The Eye of the Beholder: International Suspense in the Art World (Illustrated)
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It all started when…
Prologue
“We have updated the top story of the hour with more details that we have since learned about the tragedy in Malibu. Mr. and Mrs. Robertson were found murdered in their Malibu home early this morning after a call to 911 at 4:12 AM by the main suspect, a young woman, who only identified herself as ‘Gwendolyn’ and confessed to the crime.
“According to the 911 transcript, the suspect claimed that she was a guest of the Robertsons staying at their Malibu home. Mr. Robertson came into her room and sexually assaulted her around one o’clock. His wife came in and a fight ensued. During the confusion, the suspect pulled her handgun out of her purse.
“Mr. Robertson tried to grab her arm, causing the gun to misfire and kill Mrs. Robertson. That stopped Mr. Robertson long enough for the suspect to shoot him. The suspect claims she acted in self-defense and it was Mr. Robertson who caused his wife to be shot.
“For more, we are joined at the scene with our journalist, Samantha Rodriguez. Hello, Samantha, what’s the latest?”
“We’re waiting for Captain Slarpniak, the Head of the LA Robbery Homicide Division, to make a statement of what they know so far. Oh, he’s about to start.”
“Good morning, everyone. This is what we know so far. We estimate the time of death at around 0100 this morning for both victims. The cause of death for both was a shot to the head with a 10 mm handgun. A suspect made a call to 911 at 0412 this morning and confessed, saying it was in self-defense to a sexual assault. We have found a blood sample of the suspect that will identify her DNA. We have not found the weapon.
“Because the security system was down from about 2200, we have no idea who came or left from that time onwards. The security video does show that the last person who arrived was the suspect. And it showed that the last person to leave was the Robertsons’ driver, who dropped her off by car and then left on a motorcycle a bit after 1300. The suspect has not turned herself in. We are locating all the domestic help for questioning.
“My message to the suspect who called 911 earlier this morning is this. Please come into any police station for questioning. If what you say is true, we can clear all of this up quickly. Otherwise, we’ll have to find you and we will. The longer you wait, the harder it’ll be for you. That’s all for now. We will make more announcements as the situation develops.”
“That is basically all we know now. Back to you, Anita.”
The short pitch:
Gwendolyn, a likable rogue with attitude, is secretly a successful fine-art forger rubbing shoulders with the elite in society and shady art dealers. When she switches her painting with the original in a private home and escapes, she is confident with another successful heist. Until the next day when the owners of the home are found murdered. She has been framed and must travel to dangerous exotic lands to find the real murderers and clear her name. Can she succeed before one of her enemies catches her?
What others are saying about it:
Extremely interesting plot and theme. Loads of detail about various places, and objects plus the workings of the Russian mind. Makes good reading with a lot of interesting and informative detail. I like that in stories and I think there are a lot of readers who like to learn something new when reading a novel. John Fisher, author of Fatal Camino
As a reader who has preferred reading extended science fiction/fantasy and thrillers with characters we follow over many books, such as Robert Jordan, [Tom] Clancy’s Jack Ryan, etc., I found reading “The Eye of the Beholder” making me wish for more stories of Gwendolyn. Luckily, I discovered that there would be a sequel coming. Thank you! Bob Yee, rocket scientist
The Eye of the Beholder is a fast-paced cross continental adventure that is much more than the standard light fluff the genre is known for. It does what books are supposed to do, not just entertain, but educate as well. I came away with a deeper understanding not only of art, but of other cultures as well. Especially with Covid-19 restricting travel, books like this are a much needed voyage into cultures different than our own. Written by someone who has obviously lived in other cultures and can relate the differences and similarities between them, it is a gateway drug into that intoxicating state of wanting to know more. I found myself perusing my library checking out books on topics brought up by reading The Eye Of The Beholder. Blue Tog