A Trace of Deceit

A Trace of Deceit by Karen Odden, 377 pages

Annabel Rowe has just left her art class and is stopping by to visit her brother Edwin when she discovers two police officers at his apartment. They're there to investigate Edwin's murder, which soon becomes complicated by the fact that Edwin had been in possession of an irreplaceable portrait that has vanished just days before it is set to go up on the auction block. Partnering up with the kind inspector Matthew Hallam, Annabel dives in to discover what happened to both the painting and her brother, hopefully before any harm comes to anyone else.

A plucky, intelligent woman is always a great detective in my book, and Odden certainly provides that here. Annabel's intelligence and her artistic talent are on display throughout the book, which relies on both her abilities and that of Scotland Yard to solve the case. I appreciated the realistic depiction of grief and regret, as well as the kind way that Odden treated Edwin's past. A fantastic novel for fans of Victorian mysteries.