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From the Murky Deep by Kerry J. Charles

Author Kerry J. Charles combines her love of scuba diving, travel and extensive knowledge of art history in her Dulcie Chambers Museum Mystery series. Her second in this cozy series, From the Murky Deep (Edmund+Octavia Publishing), again features the backdrop of Portland, ME, and the Maine Museum of Art.

In book one, An Exhibit of Madness (review), we met Dr. Dulcinea “Dulcie” Chambers, the chief curator at the art museum. When someone killed her mentor — the board chairman of the museum — she used her knowledge of fine art to help Detective Nick Black of the Portland police find the killer.

VAN GOGH UNDERWATER

Now, Nick arrives at Kettle Cove beach in Cape Elizabeth where the body of a woman wearing scuba gear and an empty tank has washed up on the shore. It appears she died because she ran out of air.

Dulcie is surprised but happy when Nick calls her out of nowhere. She hasn’t heard from him for months, since she helped him figure out who killed the museum’s board chairman, Joshua Harriman. Curious. She’d thought there was a flirtatious connection between them then, although they’d only had dinner once. His phone call sparks a thrill of excitement.

But what Nick tells her is anything but romantic.

The drowned scuba diver had Dulcie’s phone number written on the inside of her left hand — Nick recognized it from the investigation of Joshua’s murder.

Dulcie doesn’t know why her phone number is inscribed on the dead woman’s hand. And stranger yet, Nick later tells her that the woman was carrying an airtight tube with an expensive van Gogh painting rolled inside. Someone had stolen the painting from a private collection in Boston the year before, and Nick can’t help but wonder if the theft involved Dulcie.

PRIVILEGE AND PAINTINGS

As the investigation continues, they identify the dead woman as Jennifer Hully, the sister of a woman named Lydia Davenport-Jones — married into the elite Boston family who has a wealthy presence in Portland. The matriarch of the family and Lydia’s mother-in-law, Amelia, also has an impressive art collection of her own. Once again, Dulcie is linked to the case — she went to high school with Jennifer and Lydia, and she recently had lunch with Amelia about an art purchase.

Amelia has an insatiable hunger for fine art, always wanting to add to her collection. Everyone knows that “When Amelia wanted something, she always got it. Sometimes it would take years, but once in her sights, she never quit the hunt.”

Dulcie thinks it more than coincidental that Amelia had recently contacted her about buying a piece from the museum. And now she discovers that the murdered woman was the sister of Amelia’s daughter-in-law.

Although Nick is a respected detective with the Portland police department, he also carries his own expensive baggage. He’s from a wealthy Boston family, but gave up the silver-spooned life to fight crime, a decision for which his family hasn’t forgiven him. He tells Dulcie he grew up with privilege, but she has no idea just how much Nick is still entwined with his prior life. 

FRACTURED FAMILY FEUD

As the Davenport-Jones family comes under intense scrutiny, it’s apparent they’re keeping secrets. And none of the family members like each other, each hiding something, and Dulcie and Nick are determined to find out what. 

As Dulcie and Nick collect the clues that will lead them to the murderer and the art thief, they must disentangle the knots of lies told and secrets kept by the Davenport-Jones family. And one of those secrets will hit Dulcie with the force of a gut punch.

Charles gives readers a fast-paced, light-hearted read tinged with romance. Using her first-hand knowledge of scuba diving and her expertise in the art world, she weaves both into a unique plot with authentic characters. Lovers of cozy mysteries and fine art will relish fitting together the pieces of the Davenport-Jones family dramas alongside Dulcie and Nick to find a killer hiding right under their noses. 


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From the Murky Deep by Kerry J. Charles
Genre: Fiction, Mystery, Thrillers
Author: Kerry J. Charles
K.L. Romo

K. L. Romo writes about life on the fringe: teetering dangerously on the edge is more interesting than standing safely in the middle. She is passionate about women’s issues, loves noisy clocks and fuzzy blankets, but HATES the word normal. She blogs about books at Romo's Reading Room. For more, visit klromo.com, @klromo on Twitter and @k.l.romo on Instagram.

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