de Pompadour by Francois Boucher, was stolen and Edwin was murdered.

We follow Anabele, Edwin's sister, and Mr. Hallam the investigator as they track down clues and the reason the painting may have been stolen.

What they find is quite a bit of information about the selling and trading of paintings and the people who participate in these trades. Some folks are definitely not on the up and up and come from all walks of life.

Will they find the painting and the murderer?

Ms. Odden will have you mesmerized by the workings of the art world and what goes on in auction houses.

Her characters are authentic, and her writing keeps your interest.

There is plenty of tension and good sleuthing along with a bit of romance. 4/5

This book was given to me by the author in exchange for an honest review. ( )

“A Trace of Deceit” by Karen Odden is a work of art. Like a striking painting, this story is beautiful, complex and full of details. Some words I would use to describe this mystery are lush, descriptive and immersive. Those who love professionally researched mysteries with a lot of complexities will savor this story. There are a lot of period and art details. Sometimes I felt like the story was a little slow with the pacing. But it is a story to savor and linger in, much like one does at an art gallery. The author obviously has done extensive research and knows what she is talking about. Art lovers will especially love this book, although an amateur (like myself) can also enjoy it. The mystery is done so well, it kept me guessing through the whole book. I do not know how Ms. Odden was able to bring everything together at the end like she did, but it was very cleverly done. I also love that the story has a slightly Gothic feel to it.

Our heroine, Annabel Rowe, is a female painter in Victorian England. She goes to a progressive art school (one of the few that accept women). Her brother (another artist) is mysteriously murdered. Annabel basically inserts herself into the investigation and gets to know the inspector, Matthew, and they develop a friendship and later a romance. They work together to find answers. Annabel is strong, courageous, stubborn and fearless. Sometimes, I got frustrated along with Matthew that Annabel put herself in some dangerous situations. I love Matthew’s character and the relationship that develops between the two as they work together. I also think the way Annabel’s past relationship with her brother and how she processes everything is very well done. Ms. Odden gives the reader a poignant look at grief, loss and resilience.

I recommend this book to lovers of mystery, art and historical fiction!

Content: I give this book a PG-13 rating. Some examples of the content are: a character uses opium and gambles; the Lord’s name is taken in vain; a man drinks; the words “da**,” “bloody hell,” “devil,” “a**” and “bastard” are used; mention of suicide; mention of a man trying to have sex with the maids; metions that a male teacher had sex with some of his male students and made unwelcome advances; mentions that people curse, but the words aren’t actually written.

Rating: I give this book 4 stars.

I want to thank Karen Odden, Historical Fiction Virtual Book Tours and William Morrow for the complimentary copy of this book for review. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I express in this review are my own. This is in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s CFR 16, Part 255. ( )

This entertaining historical mystery begins with a young art student named Annabel Rowe walking in to her brother's flat to find the police searching it. Her brother has been murdered.

Annabel had a difficult relationship with her brother which began in childhood. Her mother adored Edwin and was his constant support while her father was a much harder taskmaster who demanded Edwin live up to his impossibly high standards and used Annabel as an example to goad his son.

Though they had been close as children, things changed when his father decided to send Edwin away to a boarding school that focused on developing his artistic talent which was great. However, Edwin hated the school and ran away from it ending up living with a school friend and his mother.

Edwin used his artistic talent to clean paintings and to copy them not realizing that he was being used to forge and defraud. He also used drugs and often disappeared. He was caught for the forgery and spent a year in prison which changed his life for the better. He got out determined to put his troubled past behind him but Annabel wasn't quite ready to trust and forgive him. She blamed him for bringing home the illness that killed her parents.

However, she is determined to find out who murdered her brother and is even more determined when she learns that a valuable painting he was cleaning had disappeared. What is most strange is that the painting had been believed lost in a fire in a storage facility that acted as a warehouse for many collectors surplus art.

Annabel convinces Inspector Matthew Hallam that she is necessary to his investigation into her brother's death since she has an in-depth knowledge of the art world which he does not and since it looks like the theft of the painting was key to her brother's death. I liked the way Matthew and Annabel become close as they pursue their investigation. She quickly comes to see all of his various virtues and strengths. She also comes to realize how little she knew her brother and how much she regretted not forgiving him for his faults.

The setting and time period were intriguing. The many characters were distinct and distinctive. This was a thoroughly enjoyable mystery. ( )