An Exhibit of Madness by Kerry J. Charles
The intrepid Dulcinea Chambers, winsome director of the Maine Museum of Art, encounters the bright light of summer and the darkness of murder in the first installment of Kerry J. Charles’ Dulcie Chambers Museum Mysteries series, An Exhibit of Madness (Edmund+Octavia Publishing).
Dr. Chambers, a Portland native, has just presided over the gala opening of an exhibition of the work of the American painter Winslow Homer. Further, she has inspired several donors to contribute extra funds so that the museum can afford to buy a Homer watercolor that will be auctioned at Christie’s the following week. Dulcie hopes fervently that the painting will soon hang on a wall in one of the galleries.
When the chair of the museum board, Joshua Harriman, heads to New York City to bid on the painting, Dulcie eagerly awaits news of the sale. She passes the time hanging out with her irreverent brother Dan, unwittingly draws the admiration of police detective Nick Black, and supervises her two summer interns: Harriman’s sexy, petulant niece, Alicia, and the studious Tom Cole, a descendant of generations of lobstermen.
MUSEUM’S TRIUMPH BUCKLES UNDER MURDER AND MYSTERY
Finally, Harriman calls Dulcie to report, triumphantly, that the museum now owns the watercolor. They make plans to meet the next morning, but something goes wrong. When Harriman fails to show, Dulcie drives to his home, barrels past the beleaguered housekeeper, and finds the museum chairman dead on the floor near his desk. The watercolor is nowhere in sight.
Pained, police detective Black must add Dulcie to his list of suspects. While brushing off the ribbing of his knowing partner, Black becomes more smitten each time he interviews Dulcie. When she is chased through town, down a shadowy wharf, and forced to swim for her life, Nick is terrified. A determined, ruthless killer seems to be lurking in a city where the vibe should be relaxed and cheerful.
Harriman’s attorney calls a surprised Dulcie and various family members to a reading of the museum chairman’s will. In light of its unexpected bequests, the tightly wound mystery starts to unravel. Ultimately, Dulcie saves the day when she pulls an important document from her crowded files, casting light on the befuddling cast of characters and their motives.
An Exhibit of Madness is evocatively set against the backdrop of coastal Maine where the fog rolls in and out — a useful metaphor for the confusion and clarity that are the hallmarks of any good mystery. Charles has written a fast-moving tale that’s just right for readers in a summer state of mind.
RELATED POSTS
Kerry J Charles Writes Works of Art … About Works of Art!
More posts about the Dulcie Chambers Museum Mystery Series
