RELEASE DATE APRIL 16, 2024 REVIEW: What a fascinating look, at both what the
Nazis might have captured during World War II and the status of art now. I
learned a lot about the paperwork kept for precious objects. The director at
Elliott Museum, Carter Montgomery, is searching for the true owner of some
artwork an elderly widow believes to belong to her family.
Attorney Janae Simmons goes back home to
reevaluate her employment options. After working so hard in the big city, she is
happy to be working in Kedgewick, Virginia, near to her parents and
grandmother. While helping her grandma organize, Janae comes across a wartime
notebook her grandfather kept, which illuminates a fascinating historical
incident.
This brings up the question as to what are the acceptable legal and moral
reactions when an artwork is discovered years after everyone believed it had
been claimed? How
is artwork handled that was looted or stolen during the war? Institutions and
collectors are still face these issues today. It was interesting to
learn about the art scene from many viewpoints: from the position of the
individual for whom the art was taken, from the institution now in possession,
from a lawyer seeking to figure out ownership, and from a person responsible
for stealing art. It’s an intriguing read! Your book club will love it!
Vanished By
Cara Putman Published
by: Kregel Publishing Release
Date: April 16, 2024 352
Pages
HashTag#
Contemporary Christian Fiction, Heist Thrillers, Mystery, Suspense
BACK
COVER: Janae Simmons left the
small town of Kedgewick, Virginia, ten years ago to pursue her legal career and
never looked back--until a professional mistake leads her to her grandmother's
historic carriage house and to the town where her past threatens to find her.
The quiet streets echo with her grandfather's sterling reputation, one that
conflicts with fresh questions that claw at Janae, launching her on a reluctant
journey to unearth his secrets. When her new job at a local law firm doesn't
live up to expectations, she wonders if coming home was the right decision.
Carter Montgomery starts his art preservation
career with the only job he can get--director at the Elliott Museum of Art. At
least Kedgewick is a nice enough town to provide him and his nephew with a safe
place to grieve the loss of Carter's sister. But Carter's calm days disappear
when an elderly woman claims two paintings in the museum's collection were
stolen from her family during World War II.
Carter enlists Janae's help to unravel the
legal labyrinth of art ownership, and the peaceful facade of Kedgewick morphs
into a hot bed of secrets. When an attorney turns up dead and Janae uncovers
another painting, what began as a simple legal issue spirals into a race
against time. As the web of intrigue tightens, the duo must confront a looming
question: What dark truths lie beneath the surface, waiting to be exposed?
Disclosure
of Material Connection: I requested and received a copy of this book by the
publisher, and NetGalley. I was not required to write a positive review. The
opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with
the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 “Guides Concerning the Use of
Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
Nora St. Laurent
TBCN Where Book Fun
Begins!
The
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