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[Following is a volunteer review of "Isabella's Painting" by Ellen Butler.]

Ellen Butler has authored several books in the genres of mystery thrillers and romances. A historical fiction mystery novel, Isabella’s Painting: A Notorious Art Heist Mystery is book one of the Karina Cardinal Mystery Series. I best liked that the author based this story on a true historical fact of a painting called The Concert, by Johannes Vermeer, which was stolen from the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in 1990. I also liked that she included some more information on the stolen painting at the end in an Afterward section.

Karina Cardinal is a young lawyer working in Washington, D.C., who advocates for better medical care. She is invited, along with her boyfriend Patrick, to a big annual Christmas party at his rich parents’ house. Karina meets Patrick’s parents, Martin and Molly. During the party, Karina gets a brief sense of something hidden in the library. She is very curious, and later in the night, she snoops around until she finds a hidden painting. The story centers on this mysteriously hidden painting.

When Karina searches on the Internet, she finds to her horror that the painting is The Concert that was stolen from the Isabella’s Museum over 27 years ago. She finds herself in a pickle of what to do about her findings. She doesn’t tell anyone about the painting but soon finds herself being followed and questioned by the FBI. Should she confront Martin about the painting? How did Martin acquire the painting? Is there a way to return the painting to the museum without incriminating Martin or her? You will need to read the book to find out how and what Karina did with her knowledge of the stolen painting.

Though the main characters in this story are Karina, Patrick, and Martin, the author weaves several other family members into the story, as well as, Karina’s college classmate, Mike Finnegan, who is now an FBI agent. I like that Karina has a sense of humor, as she calls her black party dress, “Old Faithful”, for one example. The story was written in such a way as to have me guessing what would happen and then realizing I was wrong in my conclusions. I liked how the story unraveled and how it ended. If I had to mention what I liked the least about the story, it would have to be about Karina and Patrick’s relationship. I did not like Patrick’s behavior. I don’t want to spoil the story, so I can’t say what I didn’t like about it.

The book was very well edited, as I did not notice any errors. It was also well written with good descriptions of the characters and places. The storyline kept moving along at a good pace, and it was very creative to base it on a true Vermeer’s painting, The Concert. I rate Isabella’s Painting 4 out of 4 stars. It should not be rated any lower, as it is a well-written book that will not disappoint avid readers of mysteries and historical fiction.

Young adults, as well as, adult readers who enjoy reading mysteries, romances, and historical fiction will like this book the best. People who like to read book series may like to read this book one of the series, which is a stand-alone. If you enjoy reading Isabella’s Painting, you will be happy to know that the next book in the series, Fatal Legislation, will be available this December. If you like to read about steamy romances and brutal violent acts, you would probably like this book the least because it goes light on these subjects.

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Isabella's Painting
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This story reminds me of the Nancy Drew Mystery series. It sounds very mysterious and enticing. Thank you for your splendid review of this book.

crediblereading2 wrote: ↑25 Sep 2018, 14:17 This story reminds me of the Nancy Drew Mystery series. It sounds very mysterious and enticing. Thank you for your splendid review of this book.

Yes, I agree with you. I had that same thought as I read about Karina.

Sounds like an exciting read. Karina appears to be a detective masquerading as a lawyer! Great review!

Ooooh, interesting premise. I also think it's great that it was based on the real painting. It gives the story a bit of authenticity.
Great review!

Sounds like a great book. I like that the main character has a sense of humor. Thank for the wonderful review!

Very nice, descriptive review. This is going to make a good seasonal movie. But I hope it doesn't contain explicit sexual scenes.

NuelUkah wrote: ↑30 Sep 2018, 00:41 Very nice, descriptive review. This is going to make a good seasonal movie. But I hope it doesn't contain explicit sexual scenes.

No,it does not contain any explicit sex scenes.

Thanks for the detailed review. I am intrigued as to what happens next in this book. I guess I will have to add it to my list to read

Hmm, a missing painting just like one of Donna Tarts' books. You managed to evoke my curiosity on what Karina will do with her finding and I wonder of all people, the FBI is like a cat can smell something fishy about Karina's newfound finding. Thus my curiosity leads me to add this book to my increasing pile of to be read list. Thank you for your lovely review without giving much away.

This book sounds like it's right up my alley! Mystery, art, and light romance are my favorite subjects. I also like it that the heroine is a strong female. I'll definitely be adding this one to my shelves! Thanks for your review!

crediblereading2 wrote: ↑25 Sep 2018, 14:17 This story reminds me of the Nancy Drew Mystery series. It sounds very mysterious and enticing. Thank you for your splendid review of this book.

My primary school idle library hours would normally be spent reading Nancy Drew (along with Hardy Boys and Bobbsey Twins) pieces, too. It would've been quite a dilemma for the protagonist when she had to choose between doing the right thing and doing nothing to avoid the risk of getting into trouble for doing so. Thank you for your insightful review.