Release Date: January 24th, 2022
In this cozy mystery, American art history major Hadley Evans joins an art detective agency in Florence, Italy, working for Massimo Domingo, once a major player, now the Inspector Clouseau of the art world.
Determined to save the flailing agency and prove her worth, Hadley and her sexy carabiniere boyfriend, Luca Ferrari, take on a mysterious client behind her boss's back. While hot on the trail of a missing masterpiece, they discover a hidden cache of stolen Nazi art in a Venetian villa and encounter a dangerous enemy with a link to an evil past.
EXCERPT
Hadley wrote down the phone number, and her jaw went slack when she heard and inscribed the rest of the message.
“Tell him it’s about a missing Botticelli. It’s urgent.” A shot of adrenalin coursed through Hadley’s veins. Sandro Botticelli. Her favorite artist in the whole world. Creator of the Italian masterpiece, Nascita di Venere, The Birth of Venus, the ancient Goddess of Love, dated circa 1484. She wasn’t aware a Botticelli painting was missing. “Is there any additional information you can give me? The name of the painting? The provenance? Capito. I understand the need for utmost secrecy. We can set up a meeting, and I’ll make sure Signore Domingo will be there.” She jotted down some more notes. “Piazzale Michelangelo? At sunset?”
Hadley tilted her head and chewed on her bottom lip. That was a strange destination for a business meeting. Although it offered the most scenic view of the city, perched atop a hillside overlooking Florence, meeting at a park after dark was reminiscent of a murder scene in a film noir. Where the heroine, Hadley, would later be found, dead, her virtue compromised and her throat slit. She would have to get Luca to drive her up on his motorcycle and stay out of sight while she conducted her business. Was the female caller from a museum? A high-end gallery? An auction house? Was she an art or antiquities dealer, or a wealthy private individual, or was she representing a government agency? And, if so, which government? Enemy or ally? She would soon find out.
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About the author:
Marilyn Baron writes in a variety of genres from women’s fiction to historical romantic thrillers and romantic suspense to paranormal/fantasy. She’s received writing awards in Single Title, Suspense Romance, Novel with Strong Romantic Elements and Paranormal/Fantasy Romance. She was also The Finalist in the 2017 Georgia Author of the Year Awards (GAYA) in the Romance Category for her novel, Stumble Stones, and The Finalist for the 2018 GAYA Awards in the Romance category for her novel, The Alibi. Her latest novel, The Case of the Missing Botticelli: A Massimo Domingo Mystery, released January 24, 2022, is her 28th work of fiction. A public relations consultant in Atlanta, Marilyn is past chair of Roswell Reads and serves on the Atlanta Authors Series Committee. To find out more about what Marilyn writes, visit her website at: www.marilynbaron.com/
Author's Giveaway
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51 comments:
Thanks for hosting!
Great excerpt and cover.
Thank you Mythical Books for hosting me and thank you Rita for your comment. I appreciate it.
Marilyn Baron
Happy Book Birthday, Marilyn, The Case of the Missing Botticelli sounds like a great mystery for me to enjoy! Good luck with your book and the tour! Thanks for sharing it with me and have an awesome week!
Stormy, Thank you very much for your kind words.
Marilyn Baron
Wow..the cover is stunning!!
Thank you, Mya.
Marilyn Baron
This sounds like a great story.
Thanks, Debbie.
Marilyn Baron
Thanks for the great excerpt. The book sounds interesting. Love the cover!
Pippirose,
Thank you for commenting. I appreciate it.
Marilyn Baron
This sounds like an interesting book and I also like the cover.
abfantom at yahoo dot com
abfantom, Thanks for commenting.
Marilyn Baron
Sounds like a good book.
Sherry,
Thank you. I hope you like it if you give it a try.
Marilyn Baron
clc408,
Thank you for saying that. I appreciate your comment and interest.
Marilyn Baron
What an exciting genre and cover!
Thank you for sharing this.
Barbara,
Thanks for your comment. This is a first genre for me so it is exciting. I'm glad you like the cover. It's a photo of Venice and they used the fleur de lis to signify Florence where the book is primarily set.
Marilyn Baron
How long on average does it take you to write a book?
Barbara,
Ha. Ha. It's such a wide range. My first book, Under The Moon Gate, a historical fiction set in Bermuda, took 10 years. Not all of that was spent writing, but from the time I started until publication, with the research, trying to get it published, etc. that was quite a long time. Traditionally, I have one book a year, but some years I've had four, and some two. It all depends on how long it takes the editor to get back to me with changes, etc. and what type of book it is. My historical fictions take longer than the cozy mysteries. That's a great question.
Marilyn Baron
What part of the book did you have the hardest time writing?
thanks this sounds like an exciting book
Barbara,
The hardest part of the book for me is always the middle. That's why they call it the sagging middle. I always know how I want to begin the book and end it but it's the middle that is the hardest to write.
Marilyn
wghutton,
Thank you. I hope if you get it that you will enjoy it.
Marilyn
I think I would have a hard time putting this book down after starting to read it.
That would make me happy.
Marilyn
How many books have you written and which is your favorite?
Barbara,
I've 28 works of fiction, including books, short stories, anthologies, even a musical (with my sister -- Memory Lane). My favorite is usually the one I just released. Almost all authors say that. And I love this one. But two others stand out. My first, Under the Moon Gate, set in Bermuda during WW II and current day and Stumble Stones, set in current times and WWII Germany. Thanks for asking.
Marilyn Baron
Barbara,
I always find the middle the most difficult. I always know the beginning and end but people call it "the sagging middle," for a reason.
Marilyn
Did you ever consider writing under a pseudonym?
Barbara,
No, I've always used my real name.
Marilyn
Does writing energize or exhaust you?
Barbara,
It energizes me.
Marilyn
Where do you get your ideas for writing?
Barbara,
My ideas can come from anywhere and everywhere. Overhearing a conversation on an airplane (before COVID), in the grocery store, a character name that inspires, from reading, researching history in a time period I'm interested in and identifying that nugget of information that I can turn into a novel. All the ideas are out there in the cosmos waiting to be absorbed.
Do you do anything special to treat yourself after finishing a book?
In the past I have done something like buy a piece of jewelry or a purse or piece of clothes. Don't know if I do that anymore specifically after finishing a book. But it is a nice feeling just to have finished.
Marilyn
What advice do you have for writers?
The best advice I've ever received is "Finish the Book." You can always correct a bad manuscript but you can't fix a blank page.
And write about something you're passionate about.
Marilyn
I like the cover and excerpt. Thanks for sharing.
Thank you, Susan1215.
Marilyn
What part of the book was the most fun to write?
Barbara,
The parts that describe Florence. I relied on my memories of when I was there in college and on other trips and most recently in 2019, right before COVID when I went back to the city to revisit some of my favorite places.
Marilyn
How do you "flesh out" your ideas?
Yipperbear,
I don't outline to flesh out my plot. I have the ideas in my head and just sit down and write. But a lot of authors use an outline or index cards to plan. There's no one right or wrong way, it's your way.
Marilyn
I enjoyed the excerpt. Thanks for the giveaway!
Debbie,
Thanks for commenting.
Marilyn
I so enjoyed reading the excerpt- well done!
Good book for winter reading.
Thanks for the contest.
Slehan,
Yes it's a fun read. Thanks for commenting.
Marilyn
Barbara,
I'm glad you enjoyed the excerpt.
Marilyn
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